Inscription: [script from top in brown ink]: Written and Presented to the South Family Shakers /April 1882. / Give me a retired life, a peaceful /Conscience, hones thoughts, and /virtuous actions, And I can pity Caesar /No people can be great /who have ceased to be /Virtuous /It is safer to be /humble with one /talent than to be /proud with ten /A clear conscience is a sure card /Consider the Lilies [in large red and black letters] /True greatness of life, /Is to be master of ourselves /Learning is preferable to /Riches and Virtue to /both /Sow good works, and /Thou shalt reap gladness /Of all virtuous works the /hardest is to be humble / Our own opinion is /Never wrong /One good head, is /better than a great /many hands /Solid love whose /root is virtue, can /no more die /Than virtue itself /Those best can /bear reproof, who /Merit praise / To err is human /To forgive divine /Wisdom and Virtue make the poor rich, /and the rich /honourable /Our __________would be proud if our /vice _____ipped them not. /The more true merit a /man has, the more does /he applaud it in others. /Think not to reap /in seed time, /Or sow in harvest. /He that subdues his /Carnal lusts, may keep /himself untainted by any /other /Positive men err- /Most of any.
