.IHGS PR16UR 
 KIMG FURKaCE 
 
 a STOKER 
 
Copyrighted August, 1918 
 
 By E. B. BARY 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 The Stoker Pub. Co. 
 218 Ninth Ave., S. F. 
 
"KINDLINGS FOR YOUR 
 THINKING FURNACE" 
 
 BY 
 
 A STOKER 
 
 "ARMY AND NAVY EDITION" 
 
 A BOOKLET FOR EVERY KNAPSACK 
 
Dedication 
 
 This booklet is dedicated to: 
 Our Boys in Brown, Our Boys in Blue, 
 Who Patriotic Service Do; 
 With Heart and Soul for Them it's Writ, 
 By Patriot to do His Bit. 
 Not many bonds he could have bought, 
 Nor in the trenches he could fight; 
 Yet to the Boys he'd send a thought, 
 To make their tasks in France more light. 
 
 GU50ifJ45 
 
 SEP -3 rois 
 
 -^^ / 
 
''The "Patriot" 
 
 The Sergeant said: "You are too old to 
 
 fight, 
 But I observe you have the knack to write ; 
 Then go to bat, make haste, with quick 
 
 dispatch ; 
 Stir up that brainery of your's to hatch/' 
 So to the bat the Patriot quickly went — 
 The Sergeant's words the inspiration lent ; 
 The patriotic flame his soul possessed, 
 His brainery most helpful thoughts ex- 
 pressed. 
 Of what he wrote you'll find within this 
 
 book — 
 You'll read it once, you'll take another 
 
 look. 
 If what you read has helpful proved to 
 
 you, 
 Then the most fitting thing of course 
 
 you'll do — 
 As gift you'll send the booklet to some 
 
 friend. 
 Perhaps to him a helpful thought extend ; 
 The gift your friend will judge not as to 
 
 size. 
 But like yourself its value realize. 
 
The Prayer of Affirmation 
 
 I'm well, and vigorous, and strong, 
 God's love for me indicts the song 
 Of courage, faith, and fortitude — 
 The talisman of day's pursuit. 
 The love of God permits no fear, 
 His great, protecting care is near; 
 There's not a thing can bring me harm, 
 Encircled by Almighty arm. 
 My mind, O Lord, on Thee is stayed. 
 Though oft perplexed, I'm not dismayed; 
 For as my day my strength shall be. 
 Protected, sheltered. Lord, by Thee. 
 
'"Uhe Stoker" 
 
 He worked as stoker, furnace fires to feed, 
 That ship crossing the sea keep up its 
 
 speed; 
 In its inferno the stoker daily toiled, 
 His clothing, but not his soul, was soiled. 
 He, leisure moments in reflection spent — 
 Stoking the furnace inspiration lent; 
 Like as a ship are souls that cross life's 
 
 sea. 
 For each of them, a stoker has to be. 
 And if a stoker be required, why not — 
 Employ one who the art has not forgot? 
 His kindlings you may put to test severe. 
 But not as one with purpose insincere. 
 Though one but furnish kindlings for the 
 
 fire. 
 May not such task the stoker's soul in- 
 spire — 
 To see the fire in furnace burning low, 
 Then to behold it in reviving glow? 
 No greater joy in life is ever found. 
 Than sending kindlings all the world 
 
 around ; 
 Thus fires in thinking furnaces to light, 
 That they in turn some others may ignite. 
 
There is a majesty in duties well per- 
 formed — 
 
 A royal dignity is stamped on every act; 
 
 Though not with outer graces one may 
 be adorned, 
 
 If but expressed is purpose, courage, faith 
 and tact. >!«>{;>}« 
 
 Do well thy task, already thou art paid. 
 
 * * * 
 
 Dare, dare, dare for the best in life to 
 
 aim; 
 If need be as a sport, then play life's 
 
 game — 
 Nor loaded dice to use you'll ever need, 
 Your aspirations will ambition feed. 
 
 jji jjc >fc 
 
 When smallest tasks in life become de- 
 spised. 
 
