BS: Tusitala's Prayers

Subject: BS: Tusitala's Prayers
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 04:05 PM

"Tusitala" of course was the name Robert Louis Stevenson acquired when he went to live in Samoa, where he died. And it takes less room in a heading than Robert Louis Stevenson does).

Anyway, the other day by chance in a pub where they have books, I picked up a little book of prayers he wrote for his household in Samoa, printed in 1916. I'd no idea he ever wrote anything like that - stories, essays, verse, songs, yes, but prayers? I checked up and find there's a website with the collection - Prayers Written At Vailima"

Anyway here is a section of one which I think might have been written with the Mudcat in mind:

WE beseech Thee, Lord, to behold us with favour, folk of many families and nations gathered together in the peace of this roof, weak men and women subsisting under the covert of thy patience. Be patient still; suffer us yet awhile longer; - with our broken purposes of good, with our idle endeavours against evil, suffer us awhile longer to endure, and (if it may be) help us to do better.

Prayers actually are an interesting kind of literature. Some of them have a definite provenance, like these ones. Others just seem to have grown. A kind of folklore.

Subject: RE: BS: Tusitala's Prayers
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 05:36 PM

I beseech thee Lord to have mercy upon those souls who are present at the "Mudcat". Give them wisdom and knowledge and your immense Love and Compassion to base their threads upon.

Subject: RE: BS: Tusitala's Prayers
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 08:48 PM

nah! its the silly ones I like

who needs wisdom at our time of life. Time to be really silly, I reckon.

Subject: RE: BS: Tusitala's Prayers
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 04:43 AM

"If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where should I be now?" C. S Lewis