which can justly operate against continued exertion; for however much a man knows, there are always things unknown, whilst the powers of mental acquisition are as enduring as life. It is always possible for the wise man to learn something from others; their blunders may encourage him; their successes stimulate; from their follies and ignorance he may gather knowledge; and, by observing their stumblings, learn how to guide his own steps. The first object aimed at is "to encourage thought."

It is an honour and a blessing to be enabled to think. There is something in the silent processes of the mind, which, to a man who turns his eye inward, is as marvellous as are any of the wonders of the outer world. And when a man can be led to think so as to realize the fruits of his thinking, as he contemplates the actual creations of his own mind, there is a pure pleasure in the very idea of such progress, in the very exercise of the faculties themselves. For as a man in the full vigour of physical life rejoices in the buoyancy of health, and in the free play of limb, so a man, whose mind is in healthy action, will exult in the consciousness of his powers. One object, then, in meeting for discussion is, that mind may stir up mind, and in the healthy stimulus of mutual inquiry, thought may become free and spontaneous, and men may realize themselves in their awakened and active energies. There needs no proof of the proposition, that mind bears in itself the proof of its own purposes, and demands exercise and freedom that it may live.

Again, a second purpose is, that "thought may learn how to express itself." Those unaccustomed to the enunciation of their own opinions are unaware of the help to thought itself which every attempt to put it into shape affords; but it is true that when a man sees his own thoughts struggling into life, clothed in words, the very effort to bring them forth imparts a vitality to mind itself. A man who should be condemned to perpetual silence would be ignorant of his own powers of articulation; and every faculty of mind receives stimulus in proportion to the efforts made to communicate the results of its activity. Free speech, then, is one of our objects, partly because of the advantages gained by mutual intercourse, partly because of the reflex influence of such efforts upon the powers of thought themselves. Let a man try to shape the thought that is in him; let him resolutely determine to say what he has to say, and no more, and he will find the effort he must necessarily make so to do, operating beneficially upon himself. We may often understand ourselves better through our efforts to impress our thoughts upon others; and as we bring forth our own conclusions one by one, we have the advantage of looking them severally in the face, and of cultivating much closer acquaintance with them than we should were they to be locked up within the chambers of our own souls; whilst if we desire to fulfil the duties of life, the ability to set forth our opinion before others will add to our power and influence. Some, perhaps, might object, and say, Nay, we don't want a nation of talkers; let us have workers rather." I know

there is much in this objection, just because there is much empty talk in the world; but then talk is work after all, and proper talk stimulates men to work, and the greatest of all benefactors are those who, by the power of speech, can rouse other men to action and daily toil for life and home, inspiring them with a love for duty, and a desire to achieve a glorious destiny. There is, indeed, much wasted speech, much murdering of language, as well as utterance of crude thought. These can be pardoned if they occur in the process of working out success, but not when they result from the foolish attempt of men to perform a task for which they are endowed neither by nature nor grace. The blunders of a self-educator may be pardoned, but the follies of a fool, whose way is right in his own eyes, are despicable. Perhaps it is as common a thing to meet with pretenders now-a-days as anything else. There are many who are but skimmers of books, and who, by an unlucky fatality, seem never to get the cream; others who know the outsides of books better than their contents, who know topics better than the ideas written respecting them. Now, by reason of a law of vanity, which impels men sometimes to advertise their own folly, the Discussion Society becomes the arena for such, and mere blatant talk usurps the place of truthful, thoughtful speech. I would not be mistaken here, so as to lead any to think that only the wise should be members of such associations. Nay. We want the learners, and don't object to the ignorant who pretend to be teachers. We do not object to blundering speech if it be that of one seeking for something better, aiming at something higher. The child creeps and crawls, tumbles about, and bruises itself often before it learns to walk, and must needs do so; it has to struggle into active life, and so, with many contortions and zigzag progresses, it advances.

