Chapter IV: Introduction: (Of Speakers) (1)

I have the esteemed privilege of presenting——

I feel highly honored to have the opportunity to present——

I have the great honor of asking you to welcome——

I esteem myself fortunate to have the privilege of presenting——

I count myself happy in being permitted to——

We have with us to-night ————. It is my very great pleasure to present
him

It is my good fortune to be called upon to introduce ———— the speaker
of the evening. Let us give him an attentive hearing while he
speaks to us upon the topic——

I have very great pleasure in presenting to you the speaker of the
evening ————. He will address us upon the topic——

It has fallen to my lot to introduce one who is known to many here. I
have great pleasure in presenting ————

INTRODUCTORY

Prefatory Preliminary

(For General Conversation)

It goes without saying that——

I am obliged to confess that——

It was a happy thought which led me to——

I venture to propose that——

We had great fun when——

I indulge the modest hope that——

It must be very gratifying to you to——

I am deeply persuaded that——

Reverting to another matter——

I ought not omit remarking that——

And so it befell that——

After expatiating on the——

It is a very curious circumstance to see how——

I frankly confess that——

It is really disconcerting to find that——

I am revealing no secret in saying that——

I must not leave you under misapprehensions so——

I am rather inclined to the opinion that——

I do not find anything in the tenets of my religion which requires me
to——

I have a peculiar tenderness for——

As I am continually saying——

In a very humble way, I——

My impression is that——

The upshot of it all was——

Far be it from me to——

It is hardly necessary to add that——

You will be very much pleased to hear that——

I will venture to express a hope that——

I have but one rule to guide my conduct and that is——

I have been strongly tempted to——

Besides this there is to be said——

There is but a thousand-to-one chance that——

It is an open secret that——

I have an impression that——

I informed you wrongly when I said that——

If I mistake not, I believe that——

If I may use the expression I think that——

Quite regardless of my remark, you——

I had the inexpressible comfort of knowing that——

He made a touching proof of his regard by——

I flatter myself that——

Is it not a great mercy to have such a helper

Again and again, I——

Inadvertently, I——

I felt like uttering a mild disclaimer when——

I have little predilection for——

I had the rare satisfaction of——

I was strangely moved when I heard that——

There is a certain distinctive advantage in——

I was amazed to find that——

In my poor judgment, I——

I hold in all seriousness that——

Has the tide of victory set in your favor

By what magic have you found out the secrets of——

We have plumed ourselves upon our ability to——

As luck would have it, I——

To be candid, I——

It seems a positive calamity that——

Do you seriously imagine that——

No one could be so rash as to assert that——

I am satisfied that——

I strongly suspect that——

I fancy that——

Further than this——

Paradoxical as it may seem——

I dare say that——

It is with great pleasure that——

It would ill become me to remark that——

For instance,——

The redeeming feature of it all is——

Quite by chance, I——

I have been wondering whether——

In all probability we——

It is not likely that——

Luckily I——

It is a singular coincidence that——

I took particular pains to notice whether——

It is with problems such as these that——

How very fortunate it is that——

It is a particular piece of good fortune that he——

As a matter of fact, I——

None the less, I——

It can be admitted too that——

Certain it is that——

In some quarters it is believed that——

If that be the case, I——

I confess I look with some alarm at——

I have the great good fortune to have heard that——

I realize afresh that——

The art of arts is——

I flatter myself that——

It is from the heart that I can request that——

I am perfectly convinced that——

The full gravity of the situation is seen in the fact that——

Regardless of anything I said——

I am painfully conscious that——

I wasn’t by any means sure I——

It dawned upon him gradually that——

It is seldom that——

We may be quite sure that——

I have repeatedly said that——

It cannot but carry with it instant conviction that——

By some mischance, I——

Prior to this, we——

I was greatly elated to find that——

I am heartily glad that——

I had a happy thought to-day which I——

I cannot but realize that——

It is scarcely conceivable that——

Frankly, I——

It is intellectually unthinkable that——

On the other hand——

I appreciate most deeply the——

I am devoutly thankful for——

At all events——

I rather apprehend that——

I have sometimes thought that——

It must be owned too, that——

I scarcely feel as if I——

I rather imagine that——

To this day I hardly know whether I——

A very striking proof of the fact is——

I will hazard the observation that——

On the other hand——

May I give you an instance

It is quite indifferent to me whether I——

He used frequently to observe that——

Now that I am a little seasoned, I——

I have heard him often lament that——

You may guess what luck——

I regret extremely that——

It would have been quite out of the question for us to——

Recently I came across this——

I was about to inquire what you thought of——

I have the deepest veneration for——

I suppose the inference we are expected to draw is——

I am confident of one thing that——

My principal motive for acting thus was——

I am fully aware that——

I perceive, moreover, that——

It is surely true that——

I marvel that——

I sometimes fancy that——

I humbly conceive that——

I apprehend that——

Of course, I am perfectly aware that——

I presume that——

There are pretty certain indications that

It often amazes me that——

It seems hardly probable that——

I affirm that——

