The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

This has been His Kingdom

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The story is told of a boy who lay dying of his wounds in a Civil War hospital. Realizing he was near the end, a Christian nurse asked, “Are you ready to meet your God, my dear boy?”

His eyes opened and a smile grew on the young soldier’s face as he answered, “I am ready, dear lady, for this has been His kingdom.” As he spoke, he placed his hand upon his heart.

“Do you mean,” asked the nurse, “that God rules and reigns in your heart?”

“Yes,” he whispered, then died—his hand still lay over his heart after it ceased to beat.

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