Leaves of Life, for Daily Inspiration — Edition Insights

A Calendar of Lives and Lessons

The July entries consistently open with a list of births or deaths—Sarah Siddons, David Farragut, George Sand, Cecil Rhodes on the fifth; John Huss, Leibniz, John Paul Jones, Flaxman on the sixth. These are not mere trivia; they set a thematic stage. The quotation that follows often echoes the historical figure's domain: George Sand on nature's imperishable language, Charlotte Brontë on professional perseverance. Steinmetz then selects a Bible verse—Job 12:7–9 on the fifth, Psalm 139:9–10 on the sixth—and closes with a first-person prayer that rephrases the day's lesson. This structure suggests the book is less a conventional devotional than a curated anthology meant to provoke daily reflection through juxtaposition.

Secular Voices in a Sacred Frame

Despite the catalog classification as devotional literature, the excerpts draw heavily on non-religious sources. The acknowledgments list dozens of publishers and authors, including Theodore Roosevelt, O. Henry, Emily Dickinson, and Arnold Bennett. In the July 7 entry, a poem by Thomas Crawford appears alongside Isaiah 50:7; on July 8, a poem by George Croly follows La Fontaine. The prayers themselves are earnest but not doctrinally specific—'Lord God, direct me away from self' or 'Eternal God, help me to honor my life.' This blend of biblical text with contemporary poetry and prose suggests Steinmetz aimed for a broad, inspirational readership rather than a strictly orthodox one.

The Prayer as Personal Application

Each entry ends with a prayer that directly addresses the day's theme. On July 5, after George Sand's quote and Job 12, the prayer asks for patience to 'learn of thy wisdom' and 'do my part to keep the peace.' On July 6, following Brontë on professional choice, the prayer seeks 'wise judgment' in work. These prayers are formulaic in structure—addressing God, stating a request, closing with 'Amen'—but they vary in content to match the preceding material. They serve as a bridge between the external voices (historical figures, authors) and the reader's inner life, making the devotional personal without being prescriptive.

Readers approaching Leaves of Life should expect a mosaic rather than a linear argument. The book rewards browsing: each day stands alone, and the connections between the anniversary, quotation, scripture, and prayer are left implicit. The excerpts show that Steinmetz valued variety—mixing poets, novelists, reformers, and scientists—so the work may be best used as a source of daily prompts rather than a sustained read. Its catalog subjects understate the range of voices included.

That afternoon, the rain blurred the window while the day’s page paired Lincoln’s birthday with a quiet psalm, and I lingered on how daily devotionals stitch grief and gratitude together. Later, my hand drifted to a shelf, pulling down Social Pictorial Satire — Inside the Classic; its cartoons of Victorian foibles felt oddly consoling, another way of marking time’s small absurdities.