I have the consolation to hope that——

It is still permitted us to hope that——

It would be futile to deny that——

It is reasonable to assume that——

There is no prospect that——

In these circumstances it——

I suppose that——

I warrant that——

I confess I am not indifferent to——

I shrink instinctively from——

I confess a less and less relish for——

I am impatient and querulous under——

It is a sort of presumption to expect that——

I cannot imagine to myself——

I have a kindly yearning toward——

I heartily approve of——

I do not advert to——

I have long believed that——

It has long been the fashion to——

I have been falsely assuring everybody that——

One cannot help noticing that——

There are plenty of evidences that——

The difference, I take it, is this——

The fact of the matter is——

If I rightly remember——

It is a just cause for praise that——

It was a happy circumstance for me that——

I wish with all my heart that——

I am grateful to find that——

I devoutly wish it may prove to be that he——

It is not to be supposed that——

My attention has been directed to the——

I have a mental reservation with regard to——

A very affecting circumstance happened yesterday

I have a story worth telling

I had the rare distinction of——

I had a very civil note from——

If I may hazard a conjecture, I should rather think that——

It was unusual for me to——

He seems to be obsessed with the idea that——

JOY

Gladness Bliss

The nameless responsive thrill of something deep within us

A treasure better than gold

Pleasures pure and lasting

Heaven’s eternal spring

The song lifting its pæan out of the night

In the sweetest fellowship

Strains that sweetly soothe

The exquisite little joys of life

An atmosphere of tranquillity

A new-found joy

Tears of joy and gratitude

Joy which flows like a river

In joyful anticipation

With joyful enthusiasm

Possibilities of which we hardly dreamed

The sweet melodies of heaven

The great glad tidings

The glory of his grace

The sweetest name on earth

The blissful refuge

A balm for the weary

The very friend you need

The priceless gems of God’s book

A joy divine

Songs of sweetest praise

A triumphant hope

Thrones of love

A heaven of love

The kingdom of light

The fullness of his blessing

The life-giving stream

The best of our delights

A world of happy memories

The reckless joy of the Lord

Our gladness of the world

The ultimate source of real happiness

An eternal weight of glory

JUSTICE

Judgment Indignation

He must be brought sharply to book

Brought to the bar of justice

Impartial justice

A noble contempt for deliberate wrong-doers

Fired by righteous indignation

The eternal principles of justice

The foe of tyranny

The well-established right of every citizen

Very intolerant of sin, but not vindictive

A life strictly legal

KEEN

Foxy Cunning

With a special axe to grind

He caught you napping

A piece of sharp practice

A shrewd surmise

A bit of keen reasoning

Too ingenious by half

Neutrals think to tread on eggs and break none

As cunning as a weasel

A mind like a steel-trap

Bait the hook well; the fish will bite.
_Much Ado about Nothing_, II., 3

Reared in the school of diplomacy

A discipleship with mental reservations

He turns a blow with a jest

KINDNESS

Sympathy Gentleness

Sympathies as wide as the world

A sensibility as tender as it is refreshing

Wider sympathy

Of cosmopolitan sympathies

Poverty-stricken in his sympathies

World-wide sympathies

A great soul

The very heart of kindness

Diffusing the gospel of kindliness

The employments of active benevolence

Full of kindly deeds

The milk of human kindness

A stray word of kindness

Kinder than the kindest

With utmost gentleness

Of gentlest sympathy

Of a kind and forgiving disposition

They exchanged mutual assurances of continued good-will

The secret of contented and fruitful living

The staple interests and occupations of the common life

Heaven and earth brought into strange accord

An unembittered disposition

The sign of God-like charity

Slow to speak ill of any one

Beautiful in the eyes of fond affection

A heaven of love in your heart

A wonderfully kind heart

Members of a forgiving family

Sweet in disposition

Glorifying God in the common round

The gracious inclination of the will

The outcome of a rich experience

The spirit of brotherly kindness and concord

An attitude of brotherly helpfulness

A genuine concern for——

Many calls upon one’s generous impulses

A kindly soul

I could not find it in my heart to——

It pulls upon our heartstrings

Cherishing a cordial good-will to all men

I cannot find it in my heart to——

LATIN

_Ab extra_, from without

_Ab initio_, from the beginning

_Ad captandum vulgus_, for the sake of pleasing the crowd

_Ad infinitum_, endlessly

_Ad interim_, in the meanwhile

_Ad libitum_, at pleasure

_Ad nauseam_, to the point of disgust

_Ad rem_, to the matter in hand

_Ad valorem_, according to the value

_A fortiori_, all the more surely

_Alma mater_, fostering mother

_Alter idem_, another precisely similar

_Anno Domini_, in the year of our Lord

_A posteriori_, from facts back to principles

_A priori_, from principles to facts

_Argumentum ad hominem_, an appeal to interests rather than to reason

_Bona fide_, in good faith

_Cui bono_, who benefits by it

_De facto_, on the basis of facts

_De novo_, anew

_Deo gratias_, thanks to God

_Deo volente_, with God’s consent

_De profundis_, out of the depths

_Dramatis personæ_, the actors in a play

_Ecce homo_, behold the man

_E pluribus unum_, one composed of many

_Ergo_, therefore

_Esto perpetua_, let it endure forever

_Et cetera_, and so on

_Ex cathedra_, with high authority

_Ex officio_, by virtue of his office

_Ex parte_, partisan

_Ex post facto_, after the deed is done

_Ex tempore_, on the impulse of the moment

_Gloria in excelsis_, Glory in the highest

_Ibid_, in the same place

