“ May your life be like the day—more beautiful in the evening; like the summer—aglow with promise; and, like the autumn, rich with the golden sheaves, where good works and deeds have ripened on the field.
Let the road be rough and dreary,
And its end far out of sight;
Foot it bravely—strong or weary;—
Trust in God, and do the right.
Life is but a day, at best,
Sprung from night, in darkness lost;
Hope not sunshine every hour;
Fear not—clouds will always lower. ”

“ May God’s mercy ever guide thee,
Safe o’er all thy thorny road;
And His grace what’er betide thee,
Lead thee home to His abode.
The large are not the sweetest flowers;
The long are not the happiest hours;
Much talk doth not much friendship tell;
Few words are best—I wish you well. Let your life be like a snowflake, which leaves a mark, but not a stain. ”

“ That you may indulge in no selfish ease; but bestow, as well as enjoy, a full share of the pleasures of time, and afterward receive a crown of glory, is the earnest wish of your friend—
I would that I could express my mind
To you, dear friend, in scribbling some rhyme;
But you know my failing as well as I,
And you’d better get another to try. 13That one who can work right on, quietly waiting for recognition, if it come: if not, yet right on, is the true nobleman.
Dost thou know, love, that thy smile
Makes the whole world bright for me? ”

“ I wish, with heartiness sincere,
That you may have a good digestion.
25Though many flowers have faded from my life,
And clouds obscure the brightness of its sky;
This have I learned: we can do much to make
Our lives a blessing and our words a power,
If what we find to do, for Christ’s dear sake,
We do with faithfulness, from hour to hour. ”

“ Bright as a flower may thy Birthday be.
True love shall live thro’ sorrow’s wintry storm,
And bloom afresh on this glad Birthday morn.
Lovingly take this birthday souvenir,
And for my sake esteem it dear! May the morning of thy birth break in gladness, and the day teem with light-hearted mirth that shall last always!
53
HUMOROUS.
I dip my pen into the ink,
And grasp your album tight;
But for my life I cannot think
One single word to write.
In the storms of life,
When you need an umbrella,
May you have to uphold it
A handsome young fellow.
May beauty and truth,
Keep you in youth ”

“ May the morn of thy life be bright and joyous, the noontide peaceful and happy, and the sunset gloriously hopeful, is the wish of your friend.
Life, Death and Immortality—these three—the first, the Road—the second, the Gate. May you walk safely the first, pass triumphantly the second, and rest forever in the third. ”

“ Hast so much wit, and mirth, and spleen, about thee,
There is no living with thee, nor without thee.
35May you live in bliss, from sorrow away,
Having plenty laid up for a rainy day;
And when you are ready to settle in life,
May you find a good husband and make a good wife. ”

“ They come in the night-time of sorrow and care,
And bring back the features that joy used to wear.
Like the vase, in which roses have once been distilled,
You may break—you may shatter the vase, if you will;
But the scent of the roses will hang round it still. 34If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counsel, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius. ”

“ May each thought be pure, and sincere,
Addressed upon these spotless pages;
Reflections fond, they’ll always prove,
Youthful friend, through many ages. They who have light in themselves, will not revolve as satellites. ”

“ In the Book of Life—God’s album—
May your name be penned with care,
And may all who here have written,
Write their names forever there. Daily we write our autographs on the minds and hearts of those around us.
11
“Poor is the friendless master of a world. A world in purchase for a friend, is gain.” ”

“ To write in your Album, dear friend you ask;
Ah, well! it is not such a difficult task.
All I can say is contained here in one line:
May the blessings of Heaven forever be thine.
Let not our friendship be like the rose, to sever;
But, like the evergreen, may it last forever. He who does good to another, does also good to himself—not only in the act, but in the consciousness of well-doing is his reward.
In the evening of life, cherish the remembrance of one who loved thee in its morning.
47
Speak of me kindly when life’s dreams are o’er ”

“ Protects the lingering dew-drop from the sun. Make good use of time, if thou lovest eternity; yesterday cannot be recalled—to-morrow cannot be secured—to-day only is thine, which, if once lost, is lost forever. ”

“ With faith, life’s trials boldly breast
Then come a conqueror to thy rest. As you travel through life, scatter kind words and gentle deeds; in so doing, you will enrich your soul. Withhold them, and it tends to poverty. ”

“ I hope the thought I would express may last.
You ask for your Album a rhyme;
With pleasure I hear and obey;
Refusal were folly or crime—
For who could to ---- say “nay?”
39May Heaven on you its choicest blessings shower—
Is the sincere wish of your friend.
Be kind to all; be intimate with few;
And may the few be well chosen. Evils in the journey of life are like the hills which alarm travelers upon their road; they both appear great in the distance, but when we approach them, we find them far less insurmountable than we had conceived. ”

“ And when the chain of human bondage shall be broken, may they become flowers of eternal brightness in the gardens from whence cometh exceeding peace.
Our lives are albums, written through
With good or ill—with false or true—
And, as the blessed angels turn
The pages of our years,
God grant they read the good with smiles,
And blot the bad with tears. 10The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without adversity.
Time advances like the slowest tide, but retreats like the swiftest current. ”

“ As the responsibilities, at present borne for you, shall come to rest on your own shoulders, and the darker shades of life’s history are unfolded, you will find the peace, which floweth like a river, only in the degree in which you resolutely perform every known duty ”

“ There is seldom a line of glory written upon earth’s face, but a line of suffering runs parallel with it; and they that read the lustrous syllables of the one, and stoop not to decipher the spotted and worn inscription of the other, get the least half of the lesson that earth has to give. ”

“ Still trusting in God completely. A volume of this kind, it is supposable, will be more or less frequently referred to, in future years, to revive fading recollections and recall pleasant associations; and, therefore, though it is so easy to moralize, it seems eminently fitting that helpful suggestions should accompany familiar autographs.
Let me say, then, that while in your youth a favorable combination of circumstances permits so much of happiness, the conditions of its enjoyment cannot always remain as now. ”

“ One editor says of it: “It made us laugh till our sides ached and the tears came.” Another says: “It will drive the blues out of a bag of indigo. It is worth a dollar, but costs only ten cents.” One reader says of it: “I received the Bad Boy’s Diary you sent me, and as most of my family are killed by laughing over it, you may send another copy, so I can dispose of the rest of them in the same happy manner.”
It contains 48 pages and is handsomely illustrated. Sent by mail on receipt of Ten Cents.
DIARY OF A MINISTER’S WIFE. “It excels Mark Twain for genuine humor.” ”

“ In the original Table of Contents, the Humorous and Birthday Verses chapters were listed with the correct page number, but out of order. They have been put in the correct order. The book advertisement at the end uses a right pointing hand character. ”