Broom-Tree against Blue Sky, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Photo by C. Bateman. Copyright 2010 Remnant Songs Ltd.
round table quotes August 1, 2009
Our fundamental concern, then,
is to build up habits of straight thinking. How is this to be done?
Apparently, our educational systems exist for that purpose. Do they
accomplish their end? If they did, one would indeed be put to it to
explain the self-deluded terrorizers, practically all of whom are the
product of our school systems; the race snobs; the lynchers; the breakers-up-of-liberal-meetings;
the curbers of free speech; the war-rumor hounds; the "sic-em-Uncle-Sam"
misguided type of patriots, the patent medicine and the gold brick victims. H.A. Overstreet 1875-1970 Influencing Human Behaviour, 1925
Chapter XI: The Problem of Straight Thinking, 184.
~
I think that one who has received a kindness ought to remember it all
his life; but that the doer of the kindness should forget it once and
for all; if the former is to behave like a good man, the latter like
one free from all meanness. To be always recalling and speaking of one's
own benefactions is almost like upbraiding the recipients of them. I
will do nothing of the kind, and will not be led into doing so.
Demonsthenes 384-322 B.C.E The Public Orations of Demosthenes
Trans. Arthur Wallace Pickard, 1912
On the Crown 18.269, 131.
~
Δεῦτε
πρός
με πάντες
οἱ
κοπιῶντες
καὶ
πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς.
(Come to me all the ones becoming weary and being burdened, and I will
give rest to you.)
Jesus of Nazareth 4 B.C.E.
- 30 C.E.
Matthew 11:28
Trans. Robert K. Brown The New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament, 1990.
_______________________________________________
The Innocents Abroad Mark Twain, 1869
[An account of his trip
to Europe and the Holy Land in the 19th century]
Tangier and Marsailles
About the first adventure we had yesterday afternoon, after landing
here,
came near finishing that heedless Blucher. We had just mounted some
mules and asses and started out under the guardianship of the stately,
the princely, the magnificent Hadji Muhammad Lamarty (may his tribe
increase!) when we came upon a fine Moorish mosque, with tall tower,
rich
with checker-work of many-colored porcelain, and every part and portion
of the edifice adorned with the quaint architecture of the Alhambra,
and
Blucher started to ride into the open doorway. A startling "Hi-hi!"
from
our camp followers and a loud "Halt!" from an English gentleman
in the
party checked the adventurer, and then we were informed that so dire
a
profanation is it for a Christian dog to set foot upon the sacred
threshold of a Moorish mosque that no amount of purification can ever
make it fit for the faithful to pray in again. Had Blucher succeeded
in
entering the place, he would no doubt have been chased through the town
and stoned; and the time has been, and not many years ago, either, when
a
Christian would have been most ruthlessly slaughtered if captured in
a
mosque. We caught a glimpse of the handsome tessellated pavements within
and of the devotees performing their ablutions at the fountains, but
even
that we took that glimpse was a thing not relished by the Moorish
bystanders.
...
I am glad to have seen Tangier--the second-oldest town in the world.
But
I am ready to bid it good-bye, I believe.
~
The thunder of our two brave cannon announced the Fourth
of July, at daylight, to all who were awake. But many of us got our
information at a later hour, from the almanac. All the flags were sent
aloft except half a dozen that were needed to decorate portions of the
ship below, and in a short time the vessel assumed a holiday appearance.
During the morning, meetings were held and all manner of committees
set
to work on the celebration ceremonies. In the afternoon the ship's
company assembled aft, on deck, under the awnings; the flute, the
asthmatic melodeon, and the consumptive clarinet crippled "The
Star-Spangled Banner," the choir chased it to cover, and George
came in
with a peculiarly lacerating screech on the final note and slaughtered
it. Nobody mourned.
...
At dinner in the evening, a well-written original poem was recited with
spirit by one of the ship's captains, and thirteen regular toasts were
washed down with several baskets of champagne. The speeches were bad
--execrable almost without exception. In fact, without any exception
but
one. Captain Duncan made a good speech; he made the only good speech
of
the evening. He said:
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:--May we all live to a green old age and
be
prosperous and happy. Steward, bring up another basket of champagne."
It was regarded as a very able effort.
The festivities, so to speak, closed with another of those miraculous
balls on the promenade deck. We were not used to dancing on an even
keel, though, and it was only a questionable success. But take it all
together, it was a bright, cheerful, pleasant Fourth.
Toward nightfall the next evening, we steamed into the great artificial
harbor of this noble city of Marseilles, and saw the dying sunlight
gild
its clustering spires and ramparts, and flood its leagues of environing
verdure with a mellow radiance that touched with an added charm the
white
villas that flecked the landscape far and near. [Copyright secured
according to law.]
...
There were no stages out, and we could not get on the pier from the
ship.
It was annoying. We were full of enthusiasm--we wanted to see France!
Just at nightfall our party of three contracted with a waterman for
the
privilege of using his boat as a bridge--its stern was at our companion
ladder and its bow touched the pier. We got in and the fellow backed
out
into the harbor. I told him in French that all we wanted was to walk
over his thwarts and step ashore, and asked him what he went away out
there for. He said he could not understand me. I repeated. Still he
could not understand. He appeared to be very ignorant of French. The
doctor tried him, but he could not understand the doctor. I asked this
boatman to explain his conduct, which he did; and then I couldn't
understand him.
...
A long walk through smooth, asphaltum-paved streets bordered by blocks
of
vast new mercantile houses of cream-colored stone every house and every
block precisely like all the other houses and all the other blocks for
a
mile, and all brilliantly lighted--brought us at last to the principal
thoroughfare. On every hand were bright colors, flashing constellations
of gas burners, gaily dressed men and women thronging the sidewalks
--hurry, life, activity, cheerfulness, conversation, and laughter
everywhere! We found the Grand Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix, and wrote
down who we were, where we were born, what our occupations were, the
place we came from last, whether we were married or single, how we liked
it, how old we were, where we were bound for and when we expected to
get
there, and a great deal of information of similar importance--all for
the
benefit of the landlord and the secret police. We hired a guide and
began the business of sightseeing immediately. That first night on
French soil was a stirring one. I cannot think of half the places we
went to or what we particularly saw; we had no disposition to examine
carefully into anything at all--we only wanted to glance and go--to
move,
keep moving! The spirit of the country was upon us. We sat down,
finally, at a late hour, in the great Casino, and called for unstinted
champagne. It is so easy to be bloated aristocrats where it costs
nothing of consequence! There were about five hundred people in that
dazzling place, I suppose, though the walls being papered entirely with
mirrors, so to speak, one could not really tell but that there were
a
hundred thousand. Young, daintily dressed exquisites and young,
stylishly dressed women, and also old gentlemen and old ladies, sat
in
couples and groups about innumerable marble-topped tables and ate fancy
suppers, drank wine, and kept up a chattering din of conversation that
was dazing to the senses. There was a stage at the far end and a large
orchestra; and every now and then actors and actresses in preposterous
comic dresses came out and sang the most extravagantly funny songs,
to
judge by their absurd actions; but that audience merely suspended its
chatter, stared cynically, and never once smiled, never once applauded!
I had always thought that Frenchmen were ready to laugh at any thing.
If you are looking for a specific quote, try using the author's name or part of the quote in the search below.
Custom Search
We encourage you to consider supporting the following organizations. All of them consistently give food, shelter, clothing, and hope to millions of people across the globe every day.
