Thus events great and small, if aright understood, Will be found to be working together for good.

"When my meat," Joseph cried, "was just now stolen away,

And I had no prospect of eating to-day,

How could it appear to a short-sighted sinner,
That my life would be saved by the loss of my dinner!'
-HANNAH MORE.

TURN THE CARPET

OR

THE TWO WEAVERS.

As at their work two weavers sat,
Beguiling time with friendly chat,
They touched upon the price of meat,
So high, a weaver scarce could eat.

"What with my brats and sickly wife,"
Quoth Dick, "I'm almost tired of life;
So hard my work, so poor my fare,
'Tis more than mortal man can bear.

"How glorious is the rich man's state!
His house so fine! his wealth so great!
Heaven is unjust, you must agree;
Why all to him? why none to me?

"In spite of what the Scripture teaches,
In spite of all the parson preaches;
This world (indeed I've thought so long)
Is ruled, methinks, extremely wrong.

"Where'er I look, howe'er I range,
'Tis all confused, and hard and strange;

The good are troubled and oppress'd,
And all the wicked are the bless'd."

Quoth John, "Our ignorance is the cause
Why, thus we blame our Maker's laws;
Parts of his ways alone we know ;
'Tis all that man can see below.

"Seest thou that carpet, not half done, Which thou, dear Dick, hast well begun ? Behold the wild confusion there!

So rude the mass it makes one stare!

"A stranger ignorant of the trade,

Would say, 'No meaning 's there conveyed;
For where's the middle, where's the border?
Thy carpet now is all disorder.'"

Quoth Dick, "My work is yet in bits,
But still in every part it fits;

Besides, you reason like a lout;

Why, man, that carpet's inside out."

Says John, "Thou sayst the thing I mean,
And now I hope to cure thy spleen;

This world, which clouds thy soul with doubt,
Is but a carpet inside out.

"As when we view these shreds and ends,
We know not what the whole intends;

So, when on earth things look but odd,
They 're working still some scheme of god.

"No plan, no pattern, can we trace; All wants proportion, truth, and grace; The motley mixture we deride,

Nor see the beauteous upper side..

"But when we reach that world of light
And view those works of God aright,
Then shall we see the whole design,
And own the Workman is divine.

"What now seem random strokes, will there
All order and design appear;

Then shall we praise what here we spurned,

For then the carpet shall be turned."

"Thou'rt right" quoth Dick," no more I'll grumble

That this sad world's so strange a jumble;

My impious doubts are put to flight,

For my own carpet sets me right.

-HANNAH MORE.

63. GOODNESS AND GOOD MAN.

The Prophet (Muhammed) said, "Are you come to ask what is goodness and what is badness?" "Yes, I am come for this," was the reply. Then the Prophet joined his fingers, and struck them upon the breast of the questioner, that is, made a sign towards his heart, and said, "ask the sentence from thy own heart." This he repeated three times, "goodness is a thing from which thy heart finds firmness and rest; and badness is a thing which throws thee into doubt, although men may acquit." "MISHCAT-UL-MASÂBIH."*

Whatever is good has that quality from itself; it is finished by its own nature, and commendation is no part of it. Why, then, a thing is neither better nor worse for being praised. This holds concerning things which are called good in the common way of speaking, as the products of nature and art; what do you think, then, of that which deserves this character in the strictest propriety? It wants nothing foreign to complete the idea any more than law, truth, good nature, and sobriety. Do any of these virtues stand in need of a good word, or are they the worse for a bad one? I hope an emerald will shine nevertheless for a man's being silent about the worth of it.

-MARCUS AURELIUS.

Good is slow, it climbs; evil is swift, it descends. Why should we marvel that it makes great progress in

short time?

Translated from the Arabic by Captain Matthews.

Good, the more

Communicated, more abundant grows.

-MILTON.

Goodness is the highest power in the world.

-VIRCHAND R. GANDHI.*

It is in length of patience, and endurance, and forbearance, that so much of what is good in mankind and womankind is shown.

-ARTHUR HELPS.

The eight good qualities are: Compassion, Forbearance, Freedom from anger, Purity, Gentleness, The performance of good actions, Freedom from avarice, and Freedom from covetousness.

-GAUTAMA.

To adopt the moral path, to discard bad actions, not to beg before a bad man even at the risk of death, to inspire awe even in adversity and not humbleness, who, except the good, will be able to observe such a sword-like sharp

Vow.

These six are the natural qualities of the goodCourage in adversity, forbearance in fortunate days, spread of learning in a learned assembly, show of bravery at the proper time, ever attentive towards one's fame, and love of learning to a fault.

-VAMAN.†

Freedom from fear, and purity of heart,
Persistence in pursuit of knowledge too,

Alms-giving, self-restraint, and sacrifice,

* A Jain Philosopher.

† A Marathi poet.