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temptation in the way of a servant, he employed a young man named Zeltner to carry the present, and desired him to take the horse on which he himself usually rode. Zeltner, on his return, said he never would ride that horse again, unless the general would give him his purse at the same time. Kosciusko inquiring what he meant, he said, “As soon as a poor man on the road takes off his hat and asks charity, the horse immediately stands still, and will not stir till something is given to the petitioner; and as I had no money about me, I was obliged to feign giving something, in order to satisfy the horse!"

TITUS.

Titus, the Roman emperor, had no higher ambition than to do good to his subjects. One evening, recollecting that he had not that day done any act of service to his people, or granted to any one a favour, he exclaimed to those around him, "My friends, I have lost a day."

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.—John, xiii. 34.

To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend.-Job, vi. 14.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother; but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.-Deuteronomy, xv. 7, 8.

Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.-Psalms, lxxxii. 3.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.—Psalms, xli. 1.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.-1 Timothy, vi. 17, 18.

Pure religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.-James, i. 27.

The blessed Jesus was humble, meek, and benevolent, in all his deportment towards men. Every part of his conduct was a testimony of his love to our race, every act of his life a proof of it. With what an unwearied application does he labour to do men good, even in spite of themselves! With what mildness and temper does he bear their insults; what compassion does he show to their infirmities and faults; and what readiness to help and deliver them! Nothing could provoke him to return evil for evil; no temptation ensnare him to lay aside his mercy. Throughout his whole life, with what condescension and pity does he converse with the most despised and wicked part of mankind, and endeavour to melt them into a sense of their duty by his mildness and love. With what openness of heart does he receive all that come to him; with what pleasure give every good action its just commendation; with what tenderness does he cherish every inclination to virtue! Such was

the conduct of the blessed Jesus, and such ought to be the conduct of all his disciples.-Dr BUNDY.

Man is dear to man; the poorest poor
Long for some moments in a weary life,
When they can know and feel that they have been
Themselves the fathers and the dealers out

Of some small blessings; have been kind to such
As needed kindness, for this single cause-
That we have all of us one human heart.
Such pleasure is to one kind being known,
My neighbour, when, with punctual care, each week,
Duly as Friday comes, though pressed herself
By all her wants, she from her store of meal
Takes one unsparing handful for the scrip
Of this old mendicant, and from her door
Returning with exhilarated heart,

Sits by her fire, and builds her hope in heaven.

WORDSWORTH.

MODERATION IN ANGER.

85

If your companions do not love you, it is your own fault. They cannot help loving you, if you will be kind and friendly. It is true that a sense of duty may at times render it necessary for you to do that which is displeasing to your companions. But if it be seen that you have a kind spirit, that you are above selfishness, that you are willing to make sacrifices of your own personal convenience to promote the happiness of your associates, you will never be in want of friends. You must not regard it as your misfortune, but your fault, when others do not love you. It is not beauty, it is not wealth, that will give you friends. Your heart must glow with kindness, if you would attract to yourself the esteem and affection of those by whom you are surrounded.-Every-Day Duty.

MODERATION IN ANGER-FORBEARANCE AND FORGIVENESS.

WE have been so constituted by our Almighty Creator, that whatever offends any of our feelings excites anger or resentment, and whatever pleases any of our feelings excites benevolence and kindness. If, for instance, we witness a just or honest action, our sense of justice is pleased, and this raises a kind feeling; whereas, if we witness a very wickedly unjust action, our sense of justice is sure to be offended, and we then feel angry. Anger, it may thus be seen, is a feeling intended to have a use in our nature. It is a thing designed to counteract whatever is wrong or offensive. We should be very pitiful creatures, if we did not feel indignant at any instance of cruelty or injury, or at any insult that might be offered to the persons and things which we hold in respect.

Though it is allowable to be angry on proper occasions, we are strongly called upon to keep our anger within the bounds of reason, and to take care that it does not prompt us to rash and vindictive actions. St Paul says, "Be angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon

your wrath;" that is to say, though you may feel anger on proper occasion, you must commit no wickedness under its influence, and you must quickly dismiss it from your mind, after the occasion is past. To encourage or nurse angry feelings against any one, is generally condemned. The acts which anger prompts depend very much on the general character of individuals. The rude rustic expresses his rage in sharp and loud scoldings, or in blows. The polished gentleman avoids blows and scoldings, but uses smooth sarcasms, or calls the offender to a fight with deadly weapons. Is either of these modes of expressing anger right? No. They are both alike wrong. Railing, satire, and fighting, can do no good, but will certainly make things worse than before. The true way to give vent to a just anger is to state your feelings on the occasion in calm but firm terms, such as may produce correction, without leading to further evil.

It is of importance to our comfort that we should encourage a mild and patient, rather than a fretful, irritable, and revengeful disposition. The world is so arranged that many things offensive to us must occur every day of our lives; and if we were to fret and fume at every one of these, we should be truly miserable in ourselves, and a source of discomfort to all around us. Good temper, or the power of bearing gently and patiently, is one of the most valuable of all qualities.

To be able readily to overlook and forgive an injury, is a mark of an amiable disposition. That very liability to err which all of us are under, strongly calls on us to be easy with each other in pardoning mutual offences. While revenge doubles the original evil, forgiveness takes it entirely away. By such means we make our enemy our friend; others, affected by our example, are also merciful and easily reconciled; and thus good will and peace are spread over the earth.

SOCRATES.

Socrates, the Greek philosopher, was remarkable for the power he had acquired of controlling his disposition to anger, which was naturally great. He desired his friends

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to apprise him when they saw him ready to fall into a passion. At the first hint of the kind from them, he softened his tone, and was silent. Finding himself in great emotion against a slave, "I would beat you," says he, "if I were not angry." Having received a box on the ear, he contented himself by only saying, with a smile, “It is a misfortune not to know when to put on a helmet." Socrates, meeting a gentleman of rank in the street, saluted him, but the gentleman took no notice of it. His friends in company observing what passed, told the philosopher," that they were so exasperated at the man's incivility, that they had a good mind to resent it." But he very calmly made. answer, "If you meet any person on the road in a worse habit of body than yourself, would you think that you had reason to be enraged at him on that account; if not, pray then what greater reason can you have for being incensed at a man of worse habit of mind than any of yourselves?" But, without going out of his house, he found enough to exercise his patience in all its extent. Xantippe, his wife, put it to the severest proofs, by her captious, passionate, violent disposition. Never was a woman of so furious and fantastical a spirit, and so bad a temper. There was no kind of abuse or injurious treatment which he had not to experience from her. She was once so transported with rage against him, that she tore off his cloak in the open street. Whereupon his friends told him that such treatment was insufferable, and that he ought to give her a severe drubbing for it. "Yes, a fine piece of sport indeed," "while she and I were buffeting one another, you in your turns, I suppose, would animate us on to the combat: while one cried out, Well done, Socrates, another would say, Well hit, Xantippe." At another time, having vented all the reproaches her fury could suggest, he went out, and sat before the door. His calm and unconcerned behaviour did but irritate her so much the more; and, in the excess of her rage, she ran up stairs, and emptied a dish of foul water upon his head: at which he only laughed, and said, "That so much thunder must needs produce a shower."

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