author
Mary Wilder Tileston
1843–1934
Best remembered for gathering uplifting readings for everyday devotion, this American anthologist created books that kept poetry, prayer, and scripture close at hand. Her most enduring work, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, helped make her a quiet but lasting presence in religious reading.
1 Audiobook
Daily Strength for Daily Needs
by Mary Wilder Tileston
About the author
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1843, Mary Wilder Tileston was an American author and anthologist who published widely in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is most closely associated with devotional and literary compilations, especially Daily Strength for Daily Needs (1884), a collection of prose and verse paired with scripture for daily reading.
Tileston came from the Foote family and later married John Boies Tileston. Along with her devotional collections, she also edited and compiled poetry, prayers, hymns, and memorial volumes, showing a gift for selecting and arranging writings meant to comfort, encourage, and inspire readers.
Though she is not widely known today as a single-author literary figure, her books had a long life because they served as companions for reflection rather than passing fashion. She died in 1934, leaving behind a body of work that reflects a deep interest in spiritual reading and the art of thoughtful compilation.