HINTS TO HUSBANDS.

We know not who grouped together the following very judicious hints to husbands, but they are well worth careful study:

Avoid unnecessarily contradicting your wife. When we smell at a rose it is to imbibe the sweetness of its odor; we likewise look for anything that is amiable in man. Whoever is often contradicted feels an insensible aversion for the person who contradicts.

Never take upon yourself to be a censor upon your wife's morals, nor read lectures to her, except affectionately. Let your preaching be a good example, and practice virtue yourself to make her in love' with it.

Command her attention by being always attentive to her; never exact anything from her that you would not be willing that she should require from you; appear always flattered by the little she does for you, which will excite her to kind offices.

When a woman gives wrong counsel, never make her feel that she has done so, but lead her on by degrees to what seems rational, with mildness and gentleness; when she is convinced, leave her all the merit of having found out what was just and reasonable.

Choose well your male friends; have but few, and be cautious of following their advice in all matters, particularly if inimical to the foregoing instructions.

Never be curious unnecessarily to pry into your wife's concerns, but obtain her confidence by that which, at all times, you repose in her. Always preserve order and economy; avoid being out of temper, and be careful never to scold. By this means she will find her own house more pleasant than any other.

Seem always to obtain information from her, especially before company, though you may pass yourself for a simpleton. Never forget that a husband owes his importance to that of his wife; if he degrades her he injures himself. Leave her entirely mistress of her action, to go and come whenever she thinks fit.

HINTS TO WIVES.

Now that you have won a husband, give more, not less, attention to your personal appearance and bearing. If it required care in

these respects to command the admiration of a lover, how much more in order to hold the respect and affection of your most intimate and constant companion.

If your husband should occasionally appear troubled over his business affairs, do not greet him when he comes into your presence, with "What is the matter, Charlie?" "Are you sick?" "What has happened?" and the like. Be composed on your part, and allow him to be. If he is silent and thoughtful, you, in turn, be observant and quiet. When he is inclined to talk, you can get all needed information, and impart solid comfort or encouragement as well.

An experienced husband has written a hint : "Don't let a shirtbutton be found missing. An absent shirt-button has not infrequently produced the first hurricane in married life. Men's shirt collars seldom fit exactly. See that your husband's are made as well as possible, and then, if he does fret a little about them, never mind it; men have a prescriptive right to fret about shirt collars."

Fret not because your husband of a year pores much over his newspaper. What would a man be without a newspaper? Think how many bad husbands and bad wives newspapers have exposed, and be thankful that your husband has opportunity to get a fair warning. Moreover, when the newspaper is out of your husband's hands, see that it is in yours, and prepare yourself to converse with him on current topics. Wives are no longer required to learn everything from their husbands. "Keep yourself posted.”

There is an old tradition that wives always have the last word. Of course, it is not true, but see that in your case, at least, the contrary is a conspicuous fact. If the husband is right, it were a great error to oppose him. If he is wrong, he will discover it sooner or later, and applaud the self-command which bore unvexed his pertinacity.

Be happy yourself, and you will make your home happy. You are the sun in your own house. If you shine not, there is no light in that domestic system. Let your light shine, and your husband and children, like planets around you, will reflect your

rays.

CHILDREN.

Children in our homes are blessed little ministers.

Who can tell of all the sweet life which bubbles up from their hearts. "Can we measure," inquires Mrs. Margaret A. Paine, from whose pen we subjoin two or three paragraphs, "can we measure the song of a bird, or define the aroma of flowers? And yet the bird enchants us, and the gentle flowers delight us. So we feel the sweet influence of children in our homes. Their buoyant and rosy health, their artlessness and glee, win for them a place in our hearts which would be void without them. How their wondering souls look confidingly out to ours from their earnest eyes! What glad surprise when new truths dawn on their minds! What strange meanings do their little brains conjure up! It is only in life's sunny dawning that the heart is most fresh, and frank, and confiding. Did you ever notice the introduction of children when they first meet each other? A look and smile, which lights up a returning look and smile from the little stranger, and they are friends. are friends. Love unites those artless souls, and happily it is sealed with a rosy kiss, and perhaps a gurgle of frank words- I like you.'

