Sarah Josepha Hale Quotes

Hail, Holy Day! the blessing from above </br> Brightens thy presence like a smile of love, </br> Smoothing, like oil upon a stormy sea, </br> The roughest waves of human destiny— </br> Cheering the good, and to the poor oppressed </br> Bearing the promise of their heavenly rest.

Woman's empire, holier, more refined, </br> Moulds, moves and sways the fall'n but God-breathed mind, </br> Lifting the earth-crushed heart to hope and heaven.

What in the rising man was industry and economy, becomes in the rich man parsimony and avarice.

Oh! wondrous power, how little understood, </br> Entrusted to the Mother's mind alone </br> To fashion genius, form the soul for good, </br> Inspire a West, or train a Washington!

Some one has called flowers the poetry of earth. They are only its Lyrical poetry. Water is the grand Epic of creation; and there is not a human soul but feels the influence of its majesty, its power or its beauty.

And evermore the Deep has worshipped God; </br> And Bards and Prophets tune their mystic lyres </br> While listening to the music of the floods.

The most welcome guest in society will ever be the one to whose mind every thing is a suggestion, and whose words suggest something to everybody.

There are few sensations more painful than in the midst of deep grief, to know the season which we have always associated with mirth and rejoicing is at hand.

And you each gentle animal </br> In confidence may bind, </br> And make them follow at your call, </br> If you are always kind.

Though youth be past and beauty fled, </br> The constant heart its pledge redeems, </br> Like Box that guards the flowerless bed </br> And brighter from the contrast seems.

Why is it that water, so monotonous in its characteristics, should nevertheless, possess a charm for every mind? I believe it is chiefly because it bears the impress of the Creator, which we feel neither the power of time or of man can efface or alter.

Rugged strength and radiant beauty— </br> These were one in nature's plan; </br> Humble toil and heavenward duty— </br> These will form the perfect man!

Let no one understand me as speaking lightly of that Catechism. It was framed by good men, and doubtless with the best intentions. But there can be no perfect system of faith as expounded by men; and there should be no creed which requires the human mind to render its unqualified assent before it has examined and reflected.

Readers soon tire of prefaces, and skip them, and so the labor of writing them is lost.

What has made this nation great? Not its heroes, but its households.