TS Eliot Quote from East Coker

In the middle, not only in the middle of the way but all the way, in a dark wood, in a bramble, on the edge of a grimpen, where is no secure foothold, and menaced by monsters, fancy lights, risking enchantment.

East Coker from The Four Quartets 

Quote from Revolution's Godchild

"to say a word about North Carolina -presumably a fresh topic here, the modest, conservative old State, lacking perhaps in enterprise, lacking in self-assertion, but always prompt at the call of duty, and shrinking from no sacrifice when honor is at stake". 

"I will conclude by asking the benefit of your aid and influence in my effort to restore North Carolina to her place in the Cincinnati; and I offer you a toast to our ancient and honorable Order, coupled with the hope that her galaxy may soon again be resplendent with all the thirteen stars."

Edward Graham Dave's 1894 July 4 Boston 

Chesterton on children's love of justice

Sometime ago I went with some children to see Maeterlinck's fine and delicate fairy play about the Blue Bird that brought everybody happiness. For some reason or other it did not being me happiness, and even the children were not quite happy. I will not go so far as to say that the Blue Bird was a Blue Devil, but it left us in something seriously like the blues. The children were party dissatisfied with it because it did not end with a Day of Judgment; because it was never revealed to the hero and heroine that the dog had been faithful and the cat faithless. For children are innocent and love justice; while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy.

Authors and Books to Consider

http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Fiction

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/

G.K. Chesterton - Shrewd business tactics

"In the heart of a plutocracy tradesmen become cunning enough to be more fastidious than their customers.   They positively create difficulties so that their wealthy and weary clients may spend money and diplomacy in overcoming them.  If there were a fashionable hotel in London which no man could enter who was under six foot, society would meekly make up parties of six-foot men to dine in it.  If there were an expensive restaurant which by a mere caprice of its proprietor was only open on Thursday afternoon, it would be crowded on Thursday afternoon."  G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown - The Queer Feet)

N.D. Wilson -- Trouble Makers

The first time I posted this link it was to something else.  I think this will work now. 
http://www.canonwired.com/featured/trouble-makers/

Fruit, the Devil, and Texas

Today someone at work had an Osage Orange he brought from home.  The trees are native to Texas and have the highest BTU of any wood in this part of the world when burned.  It reminded me of an old Texan folk song called The Devil Made Texas.  Here's a link to the fruit and the song.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage_orange

http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/usa/devlmade.htm