“Ode to Tobacco,”—Charles Stuart Calverley.
Charles Stuart Calverley, a noted English poet and humorist, was born at Martley, Worcestershire, December 22, 1831, and died February 17, 1884. He wrote: “Verses and Translations,” and “Society Verses.”
If I had a device, it would be the true, the true only, leaving the beautiful and the good to settle matters afterwards as best they could.
—C. A. Sainte-Beuve.
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, the great French literary critic, was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, December 23, 1804, and died at Paris, October 13, 1869. He wrote: “Literary Critiques and Portraits,” “Literary Portraits,” “History of Port Royal,” “Contemporary Portraits,” “Picture of French Poetry in the Sixteenth Century,” “Meditations in August,” “Consolations,” “Poems,” his celebrated “Monday Talks,” etc.
We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
“Self-Help,”—Samuel Smiles.
Samuel Smiles, a famous British author, was born at Haddington, Scotland, December 23, 1812, and died, April 16, 1904. He wrote: “Lives of the Engineers,” “Industrial Biography,” “James Brindley and the Early Engineers,” “Lives of Boulton and Watt,” “Life of Thomas Telford,” “Life of George Stephenson,” “The Life of a Scotch Naturalist” (Thomas Edward), “Robert Dick,” “George Moore,” “Men of Invention and Industry,” “Life and Labor,” “A Publisher and His Friends,” “Jasmin,” “Josiah Wedgwood,” “History of Ireland,” etc. Also, “Self-Help,” “Character,” “Thrift,” and “Duty.”
Her air, her manners, all who saw admir’d;
Courteous though coy, and gentle though retir’d;
The joy of youth and health her eyes display’d,
And ease of heart her every look convey’d.
“The Parish Register, Marriages,” Part ii,—George Crabbe.