to escape the knowledge of even the preceptor himself. Were these excellent sentiments more forcibly inculcated both by word and example into the minds of youth, they might live to see their generation freed in great measure from the reproach that bears so heavy on this: "that luxury and ambition have steeled all the softer sentiments of the rich against pity and humanity."

ON QUARRELS, INSULTS, ETC.

Ir is a mark of an evil mind to be of a quarrelsome disposition; because injurious words and quarrels rise from the same evil principle, and are the source of great disorders. They break the bonds of friendship, cause divisions among parents, destroy all the peace of the soul, by introducing hatred and revenge; and often effect the ruin of families. They are like a fire which is easily kindled, but with difficulty extinguished. We but too often see what disgrace and misfortune are occasioned by quarrels and expressions made use of in the heat of dispute.

Quarrels and insults are unbecoming a reasonable being. For what do you quarrel? For mere trifles; for a report which is scarcely credited; for an accidental expression, for a trifling loss. What folly! for so trifling a circumstance to destroy peace, wound charity, kill the soul, and scandalize the brethren! What contentment is there in those, who, for trifles, and oftentimes without knowing why, are grieved, irritated, quarrelsome, and like raging lions?

But after all, can a quarrel, an insult, repair the evil and the injury done to you? What benefit and satisfaction do such scandalous disputes afford you? To fly into a passion and return evil for evil, evidently shows a want of charity, want of sense; this makes bad worse; it is to multiply evil, and highly aggravate a trifling fault. A little silence, or patience on such occasions, would have remedied great evils, and insured peace.

In fine, quarrels are unworthy of a Christian, because a Christian should possess the sentiments of our Lord, who is the God of peace and love, who never complained, never quarrelled, and never did ill to man. The true

Christian, in imitation of his Divine Master, knows not what it is to outrage by his conduct the feelings of those who insult him. Bless those who persecute you," says the holy Scripture, "bless them, and do them no evil. Never revenge yourself, but let your anger pass and do not permit yourself to be overcome by evil."

O Christians! what will become of you, if you permit yourselves to be hurried away by anger and passion? Are you men? Are you Christians? are you not rather monsters, ferocious and ungovernable beasts? You have a law of mildness and peace, and you destroy yourselves by such heart-rending expressions, and biting satire! Have you forgotten that you are the children of God and members of our Lord.

Be on your guard, young people, against another vice which is very pernicious; such as false and indiscreet reports. "There are persons," it is said in the New Testament, "who are idle, curious, prattlers, who are acquainted with every thing, who report every thing, who tell every thing." Persons of the like dispositions are the pest of society; their honied flattery contains the bitterness of gall. Such tales and reports, although true, if they are made through jealousy, or hatred, to sow discord and excite quarrels, are enormous crimes. "There are six things," says the Wise Man, "which God hates; but there is a seventh which he detests; it is he who sows discord among his brethren and friends." "Flatterers and those who give rise to quarrels," says the Wise Man again, are cursed of God, because they trouble those who are in peace."

It belongs only to wicked tongues and evil hearts to sow divisions among men. Our Lord assures us, that peacemakers are the children of God. If the souls of peacemakers, that is, those who entertain peace and friendship among men, are the children of God, we must conclude that they who violate this peace are the children of Satan. Avoid those persons, who, by their flattering speeches and evil reports, would feign teach you those things which you ought not to know; believe them not. If you yourself have either imprudently, or maliciously caused coolness or enmity between others, you are obliged to prevent the consequence, and, if possible, to reconcile those whom you set at variance.

Reproaches are another snare used by Satan, and against which we ought to be ever on our guard: there are three species of this vice. The first is, to reproach a person with his natural defects, his deformity, the low rank of his family, the fault of his parents and ancestors; this is a true mark of an uncharitable soul, of a low and uneducated mind. Second, to reproach a person for the services done him, is a mark of ignorance and a total unacquaintance with the first principles of politeness. Third, to reproach an individual with the faults and crimes he may have committed, may be sometimes proper, and at other times bad. If you have a right to reprimand, and you correct the faults with prudence, and for correction, it is then an act of charity; but if your reproach is made through spite, or anger, through revenge or ill-will, then it is a sin; and sometimes a very grievous one. If you reproach a person for grievous faults, in the presence too, of persons who were ignorant of them, you then commit an outrage, and a shameful crime; and you are obliged in this case, before those persons, to repair the horrible injury.

