Sermons & Devotionals by Timothy Shay Arthur

The Young Housekeeper Timothy Shay Arthur "I hope, Emily, that you don't think I expect you to work — to spend the bright morning hours in the kitchen, when we commence keeping house," said George Brenton to his young wife. This remark was made as he left the room, in reply to something which Emily ... Read More

The Two Invalids By Timothy Shay Arthur, 1853 The chamber in which the sick woman lay, was furnished with everything which taste could desire, or comfort demand. Yet, from none of these elegant surroundings, came a sedative for the weary spirit, or a balm to soothe the pain from which she suffered. ... Read More

What Can I Do? by Timothy Shay Arthur He was a poor cripple — with fingers twisted out of all useful shape, and lower limbs so paralyzed, that he had to drag them after him wearily when he moved through the short distances that limited his sphere of locomotion — a poor, unhappy, murmuring, and, at t... Read More

Thanksgiving (author unknown) "There, I am thankful!" exclaimed Mrs. Everett, as she seated herself at her very inviting tea-table, on the evening previous to our New England festival. The cloth was of dazzling whiteness; the tea service, though not costly, of glittering purity; and her own matronly... Read More

WATER Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 God is the author of all our blessings. There is no truth, perhaps, to which we are more ready to give our assent than this; and yet, a great many people seem to act as if they did not believe it, or, at least, as if they were prone to forget it. A traveler stopped at... Read More

Have a Flower in Your Room Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 A fire in winter — a flower in summer! If you can have a fine picture all the year round, so much the better; you will thus always have a bit of sunshine in your room, whether the sky is clear or not. But, above all, a flower in summer! Most peopl... Read More

The White Dove Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 The little Lina opened her eyes upon this world in the arms of her father, the good Gotleib . He kissed the child with a holy joy, and he felt that a Divine love flowed into this work of the great God — this also thrilled his warm, manly heart with a wondrous... Read More

The Scarlet Poppy Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 One warm morning in June, just as the sun returned from his long but rapid journey to the distant east, and sailed majestically up through the clear blue sky, the many bright flowers of one of the prettiest little parterres in the world, who had opened the... Read More

Arthur Leland Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 Arthur Leland was a young lawyer of some twenty-seven years of age. His office stood a stone's throw from the court-house, in a thriving town in the West. Arthur had taken a full course in a Northern college, both in the collegiate and law department, and with... Read More

Aunt Mary's Suggestion by Timothy Shay Arthur "John!" Mr. Belknap spoke in a firm, rather authoritative voice. It was evident that he anticipated some reluctance on the boy's part, and therefore, assumed, in the outset, a very decided manner. John, a lad between twelve and thirteen years of age, was... Read More

Unredeemed Pledges by Timothy Shay Arthur [Editor's note: An unredeemed pledge is an item which the borrower has not claimed back, because he or she has not paid back the loan.] Two men were walking along a public thoroughfare in New York. One of them was a young merchant — the other a man past the ... Read More

Thistle-down Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 There is no time like these clear September nights, after sunset, for a revery. If it is a calm evening, and an intense light fills the sky, and glorifies it, and you sit where you can see the new moon, with the magnificent evening star beneath it, you must be ... Read More

The Portrait! Timothy Shay Arthur "Could anything be more perfect, than that likeness of his sweet, innocent face? Dear little Willie! I fear I love him too much!" ejaculated Mrs. Morton, wiping the moisture from her eyes. "It is indeed perfect," said Mr. Morton, after viewing the picture in many li... Read More

Number Twelve Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 When I was a young man, working at my trade as a mason, I met with a severe injury by falling from a scaffolding placed at a height of forty feet from the ground. There I remained, stunned and bleeding on the ground, until my companions, by attempting to remov... Read More

MOTHER Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 When she changed worlds — what was she to others? A small old, feeble woman. 'What was she to us?' A radiant, smiling angel, upon whose brow, the sunshine of the eternal world had fallen. We looked into her large, tender eyes, and saw not as others did, that her mort... Read More

WORDS (author unknown) "The foolish thing!" said my Aunt Rachel, speaking warmly, "to get hurt at a mere word . It's a little hard that people can't open their lips, but somebody is offended." "Words are things!" said I, smiling. "Very light things! A person must be tender indeed, that is hurt by a ... Read More

The Town Lot Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 Once upon a time, it happened that the men who governed the municipal affairs of a certain growing town in the West, resolved, in grave deliberation assembled, to purchase a five-acre lot at the north end of the city — recently incorporated — and have it improv... Read More

A New Pleasure Timothy Shay Arthur, 1856 The whole purpose of Mr. Bolton's life had been the accumulation of property , with an end to his own gratification . To part with a dollar was therefore ever felt as the giving up of a prospective good; and it acted as the abridgment of present happiness. Ap... Read More

Andy Lowell by Timothy Shay Arthur All the village was getting out of patience with Andy Lowell , the shoemaker; and yet Andy Lowell's shoes fitted so neatly, and wore so long, that the village people could ill afford to break with him. The shoes made by Tompkins was strong enough, but Tompkins was ... Read More

Was it Murder, or Suicide? Timothy Shay Arthur, 1869 "Who is that young lady?" A slender girl, just above the medium height, stood a moment at the parlor door, and then withdrew. Her complexion was fair, but colorless; her eyes so dark, that you were in doubt, on the first glance, whether they were ... Read More