 The larger things are never realized; 
 
 When the smallest tasks are duly empha- 
 sized 
 
 The mind to do the larger things is ener- 
 gized. >K ^ .1. 
 
 Not what we do, but how we do, IS THE 
 ART OF DOING. 
 
Life holds a casket filled with jewels rare, 
 And says to you: "You'll find the choic- 
 est there, — 
 Just help yourself, whatever heart desires, 
 These jewels all have in them living 
 fires." 
 
 To be a pauper is a crime. 
 
 He may with life be well content, 
 Who all his talents so has spent 
 That interest to each accrues, — 
 For life most justly pays it dues. 
 
 * >}« * 
 
 Let's play in life our part, and play it well. 
 Not for a mess of pottage will we sell 
 The opportunities that life presents, — 
 Who chooses well of nothing e'er repents. 
 
"When" 
 
 When doubts and fears possess the mind, 
 
 These in the Hfe expression find; 
 
 All things in life then go amiss, 
 
 From paradise to wilderness. 
 
 When doubts and fears become expelled. 
 
 Though they to move greatly rebelled, 
 
 The wilderness begins to yield 
 
 The fruits of the most fertile field. 
 
 When once this truth we realize. 
 
 Our faith begins to energize. 
 
 So paradise is now regained, 
 
 By him who once by doubts was chained. 
 
 * * * 
 
 Do not admit you can not do, 
 For such admission is not true; 
 For no one knows until he tries 
 How much of power in purpose lies. 
 
 10 
 
When one has really done his best, 
 And on each act has stamped his soul, 
 And has applied the acid test, 
 He in a sense has reached his goal. 
 
 Not the distance we've traveled, but the 
 direction we take, that counts. 
 
 * jk * 
 
 Who makes mistakes, but tries again, 
 Will in the end success obtain; 
 Repeated trying fits the mind — 
 Expression for one's life to find. 
 
 * * * 
 
 For every man life has a place, 
 None of her tasks are a disgrace; 
 And every task will be well done, 
 That wnth true motive is begun. 
 
 11 
 
Joy is essential lubricant, 
 To make life's motor run more smooth; 
 It heals the mind of discontent, 
 Brings inspiration as of youth. 
 
 * * 5^ 
 
 Your motor requires no lubrication 
 while it is in storage. Dead men have 
 
 no joy. 
 
 * >k * 
 
 When joy in life one fails to see. 
 And with true life in harmony to be, 
 Such men need change of mind and heart 
 To make in life a proper start. 
 
 jK jjc * 
 
 Joy to the world each man will bring 
 Who knows himself to be a king; 
 As to the world he gives his best — 
 That he is king he proves by test. 
 'I* 'K ^ 
 
 Whoever has not joy enough to pass 
 along to others has not quite enough for a 
 normal life. 
 
 12 
 
Great joy there is in work well done, 
 In hope of fruitfulness begun, 
 Directed by the mind with skill. 
 And executed with a will. 
 
 Who has doubts concerning the out- 
 come of his project is already, and justly, 
 doomed to defeat. 
 
 We'll not be foreigners to joy. 
 When all our powers daily we employ 
 In useful and constructive way. 
 Then joy will meet us on the way. 
 
 Of joy to make a constant friend. 
 The sort that is inclined to lend 
 Life's brightest pictures to the mind- 
 Then in such joy a friend we find. 
 
 13 
 
"Gold" 
 
 Some folks on gold lay too much stress, 
 As though with gold alone we bless. 
 And while they wait to pile up gold, 
 Themselves from blessings they withhold. 
 With gift of gold WQ can not bless. 
 Unless into the gift we press 
 The love of soul, with throb of heart, — 
 Then, truest blessing we impart. 
 Though one be not of gold possessed. 
 But with the wealth of life is blessed; 
 Shall he such blessing then withhold, 
 Because he's not possessed of gold? 
 
 They who freely offer their lives for 
 the service of the Nation that is now en- 
 gaged to establish righteousness and-peace 
 upon the earth, are giving infinitely more 
 than they v/ho donate the contents of their 
 coffers. THE SOLDIER'S SACRIFICE 
 LIGHTS THE TORCH OF LIBERTY. 
 