So will mental vigour and maturity come, and the soul has its infancy, its reverses alternating with success, ere manhood be attained. Here, then, is the arena; here we meet to tell that which is within us,-to indicate our attainments in knowledge, and, by submitting our thoughts to the criticisms of others, see them in various lights, and estimate their value. The sympathy thus evoked will be useful in stimulating the efforts we must put forth, will have a reflex influence, and our mental strength will increase. Besides these advantages, meeting thus, we gain the opportunity of criticism. Let it be noted that criticism is not equivalent with fault-finding; any man's capacity is equal to the latter, but it is not every man who is capable of being a critic. This requires discrimination enough to detect beauties, which are not always as glaring as faults, -keen-sightedness enough to occupy the stand-points of the writer, and note that which he has overlooked. Let it not be supposed that an evening is spent in vain in a Discussion Society, where there has been nothing said to which we can object. We shall not find ourselves best able to build ourselves up by pulling others down; objecting to the wrong thoughts of others does not necessarily furnish us with right ones. At best, it may only serve to corroborate those

we already possess. But to acquire must be our aim as well as to defend. And again, may we not substantiate ourselves in the possession of any truth, as much by listening to the cogent expression of it by another, as by refuting its opposite? To criticize well, we must analyze and amplify that which we have before us, follow out the train of thought suggested, and estimate its relations and consequences. Thus, to enforce a truth, as well as to refute an error, becomes the work of the Discussion Society. This follows from the consideration of the ultimate end in view, viz., the realization of truth. This could not be done by a man who was always in the combative mood, who saw a possible adversary in every essayist, and a snake in the grass in every sentence. Truth, and freedom by the truth, are the things we should aim at, and in every blow we aim, strike for truth's sake, rather than for victory. It is not enough that we plod our little round of daily toil, that we exercise our intellect merely in gathering our daily bread; we are not beings with bodily wants merely, though some seem to consider their souls as little worth, except for bread purposes. They forget the ancient truth, "that man shall not, cannot live by bread alone." Duty and privilege unite in the work of mental progress. It cannot be a matter of option, whether a man employ his powers, and make the best and the most of them. It seems incumbent, from the very fact of their possession. And yet how few cherish aims and cultivate habits in full harmony with the capacities they possess. They suffer them to lie dormant, or use them only for base and ignoble ends. This should not be. Let it not be so with us. Let us fix upon some field in which we can labour, some subject which we can master. Let us realize the freedom which is in thought. Little need be said about the methods of obtaining the objects specified. The methods of truth-seeking must reveal themselves to us by patient thought; our ingenuity will develop as we think, our wisdom will grow with the opportunities we give it. Evidently enough, we cannot have thoughts unless we think, nor utter them unless we try. To criticize aright demands not so much knowledge as a clear eye, not pre-arranged and settled opinion so much as capacity for judging well the opinions we hear. Thought, vigour, progress, will not come to us unsought, will not woo us in our leisure hours, nor distil sweetly upon us, do we rest at ease.

Let us beware of a vagrant mind, wandering everywhere, yet gathering honey nowhere. The necessary business of our daily life will partially unfit us oftentimes for other kind of thinking; yet let us look upon the world as ours, and step out of the little daily circle of our labour life. If we have opportunity for meeting where others gather to discuss their thoughts, let us give our contribution, though it be small as the widow's mite. "From little beginnings come great endings," the old proverb says. Thinkers, orators, critics, all have had their little spheres, ere the great world's ear has been open to their voice; but in the end, the circumference of their opportunities has increased. Without, then, being buoyed up with vain or

factitious hopes, let us not deem ourselves fated to run in the common ruts, but making for the open field before us, let our steps be guided by wisdom and stimulated by hope. Methods, then, I say, must be discovered by us. General principles only can be laid down. Let us not be afraid of thinking. There are other kinds of cowardice than physical. Let our intercourse be free and frank. Let us be outspoken and fearless, condemning and acquitting, as conscience and reason command. Then our efforts will not be fruitless. The play of thought, the interchange of opinion, the flow of sympathy, the exchange of feeling, will tend to oneness in the cause of truth, will remove the isolation of silence, and develop the idea, and realize the fact of fraternity. D. W.

The Reviewer.

Self-Help, with Illustrations of Character and Conduct. By SAMUEL SMILES. London: John Murray. Price 6s.

