GOOD WORDS. &

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 209, 12 July 1878, Page 2

GOOD WORDS.

Character is always known. Thefts never enrich ; alms never impoverish ; murder will speak out of "stone walls. The atheist, vainly seeking" God through nature, .is like the shadow denying' the existence of the sun because it never sees ir. There never did and there never will exist anything' permanently noble and excellent in the character which is a stranger to the existence of a resolute self-denial. Moral eduealion is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing- army, If we retrench the wages of the schoolmaster, we must raise those of the recruiting-sergeant. — Everett. Tho faults of a fool are concealed from himself, while they are evident to the world ; on tbe otherhand, the faults of the wise man are well know to himself while they are masked over and invisible to the world. The man who lives right and is right has more power in his silenco than another who lives differently has by his words. Character is like bells which ring out sweet, music, and which, when touched aocidently even, resound with sweet music. Life has such hard conditions that every dear and precious gift, every rare virtue, every pleasant faculty, every genial endowment, love, hope, joy, wit, sprightlineas, benevolence, must sometimes he put into the crucible to distil the one elixir — patience. No one who- has the charge of the young can be too careful in preventing the daily recurrence of, apparently, the most insignificant irregularities, for, allowed to- day, they come with a little ' more strength to-morrow, and after a few more " to-morrows " become fixed characteristics for life. ! The least admixture of a lie — for j example, the smallest mixture of vanity, the least attempt to make a good impression, a favourable appearance — - will instantly vitiate the effect; but speak the truth, and all nature and all spirits help you with unexpected furtherance. — Emerson. To consolidate, methodise, and completo what has been most successfully begun in former years — to turn theory into practice— to attack with vigour the great task of life — to cast out old evils, and, by grace, to exhibit a holy character — these are the duties of him ' who is growing old. The whole prospect is "deeply serious, though it need not be alarming. 1 The instincts of the heart are very • true. There are eyes that are like no r other eyes to us when we first meet them. There are voices that, having been once heard, haunt our dreams. All the cool reasoning in the world is ' worthless when compared to the signs i and tokens with which reason has . nothing to do — which say to us, " He has come," or " She is here." It was finely said by Socrates that • the shortest and most direct road to ' popularity is " for a man to be tho • same tliat he wishes to be taken for." People are egreginusly mistaken if they think they can ever attain to permanent popularity by hypocrisy, by mere outside appearances, and by disguising not only their language but their looks. True popularity takes deep root, and spreads itself wide ; but the false fall, away like blossoms ; for nothing that is false cau be lasting. All the generations of mankind are passing over the earth swiftly, one wave of them after another breaking on the shores of eternity. But it is not like the wild waves of the _ea, that leave no more than a little foam or a few weeds on the barren strand. Generations- fall rather like leaves of the forest • trees strewn by the autumnal winds ; but a3 they perish they leave behind them on the soil a fertilising power, from whicli other trees grow to live in the light of other summers, and to battle with the winds of other winters. A proper and judicious system of reading ia of the highest importance.' Two things in perusing the mental labours of others — namely, not read too much, and to pay great attention to the nature ol what you read. Many persons peruse books for the express and avowed purpose of'consaming time ; and this class of readers forms by far the majority of what are termed the " reading public." Others, again, read with the laudable anxiety of being made wiser; and when this object is not attained the disappointment may generally* be attributed to the habit either of reading too much or of paying insufficient attention to tthat falls under their notice. Very few men can bear prosperity. Tt intoxicates them, like wine. . It turns their head, and throws them off their balance. Others cannot bear adversity. They have no fortitude, no courage, no hope. They are not like the old sailor who said he always felt happiest in the height of a storm, because he knew then that the next change that took place, whatever it might be, must necessarily be for the better. They cannot realise that there will be any change. When the sky is once clouded and overcast they will not believe that the sun will ever shine again. Young men should make it a point to keep their heads cool under all changes of circumstances, to preserve their equanimity, and not to be unduly elated by success or too much cast down by disappointment.