dishonorable practice, soon gains a reputation far from being enviable or desirable--he is ranked in that class who are 66 not to be believed when they speak the truth." Avoid this habit as ungentlemanly and wicked—as only calculated to bring upon you the distrust and disrespect of society. While its mark is upon you, no one will confide in you or esteem you. Let all your communications be characterized by strict truth and integrity. A name well established for veracity, will minis ter much to your enjoyments, both in a moral and a pecuniary point of view.

Benevolence should also be established, as one of the leading principles of your character. This heavenly characteristic is enjoined by religion, morality and the condition of mankind. In every community, there are the rich and the poor—the prosperous and the unfortunate—those who are surrounded by plenty, and those who are pinched by want. Should your condition fortunately be the former, forget not those who are involved in the difficulties of the latter; but impart to them a portion of your means, and your kindness will not go unrewarded.

By benevolence I do not mean the giving alone to some mammoth institution, or the support of some popular scheme whose field of labor is far distant. It is to be feared that improper motives induce too many to bestow their means on these projects, and that there is more wrong feeling indulged in thus giving, than in withholding. The

benevolence which I would particularly recommend, is more of a home character—more of a domestic virtue. It is that emotion of pity and kindness, by which your ear will be open to the petition of distress at your own door, and your hand be made ready to relieve the wants of the poor in your immediate vicinity! These should be attended to first. If you still possess the means, you can then widen the circle of your benevolence. And permit me to say, that even a little, given to hush the orphan's wail and dry the widow's tears—to cause the smile of plenty to pervade the abodes of penury and want—is a sacrifice upon the altar of benevolence, the incense of which will arise far higher toward the throne of infinite Goodness, than thousands publicly lavished upon some popular scheme, to accomplish you know not what! Allow benevolence to be your pervading characteristic—be the friend of the friendless, the protector of the weak and defenceless, the patron of the deserving poor--and you will realise how sweet is the truth of the Scripture declaration—" It is more blessed to give, than to receive."

19*

CHAPTER X.

STABILITY OF PURPOSE.

The minds of men differ in no respect more wide, than in stability of purpose. While some are stable and firm, their movements characterised by cautiousness and decision, others are equally remarkable for lack of foresight and firmness— incapable of forming a decision from patient research and investigation, and unable to abide by any decision, however formed, for any reasonable length of time. This latter failing is very unfortunate. "A man without decision, can never be said to belong to himself; since, if he dared to assert that he did, the puny force of some cause, about as powerful, you would have supposed, as a spider, may make a capture of the hapless boaster the very next moment, and triumphantly exhibit the futility of the determinations by which he was to have proved the independence of his understanding and his will. He belongs to whatever can seize him; and innumerable things do actually verify their claim on him, and arrest

him as he tries to go along; as twigs and chips, floating near the edge of a river, are intercepted by every weed, and whirled in every little eddy. Having concluded on a design, he may, pledge himself to accomplish it—if the hundred diversities of feeling which may come within the week, will let him. As his character precludes all foresight of his conduct, he may sit and wonder what form and direction his views and actions are destined to take to-morrow; as a farmer has often to acknowledge the next day's proceedings are at the disposal of its winds and clouds."*

How often do we discover people of this character—generally denominated "fickle minded." They are seldom satisfied with their present condition or employment—preferring almost any other situation to the one they happen to occupy, and any other business to that in which they are engaged. Their minds are usually filled with some new and wonderful project, or employed in unfolding some magnificent discovery, which they believe will astonish the world, and bring inexhaustible wealth into their possession. Such people are generally industrious—not, however, in that steady application to useful business, which will in time yield a certain reward—but in building stupendous and beautiful "castles in the air," which are reared this hour, only to be demolished the next!

*Foster's Essays.

The "fickle-minded" man is not satisfied with doing well—he is not willing to "let well alone"— and his mind is constantly engaged in devising schemes to do better! In entering a new occupation, he looks at every thing through the medium of an ardent imagination. He believes he shall realise speedy and abundant wealth from his change of employment; and for a season he is industrious and persevering. But at length the gildings of the imagination become effaced by sober reality; and when he discovers the true nature of his business—its actual advantages and disadvantages—it almost invariably falls short of his expectations; and his industry slackens, his energy fails--he becomes discouraged, and abandons his occupation for some new scheme, which more than probably, will also flatter him for a season, and again end in disappointment. And the man 66 wonders how all the embarrassments in the world happen to meet exactly in his way, to place him in those situations for which he is peculiarly unadapted, and which he is also willing to think no other man could have acted with such facility or confidence. Incapable of setting up a firm purpose on the basis of things as they are, he is often employed in vain speculations on some different supposable state of things, which would have saved him from all his perplexity and irresolution." People who give way to this instability, can not prosper to any extent. They are constantly liable to be deceived and involved in