Keep Thy Sorrow to Thyself and Bear With a Good Courage

Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage
that which hath befallen thee.
2 ESDRAS 10, verse 15.


Go, bury thy sorrow,
The world hath its share;
Go, bury it deeply,
Go, hide it with care.
Go, bury thy sorrow,
Let others be blest;
Go, give them the sunshine,
And tell God the rest.

Anonymous.


Our veiled and terrible guest [Trouble] brings for us,
if we will accept it, the boon of fortitude,
patience, self-control, wisdom, sympathy, faith.
If we reject that, then we find in our hands
the other gift,--cowardice,weakness, isolation,
despair. If your trouble seems to have in it no other
possibility of good, at least set yourself
to bear it like a man. Let none of its weight
come on other shoulders.
Try to carry it so that no one shall
even see it. Though your heart be sad within,
let cheer go out from you to
others. Meet them with a kindly presence,
considerate words, helpful acts.

G. S. MERRIAM.