arrive at honors, then to retire. Thus, although the whole life is allowed by everyone to be short, the several divisions of it appear long and tedious.

The Remedy: "The social virtues may give employment to the most industrious temper, and find a man in business more than the most active station in life.

To advise the ignorant, relieve the needy, comfort the afflicted, are duties that fall in our way almost every day of our lives. The remedy has reference to quality.

The Ethics of Observation: Our duty is to observe those passing events as well as to study those great events that will serve to enlarge our experience in regard to what will be useful to ourselves and others.

This forbids wasting time upon the observation of things unimportant or frivolous; not that all in every station in life are bound to give particular attention to the same things. The range of observation must be measured in part by the work we have marked out for ourselves, our calling, our employment in life.

To the prince proud of his success as a charioteer, and looking for praise: “Expect no praise from me,' his sire replied; "the skill that guides the chariotwheel back in its own self-same track-that skill, if well applied, would rule a State."

The events of the times and the signs of the times should be noticed, that we may be prepared to act intelligently when the time for action oc

curs.

The Ethics of Taste and Culture: While the study of the fine arts-music, painting, sculpture and poetry has a humanizing effect and is an important element in man's moral and religious education, one feature of its ethic-character is in the fact that a relish for the study of the fine arts and polite literature is a source of innocent amusement, unbends the mind wearied in the ordinary pursuits of life and professional toil, and counteracts all tendency to coarse and vulgar pleasures.

The many advantages to be derived from cultivation of taste are admirably exhibited by Dr. Hugh Blair in his Lectures on Rhetoric:

Decision of Character: This means a readiness in determining what we will do. Decision and indecision depend upon the energy of the will, and that largely upon the influences brought to bear upon it.

Napoleon I was of quick perception and judgment. This, in conjunction with a willing mind to act in accord therewith, produced instant and habitual decision, decision of character. This he manifested at the beginning of his career, thus: "October 4, 1795, he received the command of the garrison of Paris, and the next day he cleared the streets with grapeshot; pursued the rioters into their hiding places; disbanded the national guard; disarmed the populace, and ended the French Revolution."

The same decision marked his victorious career. His power of combination won the battle before it was fought.

George Washington was not so quick in judgment; but his judgments were in a much higher de

gree modified and fortified by moral considerations; hence the end of his career was in accord with that of a true man; and will forever shine with a halo of light, while Napoleon's star went down in darkness at midday.

A high moral element must be conjoined to quick intellectual faculties to secure a decision of character fruitful in good works. Great men have not a monopoly of these qualities; they often adorn men and women in the humbler walks of life, and it is the duty of everyone to attain, so far as is practicable, to this valuable kind of decision by cultivating his judgment-faculties and moral perceptions. Decision of character distinguishes any young man who is able to deny all allurements to intemperance or to any other vice.

Discipline: What we do should be well done. This is a primal maxim in mental and also in military discipline. Napoleon I was exacting in military drill and reviews. Not anything unsoldierlike escaped his eye, even to a missing button on a man's

coat.

In every department of duty a habit of slovenly work is to be deprecated. It will follow us through life, and in a measure defeat the ends of it.

To do good work we need do one thing at a time, so as to have the mind on it till it is done; otherwise time is lost in passing from one thing to another, and your work will go back on you; for you cannot at once again enter upon it, under the favoring circumstances you left it in.

There are, of course, exceptions to this general

rule; yet there needs to be a plan of work and duty for efficiency in execution. "Make hay while the sun shines" is an old and wise maxim. We must be on the lookout for the right opportunity to accomplish a desired result.

Hence attention to passing events is necessary to

success.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."

We may be sure that in so far as we fail to discipline ourselves by our wits, we shall be disciplined by misfortune, suffering and punishment.

42. PARENTAL DUTIES.-Parental authority is founded in the loving relation of the father and mother to the child, as the authors of its beinghence cannot in all respects be defined by any certain rule or law. Affection under the guide of care and wisdom makes the rule.

The old Roman law gave to the father the power of life and death over his child; but there is no law in nature for this unwarranted exercise of power. The function of civil law is rather to limit the abuse of parental authority and government; for the parent himself, if ill-bred and not under self-restraint, may exceed his right. It is evident he has no right to require his child to do anything morally wrong, nor to constrain its conscience, though the conscience may be instructed.

In general, the parent should exercise a firm rule; not necessarily a harsh. one. A kind manner

makes home for the child pleasant; and this is a great restraint against the allurements of bad companions on the street. But when loving words and deeds fail, severity must be used-even the rod of correction.

Children, too, have rights as well as parents-the right to credit for truth till forfeited by habitual falsehood. By doubting words and looks, the truthful child may be taught deception. Patience is a needful duty hard to exercise about the little trials of the tired and cross child, when the parent also is weary from the real duties of the day; but patience then may become a virtue,

Scripture best sums up the duties of parent and child: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6: 1.)

A very important parental duty is in guarding the youth against the corrupting influences of bad companions, immoral literature and pictures. The evil ways of bad boys are numerous, and for many a youth the descent into them is easy. There are honorable exceptions; boys and young men to whom vice is so repulsive that they cannot be induced to follow in her train. But this scripture is true: “Evil communications corrupt good manners." And it is also true that when evil thoughts and speech and bad habits have once obtained a foothold, it is not easy to obtain the mastery over them.

A ready perception of right and wrong, and a prompt determination to the right, will not be found