_Id est_, that is

_Idem_, the same

_Item_, also

_In articulo mortis_, at the point of death

_In extenso_, at full length

_In extremis_, in the last extremity

_In loco_, in the proper place

_In medias res_, in the midst of things

_In memoriam_, to the memory of

_In perpetuum_, forever

_In re_, in the matter of

_In statu quo_, in the former state

_In toto_, completely

_In transitu_, in passing

_Ipsissima verba_, the very words

_Ipso facto_, by virtue of that very fact

_Jubilate Deo_, rejoice in the Lord

_Jus gentium_, the law of nations

_Labor omnia vincit_, labor overcomes every difficulty

_Lapsus linguæ_, a slip of the tongue

_Lis pendens_, the pending suit

_Magnum opus_, a great work

_Mala fide_, in an underhanded way

_Meum et tuum_, mine and thine

_Mirabile dictu_, wonderful to be told

_Modus operandi_, manner of operation

_Multum in parvo_, much in little

_Ne plus ultra_, nothing better

_Nil desperandum_, no need to despair

_Nolens volens_, whether he will or not

_Non sequitur_, it does not follow

_Nota bene_, mark well

_Omnes_, all

_Paterfamilias_, the head of a household

_Pater noster_, Our Father

_Particeps criminis_, a sharer in the crime

_Peccavi_, I have erred

_Per annum_, by the year

_Per capita_, by the head

_Per centum_, by the hundred

_Per contra_, contrariwise

_Per diem_, by the day

_Per se_, intrinsically

_Pro bono publico_, for the public good

_Pro et con_, for and against

_Pro rata_, an equal division

_Pro tanto_, to a certain extent

_Pro tempore_, for the time being

_Quantum libet_, as much as you please

_Quid pro quo_, an equivalent

_Quod vide_, which see

_Requiescat in pace_, peace to his spirit

_Scripsit_, he wrote it

_Semper felix_, always fortunate

_Semper fidelis_, always faithful

_Semper eadem_, always the same

_Seriatim_, in sequence

_Serus in cœlum redeas_, after living for a long time may you enter
heaven

_Sine cura_, without care

_Sine die_, without a day appointed

_Sine qua non_, an indispensable prerequisite

_Status quo_, the current situation the existing condition

_Sub rosa_, secretly, confidentially

_Sui generis_, unique

_Summum bonum_, the highest good

_Tempus fugit_, time flies

_Terra firma_, the solid earth

_Tuum est_, it is your own

_Una voce_, unanimously

_Ut infra_, as stated below

_Ut supra_, as stated above

_Verbatim_, word for word

_Versus_, against

_Via_, by the way of

_Vice versa_, the terms being exchanged

_Vi et armis_, by main force

_Viva voce_, by the living voice

_Vox populi est vox Dei_, the voice of the people is the voice of God

LAZY

Lackadaisical Dawdling

Altogether disinclined to the effort of exercise

Dawdling over duties

A profitless frame of mind

A strong disposition to inactivity

With folded arms

The tragedy of ease

The picture of placid content

Sleeping in a fool’s paradise

Luxury that unfits the soul

Never stirred by noble ambitions

As motionless as a tombstone

A little flaccid

A lazy ox is little better for the goad

As sleepy as a ground-hog in winter

Nothing is had for nothing

In a half-hearted manner

While away the time

Free from all care

He suffers from acute laziness

He wants to be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease

He treads the path of least resistance

His mind cankers

Predisposed to loiter

LETTERS

(GENERAL PHRASES)

For Letters of Acceptance

I thank you for your very kind invitation which I am happy to accept

It will give me great pleasure to——

I accept with much pleasure your kind invitation to——

I accept with pleasure and will——

It is most kind of you to include me in——

Many thanks for your thoughtfulness in inviting me

I shall be pleased to comply with your request

It was most kind of you to remember me

Thank you so much for your kindness in remembering me

How very thoughtful of you to——

For Letters of Apology

I trust you will pardon me for——

I write to apologize for my failure to——

I hope you will forgive me when I tell you that——

I am sorry I could not do as I had promised to do

I am very much mortified to find that——

Trusting you will forgive my great carelessness

I hope you have not suffered any inconvenience from——

Hoping you will pardon the——

I am afraid you will accuse me of rudeness, but I——

I hasten to repair my apparent neglect of——

You must have felt almost slighted to notice that I——

I am sure you will acquit me of any rudeness when——

For Letters of Condolence

Be assured of my deep sympathy with you in this time of great sorrow

I know too well that words cannot comfort you

Trusting that you will see the bright side of the dark cloud——I am with
deep sympathy your friend

How can I attempt to comfort you in the bitter affliction which has
befallen you

Would there were more like——

I regret to hear of your continued indisposition and hope that before
long you may return to your wonted good health

A sweet and uncomplaining spirit

I should rejoice if I could be with you

I can only send my sympathy and best wishes for your speedy and
complete recovery

Courage——hope remains

Time will heal many heartaches

May the Father of Mercies give you the rich consolation of His grace
and preserve and strengthen you for your family

May you be sustained in this most bitter trial

The grateful sense of your kindness will never be erased from my mind

If my services can in any way assist you do not hesitate to ask for
them

I am sincerely sorry to hear of your loss

He carried the riches of God within himself

He was a royal-hearted man

We are greatly afflicted by the melancholy intelligence which reached
us that——

I knew the sterling integrity of his character

May God breathe into your heart peace and cheerful resignation

My mind is filled with very grateful memories

He was greatly beloved

I fall back upon a very delightful verse of Scripture: “He is able to
subdue all things unto himself”

