Prayer is the pulse of the renewed soul; and the constancy of its beat is the test and measure of the spiritual life.
—Isabella Alden
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Category: Pansy’s Words of Wisdom
Short pearls of wisdom gleaned from Isabella Alden’s books.
Quotable
What need has God of our prayer? No need.
Can we tell him anything? No.
Does he not know what things we have need of before we ask him? Yes.
Why, then, should he call upon us to tell him what he knows, to ask him for what he well understands we need?
For our sakes. We learn things by doing them. We get answers by prayer, and in prayer.
—Isabella Alden
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Quotable
In true prayer the tongue does not go faster than the heart.
—Isabella Alden
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Quotable
You will never cure your brother of his errors by sneering at him. If he is ignorant, he needs to be dealt with patiently. If he is willfully wrong, kindness and prayer will better suit his case.
—Isabella Alden
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Quotable
Did you notice that rose-vine at the east end of the front porch putting out new branches all over it? It will be full of roses pretty soon. That vine has been the wonder of the neighborhood for ten years.
Now suppose I never watered it, or fed it with good rich earth from the woods, or dug about it, what a stunted, sickly thing it would have been!
You have to take care of everything that’s worth having in this world. Love will die from neglect and abuse as quick as a rose-bush.
—from Aunt Hannah and Martha and John
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Quotable
I don’t know the end of any story that is being lived now—yours or mine, for instance—but the Lord does; and I would much rather have Him do all the planning.
—from Workers Together; An Endless Chain
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Quotable
Fear small temptations rather than great ones. These come only now and then; those every day.
—Isabella Alden
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Quotable
One must stand somewhere. Either you are willing to try to please the Lord Jesus Christ today, or else you are not willing. There is no middle ground.
—from Chrissy’s Endeavor
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Quotable
Most of us lay up a good stock of patience, but we make the mistake of putting it where we cannot find it when most needed.
—Isabella Alden
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Rules for Writing
Rules for Letter Writing
Have you any unkind thoughts?
Do not write them down;
Write no word that giveth pain—
Written words may long remain.
Have you heard some idle tale?
Do not write it down.
Gossips may repeat it o’er,
Adding to its bitter store.
Have you any careless jest?
Bury it, and let it rest—
It may wound some loving breast.
Words of love and tenderness,
Words of truth and kindliness,
Words of comfort for the sad,
Words of gladness for the glad,
Words of counsel for the bad—
Wisely write them down.
Words, though small, are mighty things,
Pause before you write them.
Little words may grow and bloom
With bitter breath or sweet perfume—
Pray, before you write them.
These words of advice were published in the December 11, 1886 edition of The Pansy magazine. They’re just as wise and relevant today as they were in 1886!
Isabella Alden 