A soul thus pure and large disowns the paltry rules of
dignity, the silly notions of great and mean, by which fashion
distorts God's real proportions; is utterly delivered from the
spirit of contempt; and, in consulting for the benign administration
of life, will learn many a truth, and discharge many ant office,
from which lesser beings, esteeming themselves greater, would shrink
from as ignoble. But in truth, nothing is degrading which a high and
graceful purpose ennobles; and offices the most menial cease to be
menial, the moment they are wrought in love. What thousand services
are rendered, ay, and by delicate hands, around the bed of sickness,
which, else considered mean, become at once holy and quite
inalienable rights! To smooth the pillow, to proffer the draught, to
soothe or obey the fancies of the delirious will, to sit for hours
as the mere sentinel of the feverish sleep; these things are
suddenly erected, by their relation to hope and life, into sacred
privileges. And experience is perpetually bringing occasions,
similar in kind, though of less persuasive poignancy, when a true
eye and a lovely heart will quickly see the relations of things
thrown into a new position, and calling for a sacrifice of
conventional order to the higher laws of the affections; and alike
without condescension and without ostentation, will noiselessly take
the post of service and do the kindly deed.
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