Channing's Symphony

My Grandfather Moline carried this quote in his wallet for many years, as it was found there after his death. My mother loved it because she loved her father, and also the message that it carried.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.

William Henry Channing was born in Boston, May 25, 1810. HIs father was Francis Dana Channing, the oldest brother of D. Channing, and a lawyer, who died the year of his son's birth. William Channing was educated under the auspices of his famous uncle, who largely met the expenses of it. He graduated from Harvard in 1829, and in 1833 from the Divinity School. After preaching in several places for brief periods, and spending a year in Europe, he was a minister-at-large in New York during the year 1837. In 1839 he went to Cincinnati as minister of the Unitarian church, but he remained there only two years. He wrote for and helped edit "The Western Messenger," and his contributions to "The Dial" were written during this period. He now passed through a period of critical mental and spiritual agitation, during which he questioned the fundamental truths of religion....more