 14 
 
Of good-wishers the world is full; 
 But good-willers are in demand. 
 When the world has a load to pull, 
 Good-willers the premium command. 
 
 The phenomenal record of the ''Third 
 Liberty" Loan, showing more than six- 
 teen millions of individual subscribers, is 
 a self-evident demonstration of the Amer- 
 ican idea of peace. 
 
 The good-wishing Pacificists of 1917 
 have become enthusiastic good-willers in 
 1918. Thank God we are awake! 
 
 * * * 
 
 Our life will much more beautiful become, 
 
 As we our blessings freely share with 
 some, 
 
 Who for some cause may greatly be dis- 
 tressed — 
 
 We go to them, and they and we are 
 blessed. 
 
 IS 
 
"Long Live America" 
 
 "Long live America/' they say in France. 
 It calls to mind the days of La Fayette, 
 Who dared, the cause of freedom to ad- 
 vance, 
 To cross the sea by many storms beset. 
 
 "LONG LIVE AMERICA." 
 "VIVE LA FRANCE." 
 
 Her Sons she sends to succor heart of 
 France, 
 
 Whose sacred soil is overrun with Huns; 
 
 The bravest of the brave, they dare ad- 
 vance 
 
 Against the fury of destructive guns. 
 
 "LONG LIVE AMERICA." 
 "VIVE LA FRANCE." 
 
 16 
 
''Long Live America" 
 
 Her Sons in Brown, Her Sons in Blue, 
 
 are brave — 
 Sons of a Nation with ignited soul; 
 Whose banners to the breeze we proudly 
 
 wave — 
 The heart of France it stirs to freedom's 
 
 goal. 
 
 "LONG LIVE AMERICA." 
 "VIVE LA FRANCE." 
 
 The two republics meet in common cause, 
 That all the Nations may in freedom live ; 
 Nor treasures, nor their Sons to spend, 
 
 they pause — 
 To all the world their inspiration give. 
 
 "LONG LIVE AMERICA." 
 "VIVE LA FRANCE." 
 
 17 
 
'"Uhe Old Maid's Prayer" 
 
 "I may not know so much/' the Old Maid 
 
 said; 
 ^'But I have thought, and earnestly I've 
 
 prayed, 
 That while our gallant boys in France 
 
 now fight. 
 We women folks should knit with all our 
 
 might." 
 ''Let's love them each and all, as our own 
 
 sons, — 
 These lads, who now are called to shoul- 
 der guns. 
 Of them we'll think, for them we'll daily 
 
 pray — 
 But not forget the KNITTING by the 
 
 way." 
 The Old Maid's prayers were answered 
 
 very quick; 
 The women-folk all learned the Knitting 
 
 trick. 
 Some day 3^ou'll see these Knitters in 
 
 parade — 
 And the Old Maid, she'll lead the whole 
 
 brigade. 
 
 Woman is the highest expression of 
 self-disinterested love. God bless woman ! 
 
 18 
 
''Vhe Optimist" 
 
 She saw him stretched upon the cot with 
 
 pain; 
 He was severely wounded, ahiiost slain. 
 In spite of pain he smilingly did say ; 
 ''Beyond the clouds there's sunshine on 
 
 the way. 
 Though as a prisoner I am confined, 
 Yet I am free to hold the thought in 
 
 mind, — 
 That never yet man met extremity, 
 But God turned it to opportunity." 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Whoever serves in Master's name, 
 Regardless of the pay, or fame. 
 Life's richest blessings doth impart; 
 Service expressed with soul and heart. 
 
 Yes, only a cup of water in His name 
 may become a stream of living water. 
 
 19 
 
Great wealth is stored within the mind; 
 It's up to us the same to find. 
 Through thinking we the same locate, 
 And then in actions demonstrate. 
 
 It is abortive to do without thought; 
 It is useless to think without deed. 
 
 When one has done his level best- 
 His henergy has put to test — 
 On every act he stamps his soul; 
 He surely then controls his goal. 
 
 Success in life we always gain, 
 When true to purpose we remain. 
 True purpose conflict never lost, 
 With care it calculates the cost. 
 
