Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Alfred King seeks a source for: “We have no moral right to decide on a basis of opinion, that which can be determined as a matter of fact.”

Norman Holly writes, “In the 1950s, when only men were admitted to Harvard, students published a risqué ditty, ‘Don’t Send Your Daughter to Harvard.’ (It was available at the Coop.) Does anyone know the lyrics and the tune?”

“the importance of every hour…as it passes” (September-October). Eliot Kieval, the first of several readers to identify what is known as “Jane Austen’s Third Prayer,” provided a link to a 1994 article by the late Bruce Stovel, Ph.D. ’71, about the prayers, published by the Jane Austen Society of North America: www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number16/stovel.htm. Daniel Rosenberg noted that the texts appear in R. W. Chapman’s edition of Austen’s minor works; Katie Schubert supplied an online link to the prayer at https://www.leithart.com/archives/002984.php. The exact quotation, in context, is: “Another day is now gone, and added to those, for which we were before accountable. Teach us almighty father, to consider this solemn truth, as we should do, that we may feel the importance of every day, and every hour as it passes, and earnestly strive to make a better use of what thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the time past.”

Send inquiries and answers to “Chapter and Verse,” Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138, or via e-mail to chapterandverse@harvardmag.com.

You might also like

Novelist Lev Grossman on Why Fantasy Isn’t About Escapism

The Magicians author discusses his influences, from Harvard to King Arthur to Tolkien.

This TikTok Artist Combines Monsters and Mental Heath

Ava Jinying Salzman’s artwork helps people process difficult feelings.

England’s First Sports Megastar

A collection of illustrations capture a boxer’s triumphant moment. 

Most popular

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

The 1884 Cannibalism-at-Sea Case That Still Has Harvard Talking

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens changed the course of legal history. Here’s why it’s been fodder for countless classroom debates.

Trump Administration Appeals Order Restoring $2.7 Billion in Funding to Harvard

The appeal, which had been expected, came two days before the deadline to file.

Explore More From Current Issue

A girl sits at a desk, flanked by colorful, stylized figures, evoking a whimsical, surreal atmosphere.

The Trouble with Sidechat

No one feels responsible for what happens on Harvard’s anonymous social media app.

A jubilant graduate shouts into a megaphone, surrounded by a cheering crowd.

For Campus Speech, Civility is a Cultural Practice

A former Harvard College dean reviews Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber’s book Terms of Respect.

Historic church steeple framed by bare tree branches against a clear sky.

Harvard’s Financial Challenges Lead to Difficult Choices

The University faces the consequences of the Trump administration—and its own bureaucracy