My heart is filled with the deepest gratitude as I think of ————

We send our earnest wishes for your speedy recovery

My most affectionate regards to ————

You seem to have your full share of human vicissitudes

He had such a fund of courage and good cheer

Dear, sweet, loving mother

A letter replete with tenderness and affection

All things work together for good to them that love God

A bruised reed shall he not break

Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of
feasting

He giveth his beloved sleep

A very present help in trouble

We took sweet counsel together

God will take us into their goodly company some glad day

Glimpses of the reality which we instinctively feel will sometime be
ours

The unmeasured things of hope which God has prepared for men

Our lives we must humbly commit to the guiding hand whose blessing we
adore

Filled with strong consolation

There are many avenues by which God would come in and richly bless us

He had the secret of keeping the sacred fires aglow

He knew the deep principles of experimental religion

Ordinary consolations do not avail us

He knew the secret of beautiful living

He was a silent witness of right living

Many admiring friends

One who ministered so carefully and tenderly

All the more tragic because——

And this thought will be our comfort that——

Of gentle presence

All the gentle virtues came into full blossom

Looking forward with a Christian’s bright anticipation of a glad
reunion

Persisted in keeping mind and spirit on the sunny side of life however
hard the trials and difficulties

Mother’s fortitude and hopefulness is a lesson to us all

We send our united and sincere condolences

The news of your painful loss has been a great surprise to me

I have read of your bereavement with the deepest sorrow

You, who have so often comforted others, are now to be comforted

May you live in the confidence that ———— is in the enjoyment of
everlasting happiness

It is a great comfort to us that

Words are inadequate to express my feelings

There are times when one cannot express himself in written words

The pen refuses to express adequately my sympathy to you

I sympathize keenly with you in the loss of your excellent ————

They are not lost to us

God will surely give you a kindly guidance in this hour of trial

The intimations of a future life shall some day be realized and we
shall see and know again those whom we have “loved, and lost
awhile”

Many beautiful traits made up his character

I join with you and his other friends in mourning his death most
sincerely

It shocked me very much

I have heard with the greatest distress of——

I had learned to have a very warm feeling for ————

I had been intimately enough associated with him to feel that I knew
him very well

Cast thy burden upon the Lord

Thou hast known my soul in adversities

I know their sorrows

A refuge from the storm

A shadow from the heat

In the furnace of affliction

I will hedge up thy way with thorns

Tribulation worketh patience

Our light affliction

In all their affliction he was afflicted

He healeth the broken in heart

For a small moment have I forgotten thee but with great mercies will I
gather thee

God that comforteth those that are cast down comfort you

We shall have to bear our crosses with meekness and patience

So good a friend is capable of making any calamity light

The great loss you have sustained has caused me much uneasiness

I know not how to express my sorrow at the news which I have just
received

That God may give you great consolation under this heavy burden is my
fervent prayer

I should be glad if I could suggest anything to lighten your trouble
and make your path a little more smooth and easy

Such a sad circumstance has come to you

Your sorrow’s night

When one’s heart is unspeakably tender

We extend our heartfelt sympathy

In your hour of trial

She was such a beautiful character, loved by every one

In these lonely hours you must not be cast down for there is help from
God

His Word says that they that wait upon Him shall renew their strength

She was God’s good angel in your home

Grief that saps the heart

I account you mine

His name will long linger in our household

We must be brave in the face of trying circumstances

Of gracious memory

She bears up with the utmost fortitude

I received the melancholy intelligence last evening that——

He was the kindest, and most generous of men

The sweet remembrance of the just

A workman that needeth not to be ashamed

If God be for us who can be against us

Of whom the world was not worthy

Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth

Let not your heart be troubled

I know that your heart must be sorely grieved

God shall overcome this King of terrors

It is written, “As thy days so shall thy strength be”

We expect to see our loved ones in happier, brighter worlds above

God is able to soothe and sustain the distressed soul

May God’s love shine more and more in our hearts until the day breaks
and the shadows flee away

He careth for you

A stronghold in the day of trouble

A covert from the storm

We unite in sending our love and sympathy

With warm regards

We beg you to accept our commiseration

Our hearts sorrow with you

He is such a very great comfort to us

We are uplifted by the assurance that——

A light which sorrow cannot quench

We must all wait the call of God with a calm trust

Let me have the comfort of hearing from you

The hand of God has been heavy

His sterling qualities of character will leave an indelible impress on
those with whom he associated

His good life will live on

Dying in the triumphs of faith

Securely anchored in the never failing promises of God

A life of good-will, kindliness of spirit, and firm character

The benediction of his brotherly heart will bless many who knew him

We must live in the blessed anticipation of the glory that is to come

Do not fear, for God knows what is in your heart

Your path seems full of thorns

Your weather is bleak, but the storms will cease

Your sky is dark, but the sun shines

May the everlasting arms sustain you in the flood of sorrow

May God comfort you

Out of the thorn springeth the rose

I know you are in grief and heaviness

We commend you to the mercy and grace of God

The bitterness of affliction

The present floods of sorrow

You will have to cast your anchor in the dark

May your heart be constant

The Lord will surely give you rest from the days of adversity

I would that you should always have the sweet experience of the
consolations of God

We all have the good-will of Him who dwelt in the bush

My heart is heavy for you

We must wait till the fair morning of the resurrection

I write my blessing, earnest prayers, the love of God, and the sweet
presence of Christ to you and yours

