THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 203 



is sought for rest's sake. In the morning the 

 step is elastic and determined; it is slow and 

 measured in the evening. In the morning we 

 are equal to any emergency; little things tax 

 and weary us at night. How different our 

 prayers in the morning and evening hours ! In 

 the morning faith and hope are buoyant and 

 dominating and we pray for strength and guid- 

 ance ; in the evening we are humbled and crave 

 pardon and protection. The new day before 

 us is as white paper on which there is not a 

 word written; at night, alas! what a page and 

 what writing and what blots and soilings. The 

 day is ever as a new opportunity through open 

 doors out into inviting fields, where is work 

 and bread and health; the night closes the door 

 and we seek seclusion and repose. 



The Bible is full of morning and evening 

 thoughts. It could not well be otherwise, for 

 it is such a human book, teeming with the rich- 

 est poetic thought of a poetic and devoted peo- 

 ple and full of their life experiences. They 

 were orientalists, and the hot midday de- 

 manded the active evening and morning. The 

 phrase meant more to them than it can to us. 

 The evening and the morning were the epochal 

 day's in creative evolution. "Thy mercies are 

 new every morning," and we might well add, 



