The Sin of Omission

It isn’t the thing you do, dear,

It’s the thing you leave undone

Which gives you a bit of heartache

At the setting of the sun;

The tender word forgotten,

The letter you did not write,

The flower you might have sent, dear,

Are your haunting ghosts tonight.

The stone you might have lifted

Out of the brother’s way,

The bit of heartsome counsel

You were hurried too much to say,

The loving touch of the hand, dear,

The gently and winsome tone

That you had not time nor thought for,

With troubles enough of your own.

These little acts of kindness,

So easily out of mind,

These chances to be angels

Which even mortals find—

They come in night and silence

Each mild reproachful wraith,

When hope is faint and flagging,

And a blight has dropped on faith.

For life is all too short, dear,

And sorrow is all too great,

To suffer our slow compassion

That tarries until too late.

And ‘tis not the things you do, dear,

It’s the thing you leave undone,

Which gives you the bitter heartache,

At the setting of the sun.

            - Margaret E. Sangster[1]

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[1] Margaret E. Sangster was a nineteenth century author and editor.  She was born Margaret Munson in 1838 in New Rochelle, New York, to a deeply religious family.  She had few educational advantages, but had a well-rounded education provided at home. She undoubtedly had an inborn talent for writing and literary work; when she was still quite young, she became a contributor to the leading periodicals of her day.  Her first work was published when she was 17.

In 1858 Margaret married George Sangster and gave up her career until after his death in 1871. She wrote and edited for a number of magazines.  She was deeply religious, and this is reflected in many of her writings.  She felt a call to be a moral model to young girls in particular.  The culmination of her professional career came in 1889 with a job as editor of Harper’s Bazaar, where she remained 10 years. 

Margaret was a pious, cheerful, and sentimental woman, yet she was also very practical and had much common sense. She had many friends and many adoring fans. She died in 1912 in South Orange, New Jersey.  (Source: Historical Biography: Margaret E. Sangster - essortment.com)