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“Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose confidence is in Yahweh.

For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.

But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.

You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

Increase my honor and comfort me again.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

I thought that a fairer era of life was beginning for me, one that was to have its flowers and pleasures, as well as its thorns and toils.

I looked at the blank wall: it seemed a sky thick with ascending stars,—every one lit me to a purpose or delight.

While the thought held possession of her, she could not be made rude and malicious by the rudeness and malice of those about her.

She had been actually happy all the time; and dozens and dozens of the tiny, pale green points were to be seen in cleared places, looking twice as cheerful as they had looked before when the grass and weeds had been smothering them.

My optimism, then, does not rest on the absence of evil, but on a glad belief in the preponderance of good and a willing effort always to coöperate with the good, that it may prevail.

In the midst of my perplexity I read an essay of Stevenson which made me feel as if I had been "outing" in the sunshine, instead of losing heart over a difficult task. I tried again with new courage and succeeded almost before I knew it.

But during the first nineteen months of my life I had caught glimpses of broad, green fields, a luminous sky, trees and flowers which the darkness that followed could not wholly blot out.

Then comes hope with a smile and whispers, "There is joy in self-forgetfulness." So I try to make the light in others' eyes my sun, the music in others' ears my symphony, the smile on others' lips my happiness.

When I find my work particularly difficult and discouraging, she writes me letters that make me feel glad and brave; for she is one of those from whom we learn that one painful duty fulfilled makes the next plainer and easier.

Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.

You wrote with no thoughts of fame and money, and put your heart into it, my daughter. You have had the bitter, now comes the sweet. Do your best, and grow as happy as we are in your success.

But it did her good, for those whose opinion had real value gave her the criticism which is an author’s best education, and when the first soreness was over, she could laugh at her poor little book, yet believe in it still, and feel herself the wiser and stronger for the buffeting she had received.

You mayn’t get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them.

Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.

And, Leslie, I can’t help believing that life has something good and beautiful for you yet.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Life is a stern business in any case: why pretend that it is anything else?