"Is it not a joy to think of the sweet trust they repose in us? How their little, loving hearts are swayed to grief or glee by one word or glance from us! Ah! the gentle mother knows this as she quietly soothes the impulsive, restless child, or sweetly approves of every little success. How many of us can revert to our childish days, as the time when all sweet affection bud and blossom in the home sunshine? How the dear sympathies of a loving mother have encouraged us in our school-tasks-in our varied little trials! The kind reproof; the patient bearing with our freaks and frolics; the words of cheer; the daily recognition of the divine Father; the little, trusting prayers which our childish lips were taught to repeat; the sweet 'good-night'—all these, and more, are the scenes by which the young soul is fashioned.

"Children, by their sweet sympathies and winning caresses, by their mirth and joy, their merry laugh and frolic, by all that completes the life of careless innocence, are earth's sweetest ministries to the pure life beyond. They give to the troubled and care

worn fresh gleams of a happy and cheerful life. They are earth's angels, winning us back to the heaven from which we have sadly strayed.

"We never meet one of these little ones, not even the ragged children on the street, but we see the angel of love looking out from those bright eyes. God bless them! They are the sweetest episode of life's history. Would that none of human discords might mar them; then would their life-song be one of angel sweetness. But the highest, holiest song which ever enraptured the living soul would be wanting-gratitude for redeeming love! With what passing loveliness has Jesus shown his love for children!-'Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' 'Jesus took a little child and set him in the midst of them, and when he had taken him in his arms he said unto them, Whosoever receiveth one of such children in my name, receiveth me.' Are they not ministers for good? A little child shall lead them.""

Years ago a little poem, entitled "Angels in the House," floated about in the newspapars. We may be mistaken, but it strikes us as one of the gems both of thought and versification. The last stanza is touching:

"Three pairs of dimpled arms, as white as snow,

Held me in soft embrace;

Three little cheeks, like velvet peaches soft,
Were placed against my face.

'Three tiny pairs of eyes, so clear, so deep,
Looked up in mine this even;

Three pairs of lips kissed me a sweet 'good-night,'
Three little forms from heaven.

"Ah! it is well that 'little ones' should love us,
It lights our faith when dim

To know that once our blessed Saviour bade them
Bring 'little ones' to him!

"And said he not, 'Of such is heaven,' and blessed them,
And held them to his breast!

Is it not sweet to know that when they leave us,
"Tis there they go to rest?

"And yet, ye tiny angels of my house,

Three hearts incased in mine!

How 'twould be shattered, if the Lord should say,

'Those angels are not thine!””

Never forget that children have social rights. As one says, “Inalienable and God-given rights; and chief among these are the rights to laugh when they are happy, and to cry when they are unhappy, and to make a noise and break things generally. A healthy child must of necessity be an incessant tiddle-toddle, a perpetual jumpingjack, an inevitable teetotum. It must run, and jump, and scream, and upset the table, and bump its head, and cry, and go at it again. It only flourishes in activity, and to it confinement is stagnation and death. Give your children free scope, therefore, to develop their manifest destiny,' and over-cloud not their youthful horizon with angry eyes and lowering brows, nor turn their joyous notes to discord by your harsh and fretful tones. Said a little boy one morning, 'Oh, mamma! I had such a beautiful dream last night! I dreamed that we were all up in heaven, and were so happy. But by and by grandpa came in looking cross, just as he always does, and said, 'Can't these children stop their noise?' and then we all ran away and were not happy any more; and so my pretty dream about heaven was spoiled.' In that childish dream it shadowed forth the whole philosophy of family government. The cross face and the 'Can't these children stop their noise?' tell the whole story."

Charles Kingsley, speaking of child-training, once wrote: "They were as pretty little children once as you could wish to see, and might have been so still if they had only been left to grow up like human beings; but their foolish fathers and mothers, instead of letting them pick flowers, make dirt pies, and dance round the gooseberry bush, as little children should, kept them always at lessons working, learning week-day lessons all week-days, and Sunday lessons all Sundays, and weekly examinations every Saturday, and monthly examinations every month, and yearly examinations every year, everything seven times over, as if once was not enough, and enough as good as a feast-till their brains grew big and their bodies small, and they were all changed into turnips,