 20 
 
"Bill" 
 
 When Bill into depression fell, 
 His soul for bread he tried to sell; 
 But not a man his soul would buy; 
 They said, ''His price is much too high." 
 Say they, ''His price is much too high?" 
 I say to them, "It's off, goodbye — 
 My soul ril mortgage to myself, 
 Nor barter it for sordid pelf." 
 
 And Bill didn't have monopoly on either 
 depression of mind, nor the way he extri- 
 cated himself. Who tries to sell himself 
 too cheap can never find a customer. 
 Make yourself worth something to your- 
 self, and everyone else zvill he bidding 
 for you. 
 
 21 
 
''^hinl^ of These Things " 
 
 Our lives abound in Ifs and Buts. 
 
 And many of us live in huts 
 
 Who palaces might well adorn, 
 
 Had not our locks by Ifs been shorn. 
 
 We can not wait for locks to grow; 
 
 The process is at best but slow. 
 
 In tarrying interim we may 
 
 Some useful task perform each day. 
 
 Though not for locks to grow we wait, 
 
 Yet to ourselves we demonstrate, 
 
 That though our locks by Ifs were shorn, 
 
 A new motif may still be born. 
 
 The new motif puts Ifs to rout, 
 
 With strongest optimistic shout. 
 
 Now changed is mental atmosphere. 
 
 For Ifs and Buts no place is here. 
 
 As we dig a grave for the Ifs and Buts 
 of the Yesterdays, let us make the same 
 deep enough so as to give them a decent 
 burial, and leave them with the assurance 
 that as far as we are concerned they shall 
 not be disturbed with a resurrection. 
 
 22 
 
Two entities within each man, 
 One says, ''I can't;" the twin, '1 can." 
 The first proceed to bury deep, 
 The twin alive you're sure to keep. 
 
 * * * 
 
 The fertile soil where happiness grows 
 
 best 
 Is heart that with the love of God is 
 
 blessed. 
 A soul that willingly receives the truth, 
 Exhales the fragrance of a happy youth. 
 
 * * * 
 
 Whenever mind with vital thought is 
 
 filled, 
 Minutest cells of body so are thrilled 
 That every task is done with soul and 
 
 heart ; 
 Then life becomes of thought of God, 
 
 a part. 
 
 * * * 
 
 When God thought, the universe he- 
 came his garment. 
 
 * H« * 
 
 The power to think stamps man with 
 the majesty of divinity. Live up to your 
 birthright. 
 
 23 
 
Self-condemnation never does us any 
 
 good — 
 It's poison to the mind; never wholesome 
 
 food. 
 True self-appraisement gives us mental 
 
 health, 
 Which is in life the most intrinsic wealth. 
 
 * ij« H< 
 
 He that in life expects to reach success, 
 Must such a thought upon his mind im- 
 press. 
 Impression first, expression follows, then — 
 This process always makes successful 
 men. ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Not all the hosts of heaven could ever 
 help a man who does not try to do the 
 thing he knows he can. But as most ear- 
 nestly he tries, then all God's angels glad- 
 ly will assist. They love to help the man 
 who with fidelity will at his task persist. 
 i}i * * 
 
 It is not Greatness, but Goodness that 
 the world needs most, that it recover all 
 that at the present it has lost — but not 
 the Goodness that at Goodness plays; for 
 this, these not exactly are most fitting 
 days. 
 
 24 
 
The steepest hill we yet may mount — 
 Each step we take, we make it count — 
 If whilst we climb, with purpose think; 
 Not from ascending will we shrink. 
 
 * Sji * 
 
 Thought is the propelling power in life. 
 
 >i« * * 
 
 Would IV e make progress let us think. 
 * * ^ 
 
 He who to thinking has been trained 
 Can never as a slave be chained. 
 
 * >K * 
 
 The mind with thinking stuff to feed, 
 Of this the best has constant need. 
 
 jK ;}« jfc 
 
 To Caesar we the things of Caesar give; 
 To God the things we know to God be- 
 long. 
 In best expression so our life we life — 
 Neither to God, nor Caesar, do a wrong. 
 
