satisfy one of the two girls, and be remembered by her, the other would commence an argument, which would be a mere waste of breath so far as any convincing is concerned; for if her eyes gave her no pain at the time, or she felt no ill effects from stooping, nothing would convince her that one was dangerous or the other ruinous.

Then, again, there are many mothers most sincerely desirous to govern their children judiciously, who have poor health, large families, few if any domestics, and all the care of soul, body, and clothing come upon the mother. Now, if such a mother is careful to keep her patience, to make no unnecessary requirements, or lay no unnecessary restrictions upon her children she may safely require her children to obey, giving no reasons at the time, and suffering not a word of argument; but afterwards, and more at leisure, her reasons might be given-and the act being performed, there would be no chance for an argument on the child's part. Of all odious habits in a child, we know of nothing more disagreeable than the standing, hat in hand, in the middle of the room, or in the doorway, arguing and trying to gainsay an elder who has made a proper requirement.

As a general rule, the brightest children are the most difficult to convince. They always see loop-holes of escape; if it were a prison wall which was threatening them, they would pick through it with an imaginary nail; but still, if the mother educates her child herself, has leisure to reason with him, and large resources to draw from, we think she might well cultivate his reasoning powers in this way,-if he shows any inclination to listen attentively and conform after being convinced. Alas! for the little ones who are given over to nursery-maids and servants, ignorant and superstitious as they usually are. Far better off are the children of the busy mother who has to "turn them off," and has no time to talk with them except on Sunday, if she only spends that Sunday leisure on heart and brain, instead of the dress of her little flock.

Further, say some of the teachers, "You must make the children obey by love; you must appeal to their hearts and understandings." So say we; but suppose they will not obey them? You must not whipthat is barbarous; you must not shut them up that would frighten them; you must not send them to bed without their suppers-that would injure their health. In fact, there must be no "coercion." Now, excepting the children in memoirs (who are all dead, or their memoirs would not have been written,) where are the children who are to be made always obedient by appeals to their hearts and understandings ? We have had quite a large share of experience with children, and love them dearly, but alas! for poor human nature, we must admit that we have seen few children who would not rather have their own way than

anybody else's way, unless convincing arguments were occasionally brought to bear upon the senses; though, in a majority of cases, we think the necessity of punishment, especially corporal punishment, arises from early bad management. A well-managed child of ordinary proclivities for what is good, ought to be controllable by reason and love as early as six or seven years of age; but if the first two or three years are lost, it is hard to undo the mischief.

However, no instructor or adviser can give rules which will work well in all cases. Every mother knows that for one persuasion is best, for another firm requirements; but for all, a mother's own personal interest and oversight are invaluable ;—so let her heart be brave to take up its appointed task, and fit her jewels, so far as possible, for their immortal setting. H. W.

LAODICEAN YOUNG MEN.

We have been speaking of young men of fair moral principles and of good character-not of the vicious and the insolent. It would be almost as useless to expostulate with these as it would be to try and teach a crab to fly. They have no desire either to speak or to act to any good purpose. Unfortunately, it cannot be said of them that they are "from long continued silence hoarse," for they talk glibly enough on the political and social questions of the day. It is certainly not a dumb devil by which they are possessed. It would be a happy circumstance if it were so, and we should not wish to see it exorcised unless we could be sure that a spirit of sense and reverence were ready to take its place. They have what they are pleased to call opinions, and they express them with as much fluency as flippancy. They shake their heads with an air of wisdom as profound as if they were curls of Jupiter. They look as wise as the owl that sat on the shoulders of Pallas, and they are as wise and no wiser. You hear them uttering decisive dogmas on the gravest and most intricate questions. Where the gravest statesmen speak with diffidence, these wise-acres rejoice in a confidence not far removed from a sense of infallibility. They "rush on where angels fear to tread." They withdraw the cigar from their hardly hirsute lips to emit opinions on men and things which are only not mischievous, because like the smoke that accompanies them they pass unheeded into space. They are as learned, in their own esteem, in the most difficult problems of politics as they are in the rules of billiards or of whist. They are hopeful candidates for that sad condition in which it may be said of them,

"they have no shame, neither can they blush." They are destitute of reverence. They are without belief in greatness, or in goodness, as though they measured every man by their own standard. In one respect however, they do not attribute to others the qualities they themselves possess, for while they regard most other men as fools, they complacently look upon themselves as Solomons unappreciated. Philanthrophy and disinterestedness of every kind are to them but forms of hypocrisy. The lowest motives are assigned to nearly every prominent character.. They dismiss with a sneer the conclusion of able reasoners, and the sneer is not original, but borrowed from the pages of the Standard, or of Blackwood. It is said that the sea tortoise can live without brains, but the phenomenon is evidently wider than naturalists have supposed.-Free Churchman.

ACTION, THE SOUL OF LIFE.