Finally, railleries are another dangerous rock. There are playful and quizzical minds, who turn all they see into ridicule and raillery. Such jesters have but few friends, because their frequent jeering is destructive to friendship.

Every species of raillery, however, is not sinful. Raillery, which is told for a good end, by the way of advice. and for charitable correction, or to excite innocent mirth in good company, and which is neither injurious nor hurtful to a sensible mind, is not a sin. But if the raillery is severe and frequent, if it has a dangerous tendency, if it causes the person, who is the subject of it, to blush, it is a sin; and if it disturbs his peace and trespasses considerably on charity, it is highly criminal. To ridicule holy things, the ceremonies of the Church, the maxims of religion, and its Mysteries, is impious and sacrilegious.

To reduce to practice whatever has been said in this chapter, remember, young people, the following advice. If you have had the misfortune to quarrel, if you have spoken injuriously to your neighbor, or made any severe reproach, or any malicious raillery which wounded charity, or destroyed friendship, go and be reconciled to him. Never forget the maxim of the Gospel, that you ought not to present an offering to God, so long as you know that

your neighbor has resentment against you, and especially if the fault be yours. Of course, you ought not to present yourself at the altar, to receive your Savior, so long as by your fault your brother has any thing against you. Go first, says our Lord, reconcile yourself with your brother ; and speak to him in a conciliatory manner with mildness, friendship and humility.

The second advice that I have laid down to prevent all those disorders, is, never to speak, while in passion, anger, or without due reflection. Never answer in anger him who insults you. A mild word, says the Wise Man, destroys anger, and pacifies a foe. Finally, be prudent in conversation, and remember that to whomsoever you speak, you are not to express all you think, nor utter all you know. Do not readily give credit_to_evil reports, nor mention them to others. Place a lock upon your lips, says the Wise Man, and let the fear of God possess the key.

A REMEDY AGAINST A BAD TONGUE.

DREXELIUS, in his ascetic works, full of unction and interesting details, tells us of a lady of rank, who met with a severe trial in a dissolute and extravagant husband. He always returned home very late at night, sometimes from his carousing parties, at other times from the gaming tables. The foolish and insolent questions of the husband, with the sharp and severe repartees of the wife, were sure to raise a storm, which occasionally proceeded beyond abusive words and mutual recrimination. Under this distress, the lady applied to a wise and discreet friend, for his advice how to proceed He listened with great patience and seeming interest, whilst the lady was unfolding her tale of sorrows; and then, with the greatest sang froid imaginable, said: "Is this my good lady your only subject of complaint? Take courage: I possess a specific of such astonishing efficacy, that, if you will only use it three or four times, according to my directions, it will soften down the asperity of your partner's temper, and secure to you the enjoyment of a quiet and even mind.” Upon this, he flew to his cupboard, and brought down a

small vial of a transparent liquor, very closely corked.
"Preserve this precious water," says he, "with as much
care as you would your eyes. When your husband is re-.
turning home, before the door be opened to him, take a
little of this valuable liquid in your mouth. Be sure not
to swallow it, it will do you harm; and do not spit it out;
in that case it will do you no good. But, as long as the
paroxysm continues, keep it shut in your mouth, and you
will see the effect." The lady returned with the vial,
determined upon making the experiment, and giving it a
fair trial, by following the prescription to the letter. The
first night she thought she found some benefit by it; but
the second and the third nights, she could speak more posi-
tively to its efficacy, as it made her husband no longer so
very terrible. Enraptured with the discovery, she re-
turned to her benefactor, to thank him for his kindness.
"But
tell
pray me, sir, where this miraculous water can be
purchased: if money can procure it, I assure you, I will
never be without it." "This water so celebrated, madam,
so very efficacious, is what I took myself from the spring.
Its efficacy consists in obliging you to remain silent; and
it was your silence alone that calmed and pacified your
infuriate husband."

A silent tongue the fiercest passion tames,
As added water overcomes the flames.

DUELLING.

A VERY tragical event took place early in the seventeenth century, occasioned by what is improperly called an affair of honor. Two young French noblemen, bosom friends, who held commission in a regiment of cavalry, discussing one day after dinner a point of no great moment, one of the parties during the height of the argument, being off his guard, made use of an expression that was judged by the company present as an unpardonable reflection. No accommodation, no apology, could be admitted. Thus were these young men, against the law of God, and in defiance of the laws of their country, and the dictates of their own conscience, compelled, as it were, to sacrifice every other consideration to etiquette, or a