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

Concerts and Carols at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Tuning into one of Boston's best chamber music halls 

The Artist Edward Gorey—and Pets—at Harvard

Winter exhibits at Houghton Library   

Landscape Architect Julie Bargmann Transforming Forgotten Urban Sites

Julie Bargmann and her D.I.R.T. Studio give new life to abandoned mines, car plants, and more.

Most popular

The Life of a Harvard Spy

Richard Skeffington Welch’s illustrious—and clandestine—career in the CIA

Parks and Rec Comedy Writer Aisha Muharrar Gets Serious about Grief

With Loved One, the Harvard grad and Lampoon veteran makes her debut as a novelist.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Explore More From Current Issue

A vibrant bar scene with tropical decor, featuring patrons sitting on high stools.

Best Bars for Seasonal Drinks and Snacks in Greater Boston

Gathering spots that warm and delight us  

Professor David Liu smiles while sitting at a desk with colorful lanterns and a figurine in the background.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Wolfram Schlenker wearing a suit sitting outdoors, smiling, with trees and a building in the background.

Harvard Economist Wolfram Schlenker Is Tackling Climate Change

How extreme heat affects our land—and our food supply