You have suffered a grief which no human friend can assuage

I feel deeply your misfortune

I am grieved to hear that——

We are greatly concerned about——

We are sometimes called to sow in tears, but the harvest will be a
series of everlasting joys. This blessed hope softens the trials of
life

My times are in the Lord’s hands

I hope it may please God to endue us with a proper temper, and quiet
perseverance, and that these trials may help us to purify our
motives

One of the severest and most trying dispensations of Providence

Yours is indeed deep sorrow

You have the blessed reflection of having done all that could possibly
be done

You have my earnest prayers that the Almighty may graciously support
you

That the Almighty may bless, support, and comfort you, is the hearty
prayer of——

Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers

May every consolation and blessing be granted to you

As long as I shall remember anything, I shall remember her virtues and
her kindness

I hope I need not tell you how anxious I have been since I first heard
of your great loss

May I share with you the deep sorrow you are called upon to bear at the
loss of your——

Please accept for yourself my assurance of deep sympathy

Allow me to express my very sincere sympathy for you in the death of
your——

Permit me to express on behalf of ———— and myself our deepest sympathy

May I express to you my sincere condolence in your hour of sorrow

Mrs. ———— and I offer you our most sincere sympathy in your great
sorrow

Please accept my heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement

I hope you will find some consolation in the tribute of affection and
esteem which——

I sympathize deeply with you

I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto
him against that day.
_II Tim._ I., 12

The resurrection of life.
_John_ V., 29

Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
_I Cor._ II., 9

In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
_John_ XIV., 2

There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing.
_II Tim._ IV., 8

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
_Heb._ IV., 9

We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness.
_II Pet._ III., 13

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
_Rev._ II., 10

They shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
_Rev._ III., 4

There shall be no night there.
_Rev._ XXII., 5

The Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the days of thy mourning
shall be ended.
_Isa._ LX., 20

He is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy.
_Jude_, 24

The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory which shall be revealed in us.
_Rom._ VIII., 18

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
_II Cor._ IV., 17

The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
_Eph._ I., 18

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away.
_I Pet._ I., 4

So shall we ever be with the Lord.
_I Thess._ IV., 17

They shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads.
_Rev._ XXII., 4

The righteous shall go away into life eternal.
_Matt._ XXV., 46

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine
heart.
_Ps._ XXVII., 14

The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that
trust in him shall be desolate.
_Ps._ XXXIV., 22

The Lord knoweth them that trust in him.
_Nah._ I., 7

Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.
_I Pet._ V., 7

As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about
his people from hence forth even for ever.
_Ps._ CXXV., 2

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
_Ps._ CXII., 6

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
_Ps._ XXX., 5

Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him
out of them all.
_Ps._ XXXIV., 19

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
_Ps._ CXXVI., 5-6

Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any
more.
_Jer._ XXXI., 12

I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make
them rejoice from their sorrow.
_Jer._ XXXI., 13

A refuge in times of trouble.
_Ps._ IX., 9

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I
have overcome the world.
_John_ XVI., 33

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his
holy habitation.
_Ps._ LXVIII., 5

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
_Ps._ CXVI., 15

My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in
weakness.
_II Cor._ XII., 9

I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.
_Gen._ XV., 1

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
_Deut._ XXXIII., 27

The promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.
_II Tim._ I., 1

A bruised reed shall he not break.
_Isa._ XLII., 3

For Letters of Congratulation

I take great pleasure in sending hearty congratulations and best wishes

It is with heartfelt pleasure I——

I cannot refrain from sending a few words of congratulation that——

We offer you our cordial congratulations and best wishes

My most sincere congratulations are yours

I hope in a few days to be able to offer my congratulations in person

Accept hearty congratulations

With most sincere congratulations

I write to offer my heartfelt congratulations

You will receive many hearty congratulations but none more sincere than
mine

It must have been a great joy to you. I heartily congratulate you

I applaud you

For Letters of Introduction

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you ————

I take this opportunity of presenting to you ————

I take great pleasure in making known to you ————

This letter is presented by my friend ————

I shall regard it as a kindness to myself if——

Any courtesy you can extend to ————

I shall appreciate any assistance you may give to ————

I shall regard any attention you can pay ———— as a personal favor

I shall warmly appreciate any attention you may pay to ————

For Letters of Invitation

Will you give us the pleasure of your company to——

I am asking a few friends to——

It would be a pleasure to have you——

Will you join us in——

The pleasure of your company is requested to——

Hoping that your engagements will permit

In anticipation of seeing you next——

———— requests the presence of ————

———— requests the pleasure of your presence at——

For Letters of Regret

I write at once to thank you, regretting most sincerely that——

I very much regret that I cannot accept your kind invitation to——

I regret that a previous engagement will prevent my acceptance of your
very kind invitation to——

I very much regret that I cannot avail myself of the opportunity to——

I am grateful to you for your kind invitation, but——

I regret that I am unable to comply with your request because——

I regret extremely that——

For Letters of Thanks

Please accept my grateful acknowledgments for——

I will ever cherish your beautiful gift

My compliments and thanks to ————

Thank you most heartily for the——

Many thanks for the——

With hearty thanks for your kind thought of me

Best of thanks for your kind thought of me

I cannot express my thanks for the kindness which prompted you to——

Many thanks for the kind remembrance

With grateful appreciation for——

Thank you most heartily for——

How can I ever hope to repay you for——

I am extremely grateful to you for——

I am sending this letter as the silent messenger of my thanks and good
wishes to you

