PREFACE. To those who are the workers in the vineyard of life, who are the busy restless doers of the world's work, who have made the wise discovery that time is not given to them for indolence and self-indulgence, but for service and self-denying love, this little volume is affectionately dedicated. The writer is aware of the fact that the non-employed-the people of leisure-will not waste their precious time in reading mere surface-thoughts such as these; but she hopes that the fragments thus gathered up may be received by those who have scarcely a minute to spare, and who will be sure to say after reading them, "I have thought the same thing myself hundreds of times." Indeed, they only profess to be echoes of the thoughts which come into everybody's mind. They refer only to the every-day occurrences of life, to the little incidents which have no particular significance, but which do now and then cause us to reflect for a moment, and may even suggest a simple lesson or two. There is no doubt that we who live at present in the valley, and whose thoughts, therefore, seldom ascend to the hills-to which, however, we hope some day to rise-might learn more from the simple events of what may be called our uneventful lives if we would. There is a wondrous power in little things; and we must admit that, when we take the sum of our life's happiness, we shall find that most of it has come not from the startling rapture of a few days, but from the minute pleasures of the many. And it is the same with our troubles. Life is darkened not so much by the half-dozen great sorrows of threescore years, but by the little daily vexations which fret and annoy us. It is under the influences of these insignificant trifles that these short sketches have been written week by week, and they have all reference to them alone. Yet they are sent forth with the wish that even these little things, these simple words, may be of some comfort to those who read; that in the time of struggle, and toil, and weariness, they may perform some trifling service of cheer and encouragement. If, in never so small a degree, this may be done with this-the Second Series of "Echoes from the Valley "the writer's heart will very greatly rejoice. MARIANNE FARNINGHAM. |