Each of the Four Numbers of "100 Choice Selections" contained The entire book contains nearly 1000 pages. 100 CHOICE SELECTIONS. No. 13. CENTENNIAL HYMN.-JOHN G. WHITTIER. Our father's God! from out whose hand Here, where of old, by Thy design, Be with us while the New World greets Thou who hast here in concord furled And, freighted with love's golden fleece, For art and labor inet in truce, Oh! make Thou us through centuries long, TOM.-CONSTANCE FENIMORE WOOLSON. Yes, Tom's the best fellow that ever you knew. When the old mill took fire, and the flooring fell through, What do you think my eyes saw through the fire The shining? He inust have come there after me, Any one's missing him. Then, what a shout- They tried, but the fire held them back like a wall. He sat “Never mind, baby, sit still like a man! Stared at the flame with a baby's surprise, The roar of the fire up above must have kept The sound of his mother's voice shrieking his name The axes went faster: I saw the sparks fly Where the men worked like tigers, nor minded the heat That scorched them,-when, suddenly, there at their feet, The great beams leaned in-they saw him-then, crash, The sight of the child there,-when swift, at my side, Oh, how the men raved, Shouted, and cried, and hurrahed! Then they all Oh! you'd admire To see Robin now he's as bright as a dime, Yes, Tom was our dog. TRUE NOBILITY.-AN ORATION. Who are the true noblemen of the earth? Who well deserve to belong to the nobility? Not they who are decked with glittering crowns and costly paraphernalia; not they who possess wealth and power; not they whose names are echoed far and wide, and lauded as successful financiers, mighty warriors, brilliant statesmen, or eloquent orators; but they who are known by excellent virtues and noble deeds; they who have honest and pure hearts, above all meanness and crime; who act honestly in all circumstances, and whose chief desire is to benefit their fellow-men. Nobility denotes true honor. It does not mean that man shall continually play the hypocrite in order to carry out his plans-ready to praise a man in the morning and curse him at sun-down-ready to shout for Republicanism in the street, and wire-pull for Democracy in the caucus. A true nobleman is a man straightforward and just, kind and benevolent; who feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, visits the afflicted ones of earth, pouring oil upon the troubled waters, and brushing away the tear that trembled in the eye of the weeper. It is he who is independent. Not that independence which says, "I am Sir Oracle; let no dog bark when I do ope my mouth," but that independence which consists of true moral courage, that Newton-like, can learn from a goat-herd, and when necessary, can promptly say, "No." I mean that independence that is exempt from undue influence, and possessing the power of self-control. Nobility denotes a courteous deportment; cheerfulness, industry, affability, an obliging disposition, and a strict observance of all the proper rules of society are necessary to true nobility. Another important element is mental cultivation. Ignorance is debasing to the mind and robs it of its glory. Intelligence expands and gives energy and power to the soul. To obtain this intelligence, careful study and close thought are necessary. Here is the true Castilian fount. Drink deep thereof, and learn to be good and noble. Study well the book of Nature. There you will meet with wide ideas of beauty and grandeur,—and hold fellowship with Him who maketh the earth His footstool, the heavens His throne, the thunder His voice, and the clouds His chariot,— and you will be rewarded with rich gems of thought and new and grand projects that mayhap shall cause you to be remembered as another Franklin, another Newton, or another Locke. True nobility denotes purity of soul with freedom from all corruptions of our nature,—pride, self-will, anger, covetousness, envy. It also denotes a proper government of the body by curbing properly all the desires and appetites. These all should be conformed to the principles of morality and religion. Cleanliness, which is next to godliness, is its constant attendant. True nobility denotes an earnest, active life, consecrated to the glory of God and the good of humanity. Man can only answer the end of his being in working with all his ransomed powers to this end. He will scarcely have placed his foot on the threshold of this work, ere he will be surrounded with difficulties. |