 * * * 
 
 In doing for the Boys, you are acting 
 justly to both. 
 
 25 
 
To be content to live in discontent — 
 
 In constant striving so one's life to 
 spend — 
 
 Is better far, than be content to live at 
 ease, 
 
 And aching hearts we meet, with cold- 
 ness freeze. 
 
 Sea of uncertainty they sail 
 Who in constructive thinking fail; 
 When one a ship through fog must steer, 
 His thinking need be very clear. 
 
 Forethought is better than afterthought. 
 Forethought prevents trouble; the best 
 that afterthought can do is to mend it. 
 Most of us are tired and weary with 
 patching. 
 
 i}{ Jjt JjS 
 
 Each for himself has power life's path to 
 
 make, 
 Be it through forests dense, or valleys 
 
 deep; 
 He need but be alert, and wide-awake, 
 Himself in calm and poise well keep. 
 
 26 
 
Those who for opportunities will wait 
 Are apt to find themselves one day too 
 
 late; 
 Btit they who play in life for great big 
 
 stake, 
 All opportunities themselves will make. 
 * * * 
 
 Keep thoughts of beauty in your mind; 
 Each will increase after its kind. 
 Harvests of beauty so will grow, 
 That in your life will subtly show. 
 
 In every sinner the Master saw a saint; 
 
 With vehemence the Pharisees com- 
 plained. 
 
 In so-called saints the Master sinners 
 found — 
 
 We know the Master's judgment was 
 most sound. 
 
 The best in every man we always find, 
 As we use judgment that is just, and kind. 
 To the discouraged we assistance lend. 
 And so we prove to them a timely friend. 
 
 27 
 
The divine is in you, — do not forget. 
 
 Upon this thought your mind with firm- 
 ness set. 
 
 So for your Hfe you deep foundations lay, 
 
 That shall withstand the tempest of each 
 day. 
 
 When touch of life ignites the soul, 
 Then all the world is born anew; 
 In the horizon-widened goal 
 Man finds inspiring things to do. 
 
 As brook that through the valley flows 
 to sea. 
 
 The valley's fructifier comes to be; 
 
 So helpful thoughts that permeate the 
 mind, 
 
 Life's richest blessings always leave be- 
 hind. 
 
 * * * 
 
 There is no happiness like the happi- 
 ness of making other people happy. 
 
 JjC Jjx Jjf 
 
 Just plant the seeds of kindness in your 
 
 mind; 
 The plant of happiness will rooting find. 
 
 28 
 
When thou hast learned upon thyself 
 completely to rely; 
 
 Then circumstance, and fate, and all 
 things else, thou wilt defy. 
 
 True self-reliance comes from contact 
 with the "Over-Soul," 
 
 And so from strength derived success- 
 fully we reach the goal. 
 
 * ^ * 
 
 The most of us are sound at heart; 
 In life we want to do our part. 
 Then to that soundness let us say: 
 Go on, yon have the right of way, 
 
 * * * 
 
 The good that we may seek we always 
 
 find. 
 Whenever we are to the good inclined; 
 It's not by magic that the good we draw, 
 It comes to us by well established law. 
 
 29 
 
The Nation, as one man, holds the 
 thought of victory: for ''The Lord God 
 Omnipotent reigneth." 
 
 The soldier in the trenches feels the 
 inspiration of the words: 
 
 ''Fear thou not, for I am with thee; he 
 not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will 
 strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; 
 yea, I zvill uphold thee zvith the right 
 hand of My righteousness/' 
 
 "Behold, all they that were incensed 
 against thee shall be ashamed and con- 
 fused; they shall be as nothing; and 
 they that strive with thee shall perish/' 
 
 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 They that tight for humanity, fight zvith 
 God. They hear the voice of God in the 
 midst of the battle, "The Lord bless thee 
 and keep thee; the Lord make His face 
 shine upon thee, and be gracious unto 
 thee; the Lord lift up His countenance 
 upon thee and give thee peace/' 
 
 And all the Nation says, "So be it/' 
 And so it is. 
 
 30