WE have here a new book on an old subject, written in a very interesting style, and replete with wholesome counsels and invigo rating examples. Mr. Smiles is already favourably known to many of our readers as the author of that excellent Biography of George Stephenson, of which it is enough to say, that it is now in its fifth edition.

The popular proverb, which declares example to be more powerful than precept, expresses a fact which gives to biography its great value, and renders the lives of conspicuous men so powerful in affecting, for good or evil, the characters of others. Susceptibility to this kind of influence is one of the special characteristics of youth, and this should ever be borne in mind by all who seek to stimulate them in a course of self-culture, or to acts of benevolence and philanthropy. This consideration appears to have had due weight with Mr. Smiles, and hence his judicious precepts are profusely illustrated by the most interesting and stimulating facts. It is of great importance that, in the sweet tones of persuasion, the young should be urged to strive after intellectual attainments and social advancement; but it is essential that our appeals should be backed by reference to the examples of those who, starting from the lowest positions, have carried on their efforts to the most successful issues. There is something contagious in example; and we feel convinced that what to others once in our condition has be come actual, is possible to us. It is this that has given to some second class books so much value, and made mere compilations of facts more productive of good than many a learned treatise. That well-known work, "The Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties," presents a case in point; for the beneficial effect its perusal has had

on hundreds of youthful artisans can scarcely be over-estimated; and many a man who now occupies a position high in honour and influence has attained it through that ardour which was first excited by its pages. To say that "Self-Help" is worthy of being regarded as a companion volume to the "Pursuit of Knowledge," would be no faint praise; but it is this, and much more; for it belongs to a higher grade of composition, has far greater literary merits, and will exert, if possible, a more healthy tendency,

The origin of this book may be told in the author's own words.

"Some fifteen years since, the author was requested to deliver an address before the members of some evening classes, which had been formed in a northern town for mutual improvement, under the following circumstances:

"Two or three young men of the humblest rank resolved to meet in the winter evenings, for the purpose of improving themselves by exchanging knowledge with each other. Their first meetings were held in the room of a cottage in which one of the members lived; and, as others shortly joined them, the place soon became inconveniently filled. When summer set in, they adjourned to the cottage garden outside; and the classes were then held in the open air, round a little boarded hut used as a garden house, in which those who officiated as teachers set the sums, and gave forth the lessons of the evening When the weather was fine, the youths might be seen, until a late hour, hanging round the door of the hut like a cluster of bees; but sometimes a sudden shower of rain would dash the sums from their slates, and disperse them for the evening unsatisfied.

"Winter, with its cold nights, was drawing near, and what were they to do for shelter? Their numbers had by this time so increased, that no roon of an ordinary cottage could accommodate thein. But they were youths of pluck, and determined to go forward with the work they had taken in hand. They resolved, therefore, to hire a room; and, on making inquiry, they found a large, dingy apartment to let, which had been used as a temporary cholera hospital. No tenant could be found for the place, which was avoided as if the plague still clung to it. But the mutual improvement youths, nothing daunted, hired the cholera room, lit it up, placed a few benches and a deal table in it, and began their winter classes. The place soon presented a busy and cheerful appearance in the evenings. The teaching may have been, as no doubt it was, of a very rude and imperfect sort; but it was done with a will. Those who knew a little taught those who knew less-improving themselves while they improved others; and, at all events, setting before thein a good working example. Thus these youths-and there were also grown men amongst them-proceeded to teach themselves and each other, reading and writing, arithmetic and geography; and even mathematics, chemistry, and some of the modern languages.

"About a hundred young men had thus come together, when, growing ambitious, they desired to have lectures delivered to them; and then it was the author became acquainted with their proceedings. A party of them waited on him, for the purpose of inviting him to deliver an introductory address, or, as they expressed it, to talk to them a bit,' prefacing the request by a modest statement of what they had done and what they were doing. He could not fail to be touched by the adinirable self-helping spirit which they had displayed; and, though entertaining but slight faith in popular lecturing, he felt that a few words of encouragement, honestly and sincerely uttered, might not be without some good effect. And in this spirit he addressed them on more than one occasion, citing examples of what other men had done, as illustrations of what each might, in a greater or less degree, do for himself; and pointing out that their happiness and well-being as individuals in after