Thursday’s Piece

“He in whom the love of truth predominates….submits to the inconvenience of suspense and imperfect opinion, but he is a candidate for truth….and respects the highest law of his being.”

(Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882)

John Lentell

2nd April, 1969

Monday’s Piece

“I don’t know why Connie works so hard,” said a friend, “after all she can’t take with her.”

“If Connie can’t take it with her,” replied one of Miss Bennett’s sisters grimly, “she won’t go.”

John Lentell

30th March, 1969

Saturday’s Piece

“Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes,

And pause awhile from letters, to be wise;

There mark what ills the scholar’s life assail,

Toil, envy, want, the patron and the jail,

See nations slowly wise, and meanly just,

To buried merit raise the tardy bust.”

(From The Vanity of Human Wishes by Samuel Johnson, 1709 – 1784)

John Lentell

28th March, 1969

Friday’s Piece

“I have observed a number of superficially contented men and women, and I maintain they are dangerous. Personally, I am glad to say there a lot of things today with which I am not contented. I am not contented with myself, I am not contented with the development of my character, and with my literary career. And there seems to me very little ground for general contentment. I must repeat – I fear the contented man. I fear him because there is no progress unless there is discontent. Without it today, I even believe, there can be no inner peace of mind.

(John P. Marquand, 1893 – 1960)

John Lentell

27th March, 1969

Thursday’s Piece

“All nature is but art unknown to thee;

All chance, direction which thou canst not see

All discord, harmony not understood,

All partial evil, universal good:

And, spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite,

One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.”

(From Essay on Man by “Alexander Pope, 1688 – 1744)

John Lentell

26th March, 1969

Wednesday’s Piece

(Submitted to the Rhodesia Herald by JL but rejected for publication, i.e. censored)

I believe it is called ‘Journalistic Licence’ when a  newspaper does what the Sunday Herald did to the M’kudu story on Sunday last (see also yesterday’s Rhodesia Herald) – slipping in to headlines and text inflammatory words like “Mau Mau” which excite interest. I think it stinks and, significantly, I am reminded of the infamous Rhodesian Front black/white ‘school legs’ advertisement of November (1962?). If I were Mr. M’kudu I would protest most vigorously.

John Lentell

25th March, 1969

Monday’s Piece

“Love took up the glass of Time, and turn’d it in his glowing hands;

Every moment, lightly shaken, ran itself in golden sands.

Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might;

Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, pass’d in music out of sight.”

(From Locksley Hall by Tennyson, 1809 – 1892)

John Lentell

23rd March, 1969

Sunday’s Piece

I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it!!! That one on Friday about women. I just thought it was amusing and it was written something like 250 years ago! Here’s one about men to even the score:

“Men,” mused Miss Meekina, “men are just like eggs – they’re fresh, rotten and hard boiled.”

John Lentell

22nd March, 1969