I must find some way to make due acknowledgment of your goodness to me

I trust I may be able to do you some service, that I may be worthy of
your kind approbation

I will not write more but wait until a better opportunity enables me to
more fully express myself

Please allow me to send my most thankful acknowledgments for the favor
you have conferred upon me

I know not how to express my grateful thanks for your——

The grateful sense I have of your kindness will never be erased from my
mind

I take this first opportunity to send you my thanks for——

You have exceedingly obliged me by——

I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of——

I am grateful to you for your kind expression of sympathy

Though your kind letter has waited so long for a reply, you may be
assured that I was not unmindful of its messages of sympathy

Please accept my warmest thanks for your kindness

I am deeply indebted to you for——

I received your very agreeable letter, and hasten to give you my most
hearty thanks for your——

I thank you for your hospitality

We had a most delightful time while with you

For Letters with Gifts

Please accept this little memento of our regard

Please accept this ———— as a token of high esteem and regard

Please accept as an evidence of unchanging friendship this ————

Please accept this token with my best wishes for many happy returns of
your birthday

Will you be so kind as to accept the enclosed ————

I am sending to you a little token of my high regard

(CONCLUDING ASSURANCES)

For Christmas Letters

I send you tender tidings of regard this Christmas Day

I hope you will lack nothing to make a Merry Christmas

On this day I think of you, and wish you happiness without limit

May all joys combine to give you a happy Christmas Day

With best wishes and heartiest greetings for Christmas

I wish you a joyful Christmas from the bottom of my heart

With kind remembrances and all good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a
Bright New Year

With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a New Year of health and
happiness

The best of good wishes for a happy Christmas

May Christmas bring you plenteous store of happiness and joy

Heaps of Christmas wishes

With the kindest thoughts and the best of good wishes for a happy
Christmas

I heartily send all good Christmas wishes to you and yours

For Letters of Condolence

My prayer is that you may be wonderfully sustained by Him who hath
said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Most sincerely yours,

I commend you to Him who hath said, “There shall be no more death,
neither sorrow.”
Affectionately yours,

May you have great comfort in the presence of Him who hath said, “I
will not leave you destitute.”
Your friend,

Ever remember the good word which tells us that “He shall change our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself.”
Faithfully yours,

Though we pass through the valley and the darkness of death let us fear
no evil since He is with us.
Ever your friend,

God gives us a fine assurance concerning the future in the word which
says, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Most sincerely yours,

With a prayer for every blessing on your self,
Affectionately, your friend,

Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers.
Very sincerely yours,

May God that comforteth those that are cast down comfort you in this
trial is the prayer of
Your friend,

We can meet the trials of life in the comforting conviction that this
mortal must put on immortality.
With warmest regards,

No doubt you are inclined to say that all is vanity and vexation of
spirit, but do not do so for He knoweth the way that we take.
Faithfully yours,

Now that the time has come that you are “Like Niobe, all tears” also
the rather remember the word which says that “God shall wipe away
all tears.”
Most sincerely yours,

We send our love and commend you to Him who hath said He will “Swallow
up death in victory.”
Most sincerely yours,

While your heart is heavy, and one feel quite deserted, yet we can be
much comforted in remembering that “He knoweth our frame.” and is
ever mindful of us.
With sincere sympathy,
Your friend,

For New Year Letters

May this New Year turn out to be the happiest and the best

With best New Year wishes

May all your plans and wishes come true in this New Year

May the New Year be a happy year for you

A joyous New Year

With all best wishes for a splendid New Year

With all the kindest wishes for good health and good fortune throughout
the year

With my most hearty greetings and sincere good wishes for you for all
the coming year

With best wishes for a year of great blessing

May the New Year be full of the kindliest benedictions

With kind wishes for a year of the brightest prospects

For General Letters

I am ever, with sincerest regard,
Your friend,

Remember me very kindly to ————
Sincerely,

I beg to be most kindly remembered to ————
With cordial regard,

Accept the sincerest esteem of
Your friend,

My compliments to your ————
Very sincerely,

With sincere regard,

With kindest respects to your whole family,
Yours affectionately,

I beg you will give my affectionate respects to all.
Most cordially yours,

———— best and kindest wishes accompany mine.
Most sincerely,

With truest regard,

With my best wishes for your recovery, and kindest regard to ————
I remain, affectionately yours,

———— joins me in kindest regards and best wishes.
Sincerely yours,

Kind remembrance to all, and doubly to ————.
As ever,

If you are at ————, remember me kindly to ————
Yours ever,

Give my kind respects to ————
Very sincerely yours,

We join in affectionate regards to ————
Sincerely,

———— present their respects, with those of
Yours truly,

———— desire me to add their kind regards to mine,
Your affectionate friend,

With truest good wishes.
As ever,

When you see ———— assure ———— of my kind remembrance.
Sincerely yours,

With my best regards to ————
I remain your friend,

With our joint regards to ————, I am ever,
Yours sincerely,

My most affectionate respects to ————
Yours sincerely,

With kindest regards of my family and myself,
I am sincerely yours,

Yours ever, my dear and honored friend, with true regard,

———— desires particularly to be remembered.
Yours ever,

With every sentiment of regard.
Your greatly obliged friend,

With truest sentiments of affectionate esteem.
Your friend,

———— sends her best love.
Yours ever most affectionately,

———— joins in every kind wish and remembrance.
Yours ever,

With cordial wishes for your health,
I am,
Yours very sincerely,

My best respects to ————
Very faithfully yours,

———— is away or I should have been charged with ———— kindest regards to
you.
Very sincerely,

