sacred watch. He was not the only great man who has owed much of his
greatness to a faithful, self-denying Miriam. Many a man who is now
honored in the world owes all his power and influence to a woman,
perhaps too much forgotten now, perhaps worn and wrinkled, beauty gone,
brightness faded, living alone and solitary, but who, in the days of
his youth, was guardian angel to him, freely pouring out the best and
richest of her life for him, giving the very blood of her veins that he
might have more life; denying herself even needed comforts that he, her
heart's pride, might be educated and might become a noble man among men.

Men who have true-hearted, self-forgetful older sisters rarely ever
honor them half enough for their sacrifices, their unselfishnesses, the
influence of their gentle purity and their hallowed love. Many a sister
has denied herself everything, and has worn out her very life, for a
brother who in his wealth or fame too often altogether forgets her.

There is a class of women in every community whom society flippantly
denominates "old maids." The world needs yet to be told what uncrowned
queens many of these women are, what undecorated heroines, what
blessings to humanity, what builders of homes, what servants of others
and of Christ. In thousands of cases they remain unmarried for the
sake of their families. Many of them have refused brilliant offers of
marriage that they might remain at home to be the shield and comfort and
stay of parents growing feeble and needing their gentle care. Hundreds
more there are who have hidden away their own heart-hunger that they
devote their lives to good deeds for Christ and for humanity.

Florence Nightingale denied herself the joy and sweetness of wedded
happiness, and gave her life to service in army hospitals, carrying to
wounded and weary men the blessing of her kindly ministry, instead of