WHILST the stream keeps running, it keeps clear; but if it once comes to a standing water, then it breeds toads and frogs and all manner of filth. The keys that men keep in their pockets, and use every day, wax brighter and brighter; but if they be laid aside, and hang by the walls, they soon grow rusty. Thus it is that action is the very life of the soul. Whilst we keep going and running in the way of God's commandments we keep clear and free from the world's pollutions; but if we once flag in our dilligence and stand still, oh, what a puddle of sin will the heart be! How rusty and useless will the graces grow! How unserviceable for God's worship, how unfit for man's, by reason of the many spiritual diseases that will invade the soul! Just like scholars that are for the most part given to a sedentary life, whose bodies are more exposed to ill humours than any others; whereas they whose livelihoods lie in a handicraft trade are always in motion and stirring, so that the motion expels the ill humours that they cannot seize upon the body; so in the soul, the less that any man acts in the matter of its concernment, the more spiritual diseases and infirmities will grow in it; whereas the more active and industrious men are, the less power will ill distempers have upon them.-Spencer.

MINISTERIAL DEVELOPMENT.

IF a young minister wishes to work for Christ, he will find enough labour in any field to task his powers of mind and heart; but if one thinks of improving himself more than of winning souls to Christ, he is likely soon to lose both earnestness and power. Dr. Brainerd tells the

following story:-" We once introduced a young minister to a missionary congregation in the suburbs of a great city. The people were highly pleased with him, and invited him to settle among them. H9 came to consult me on the subject. As he was an unmarried man, he regarded the salary as adequate. He had no fault to find with the number, the attendance, the attention and interest of the occasion. I urged him to give an affirmative answer. He hesitated. I am afraid,' said he, it is not the place for me to develop myself,' alluding to the plainness of the people. I replied: 'It is an excellent place to develop the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; but I know not whether it is the place for you to develop yourself.' He left the field, and has since 'developed himself' by giving up the ministry. He that exalteth himself shall be abased.' The little congregation, under the labours of better and purer men, also developed' itself into one of the most numerous, intelligent, affluent churches in the land. Are there not other young ministers corroding in idleness, rejecting difficult fields, and waiting for a place to develop themselves ?" "

LOOKING OUT FOR SLIGHTS.

THERE are some people always looking out for slights. They cannot pay a visit, they cannot even receive a friend, they cannot carry on the daily intercourse of the family without suspecting some offence is designed. They are as touchy as hair-triggers. If they meet an acquaintance in the street, who happens to be pre-occupied with business, they attribute his abstraction to some motive personal to themselves, and take umbrage accordingly. They lay on others the fault of their own irritability. A fit of indigestion makes them see impertinence in everybody they come in contact with. Innocent persons, who never dreamed of giving offence, are astonished to find some unfortunate word, or some momentary taciturnity, mistaken for an insult.

contrary, we Let a person

To say the least, the habit is unfortunate. It is far wiser to take the more charitable view of our fellow-beings, and not suppose a slight intended, unless the neglect is open and direct. After all, too, life takes its hue, in a great degree, from the colour of our own mind. If we are frank and generous, the world treats us kindly. If, on the are suspicious, men learn to be cold and cautious to us. get the reputation of being touchy, and everybody is under more or less restraint; and in this way the chances of an imaginary offence are vastly increased. People who fire up easily miss a deal of happiness. Their jaundiced tempers destroy their own comfort, as well as that of their friends. They have for ever some fancied slight to brood over. The sunny, serene contentment of less selfish dispositions never visits them.

BORROWING AND LENDING.

BORROW and lend in ceaseless strife,
In every land and every clime:
The shuttle moves, and works of life
Are woven in the loom of time.
We borrow health where nature stands
Dispensing from her ample store,
We take the blessings at her hand,

And reason can demand no more.
But when disease the debt demands
For broken laws of heart or head,
We trust that prayer or physic stands
To save us from the foe we dread.
Our borrowed azote from the trees

Supplies the greatest want we know,
Our breath is scattered on the breeze
With carbon for the trees to grow.
To generous Earth we ler.d the seed
In payment for our borrowed grain,
As nature prompts us to the deed,

We thank her for the sun and rain.
We gather fruits our fathers sow,

And grateful for the rich bequest, We drop our seed for those we owe, And nature will perform the rest.

Our net is thrown to gather wealth,

That floats unguarded in the stream,
We lend in payment broken health,
While dotage fondles o'er the dream.
We borrow learning for the power

To wrestle for the meed of fame,
We lend to Earth each passing hour,
To grasp the record of a name.
We roam the Earth for pleasures rare,
That often are too dearly bought,
While mental powers are left to share
The conflict in the realm of thought.

We borrow hope, to stem the tide

That bears us forward to the grave, We find no aid in human pride,

Though wrestling with the fates to save. From Holy Writ we borrow light

To guide us o'er the earthly way, We lend our faith without the sight, In trust to find the brighter day.

All life is borrowed from above-
The mortal pays beneath the sod.
We borrow spirit-life of love,

And leave a sinful heart to God.