My best respects and kindest remembrances to the whole family circle
at ————
Very sincerely yours,

We unite in kindest remembrance to your family.
Sincerely yours,

———— begs her most affectionate remembrance to you.
Affectionately yours,

(FINAL ASSURANCES)

Conventional

Very sincerely yours,

Yours most sincerely,

Very respectfully,

Sincerely yours,

Respectfully yours,

To Friends

Yours faithfully,

Yours affectionately,

Heartily yours,

Yours in all fellowship,

Warmly your friend,

Your affectionate friend,

Yours ever truly,

Ever warmly yours,

With warmest regards,

Yours in heart,

For Lovers

All yours,

As ever,

Your own,

Yours forever and ever,

Ever with the whole heart yours,

Most devotedly yours,

Yours constantly,

Yours ever,

Ever yours,

Yours, with love,

To Relatives

Your loving ————,

Affectionately your ————,

Your devoted ————,

With much love,

Your ever loving ————,

Devotedly your ————,

With much affection, your ————,

LIKENESS

Similarity Resemblance

As like as two peas

A striking parallel

As like as two drops of water

Nearly identical in appearance

The same in essential characteristics

Cast in the same mold

A striking similitude between——

Having a very close resemblance

A speaking likeness

It is somewhat analogous to——

It typifies most perfectly the——

With a very exact resemblance

There is no material difference between——

Terms which will be tantamount to——

Have you been struck with the similarity between——

It bears an evident analogy to——

Cut out of the same cloth

You can make it tally with——

LOSS

Damage Waste

This particular milk has been spilt

Incalculable waste and loss will be avoided if——

Doomed to ethical decline

Irreparable loss

Rapidly sapping the strength of——

In the blackness of darkness forever

Where does it end

LOVE

Attachment Affection

He’s the great heart-maker

Winsomely and lovingly

The sacrifices of love

Matchless kindness

Unwavering love

A redeeming love-energy

A glad service of love

A legacy of love

A flame of sacred love

The sweet kingdom of God’s love

The wondrous story of God’s love

The wonderful words of life

The genial flame of affection

The marvel of His love

The love that conquers

Love divine, all loves excelling

The glorious sense of the Divine right of love

Made beautiful by Divine love

The warm yearning intimacy of God’s love

The sweet and unpolluted flower of love

The richest joys out of heaven

If our bosom burns with the fires of love

Love that translated us from alienation to family favor

Love, pure, warm, and changeless

Songs of redeeming love

An eye of love

A heaven of love

Abounding love

With undiminished love

Love is the universal language

What the world needs is love

MANLY

Strong Upright

The sanctifying love of a strong victorious man

A patient, loving, uncomplaining soul

A clear-eyed seer of the things of God

An uncompromising foe of evil

Sagacious in spiritual things

A mind full of vigorous hopeful uplifting thoughts

He has a wonderful experience of grace

He passed through the fires of affliction

He is a graduate of the University of Difficulty

We are resolved to lay no stumbling-blocks in the way of the progress
of the redemption of the world

