“Better to me the poor mans crust, Better the blessing of the poor, Though I turn me empty from his door; That is no true alms which the hand can hold; He gives nothing but worthless gold Who gives from a sense of duty; But he who gives a slender mite, And gives to that which is out of sight, That thread of the all-sustaining Beauty Which runs through all and doth all unite, - The hand cannot clasp the whole of his alms, The heart outstretches its eager palms, For a god goes with it and makes it store To the soul that was starving in darkness before.”
Quote by James Russell Lowell
Author
James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell was an American poet, born on February 22, 1819, and died on August 12, 1891. His poetry is known for its profound social insights and admiration for nature. more
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