"I do not look for holy saints to guide me on my way, or male and female devilkins to lead my feet astray. If these are added, I rejoice - if not, I shall not mind, so long as I have leave and choice to meet my fellow - kind. For as we come and as we go (and deadly - soon go we!)
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me!
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Thus I will honour pious men whose virtue shines so bright (Though none are more amazed than I when I by chance do right), and I will pity foolish men for woe their sins have bred (Though ninety-nine per cent. of mine I brought on my own head). And, Amorite or Eremite, or General Averagee,
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me!
.And when they bore me overmuch, I will not shake mine ears, recalling many thousand such whom I have bored to tears. And when they labour to impress, I will not doubt nor scoff; since I myself have done no less and - sometimes pulled it off. Yea, as we are and we are not, and we pretend to be,
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me!
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And when they work me random wrong, as oftentimes hath been, I will not cherish hate too long (my hands are none too clean). And when they do me random good I will not feign surprise. No more than those whom I have cheered with wayside charities. But, as we give and as we take - whate'er our takings be -
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And when they work me random wrong, as oftentimes hath been, I will not cherish hate too long (my hands are none too clean). And when they do me random good I will not feign surprise. No more than those whom I have cheered with wayside charities. But, as we give and as we take - whate'er our takings be -
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me!
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But when I meet with frantic folk who sinfully declare there is no pardon for their sin, the same I will not spare till I have proved that Heaven and Hell which in our hearts we have show nothing irredeemable on either side of the grave. For as we live and as we die - if utter Death there be -
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But when I meet with frantic folk who sinfully declare there is no pardon for their sin, the same I will not spare till I have proved that Heaven and Hell which in our hearts we have show nothing irredeemable on either side of the grave. For as we live and as we die - if utter Death there be -
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me!
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Deliver me from every pride - the Middle, High, and Low - that bars me from a brother's side, whatever pride he show. And purge me from all heresies of thought and speech and pen that bid me judge him otherwise than I am judged. Amen! That I may sing of Crowd or King or road - borne company, that I may labour in my day, vocation and degree, To prove the same in deed and name, and hold unshakenly (Where'er I go, whate'er I know, whoe'er my neighbor be) this single faith in Life and Death and to Eternity:
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Deliver me from every pride - the Middle, High, and Low - that bars me from a brother's side, whatever pride he show. And purge me from all heresies of thought and speech and pen that bid me judge him otherwise than I am judged. Amen! That I may sing of Crowd or King or road - borne company, that I may labour in my day, vocation and degree, To prove the same in deed and name, and hold unshakenly (Where'er I go, whate'er I know, whoe'er my neighbor be) this single faith in Life and Death and to Eternity:
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The people, Lord, Thy people, are good enough for me."
Rudyard Kipling