We have the abiding consciousness that we are fundamentally right with
God

He is in the apostleship of spiritual beauty

A great lover of mankind

He takes a living, loving interest in men

Moral worth

Resolved not to depart from the channel of truth

Holy in character

A warmth of temperament

Generous impulses

The imposing grace of a noble self-restraint

A chaste refinement of spirit

Splendid reserve power

Well content to go down to the grave unpraised

Taking steps toward the threshold of heaven

Walking in the blessed path of peace, power, and purity

A nobility of life

Worthy of more attention than it has yet received

A worthy friend

Hands full of character and delicacy

With unfaltering lip and heart

Men who love their fellow-men and prove their love by service

He did not once deviate from his principles

He has a profound contempt for show and humbug

Men broad-brained and broad-shouldered for the task

Men of breadth of outlook

Men who foresee great things

Large-hearted and clear-eyed men

Real leaders

Men who keep in the straight path of duty

Every man shall bear his own burden

Men whose fidelity merits the highest praise

Men who would dare hell-heat or Arctic cold

Men whose intentions were never open to honest doubt

A man whose happiness was in serving others

Strong men

Untinged by prejudice

Clouded by no unfriendliness

Without acrimony

With no preconceived theories

In whole-hearted simplicity

Above suspicion

With entire frankness

No feeling of estrangement

A gleam of friendly light

The right mental attitude

The right hand of fellowship

In the sunshine of a genial nature

In the genial glow of the firelight

Of gentle mien

The contagion of noble lives

A rare maturity of judgment

He has an unswerving loyalty to principle

He has an unconquerable purpose to be true

He is unfalteringly devoted to duty

He is inflexible in purpose

He is not paralysed by fear of consequences

He is beautifully loyal to——

He is proof against all blandishments

He sits tight in the saddle

MEMORIES

Impressions Sentiments

Among the most haunting memories of——

I treasure the memory of it as one of my most precious recollections

A time full of happy memories

I brought away with me a store of happy memories

Rich in historical memories

It moves me to happy memories

It entitles him to grateful remembrance

There are no disturbing reminders

They can console themselves with the reflection that——

It was reminiscent of——

I have many choice recollections of——

Etched forever by the——

MILITARISTIC

Martial Soldierly

The zone of hostilities

The harmless victims of war

Tactical retreat

Martial enthusiasm

A crack regiment

Universal disarmament

Strict neutrality

The inevitable horrors of war

A military advantage

The ruthlessness of war

The neutrality of nations

The international equivalent of the policeman’s club

The lust of empire

The cruel indignities of war

The long-nurtured passions of a nation

When the thunders of war are heard around the world

The arbitrament of arms

A test of materialism

An age crammed with war

The federation of the world

The policy of military preparedness

The patriotism of the common people

A military tattoo in the streets

The dominant military power in the world

The nightmare menace of war

The crime of Cain multiplied a million fold

The maintenance of peace

A sin against civilization

The stunning sense of some great calamity

The futility of militarism

The theater of hostilities

The allied armies

The pitiful misery of the people

An appalling cost of human life

The diplomatic corps

A compact front

Wanton destruction

The military camarilla at ————

Military necessity

Deliberate and wanton vandalism

With ruthless hand

The guilty madness of war

The inveterate belligerence of ————

A crushing indictment of Twentieth-Century civilization

The city tense with the excitement due to militarism

Imbued with the spirit of war

Prepared for vigorous operations

Under cover of the artillery

The oft-trodden battle-ground of the Low Countries

A warless world

An armed peace

The mailed fist

A religion of valor

The terrorism of military might

MYSTERIOUS

Dark Inscrutable

Into those invisible regions where we cannot follow

Clothed in a cloak of mystery

The fascination of the inscrutable

In some incomprehensible way

It seems a Sphinx whose riddle no man can read

Shrouded in mystery

A great deal of hokus-pokus

Hidden under the impenetrable veil of metaphor

Absolutely inexplicable

It was Greek to me.
_Julius Cæsar_, I., 2

Some enigma, some riddle.
_Love’s Labour’s Lost_, III., 1

A bottomless sea of speculation

NECESSARILY

Needfully Essentially

The pressure of absolute necessity

I am under the imperative necessity of——

It is absolutely essential that——

It must needs be that——

Infinitely more so now

The imperative necessity of——

The need is urgent that——

Of all the essential cogs in the world’s great machine the——

Of extreme importance

Of vital necessity

Conditions will make it imperative that——

It is of prime importance to——

The first and most important requisite of——

Put to it

The supreme need of the hour is——

It is time for him to come to the scratch and——

All important factors in the case

As much as plants need sunshine

Indispensably necessary

The imperative needs of——

In the vigorous school of necessity

OPPORTUNE

Timely Seasonable

Every door is open

Virgin soil

A work in which every man may bear a share

Seize with avidity this opportunity to——

The time seems ripe to——

The keynote to——

Entrée to all the best

Open sesame

A plain opportunity for——

We must take opportunity by the forelock

Had I been so disposed, I——

The hour of opportunity

Now is the time of all times to——

OPPOSITION

Protestation Objection

Nothing could go more against the grain with me than——

He set his face like flint against——

There is a decided opposition to——

It is one of the counts in the indictment against him that——

He was debarred from——

With strongly divergent opinion

He should be unhorsed

A man who must be discriminated against

It is sheer nonsense to——

The thinness of that kind of argument is seen in——

Hotly contested

His one weapon of defense is——

He made of this fact a telling answer to those who——

It is common to hear deprecations of——

He would have made a more happy effect if——

All this is in direct contradiction to——

Through flinty opposition

Persistently hostile

It has only one defect——it is not true

I differ from him very widely

It is a cry that is raised in the old senseless spiteful way

It is scarcely worth raising our heads to look at

I assure you such is not the case

I think it would be quite inadvisable to do so

It is a convincing demonstration of the fatuity of the notion that——

The latest and most absurd theory is——

Issues which are poles apart in their true significance

I regret to be compelled to join issue with you

The answer will be a firm and decided negative

I have inly resented the——

I must with all respect demur

It is a wooden-headed scheme

It represents everything repugnant to my convictions

I cannot refrain from expressing my regret that——

It is a manifest absurdity

In which case I should remonstrate

I protested in vain

It is very annoying to me

I fervently hope not

A good stout protest

It is out of the question

A decided negative

It is time to protest and to protest vigorously

I won’t hear it without a protest——

It has not even the saving grace of——

He met with stout opposition

He came out squarely against——

He rubbed the cat the wrong way

They will brook no trifling

A point-blank refusal

There is just ground for objection in the fact that——

It is not exactly fitting that——

There could be no greater fallacy

It was the only rift in a perfect lute

Unless they made a fidget about it

The whole plan is repellent

The suggestion arouses in us only moral disgust

Give it the lie

Such an opinion runs counter to the facts

He delivered a frontal attack upon——

It is playing at cross-purposes

Promptly and vigorously disposed of

It is going to get a short shrift

A railing accusation

A storm of protest

Stubborn resistance

In the face of mighty passions and desires

In the teeth of clenched antagonisms

It is time to protest and to protest vigorously

Not under any circumstances

Too heavily handicapped

A disposition in some to resent

A combination of hindrances

Without flinching

An insuperable barrier

I have the greatest aversion to——

He met with a hot welcome

A defiant note

OPTIMISM

Cheer Gladness

I am very sanguine about it

In a highly gratifying way

It is refreshing to know that——

The uplift of great ideas

All clouds do not rain

No day is so long but has its evening

No news is good news