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25. Observe the humblest flower that grows, and first you may notice only its color, or form, or fragrance. Observe more closely, handle it, and you are made a little thoughtful, because, all unconsciously to yourself, it may be, the flower is doing something to your mind and heart and soul. Perhaps its velvety softness and its lowliness speak to you of humility and gentleness; or perhaps its fragrance breathes sweetness into your life and feeling,— only a little, to be sure, but that little means something. The spirit of the flower speaks to your spirit; and you wonder what relation it bears to you, and if you are not both connected with the spirit of God. A. H. R.

26. Regard not much who is for thee, or who against thee but give all thy thought and care to this, that God

be with thee in everything thou doest.

Have a good conscience, and God will defend thee. For whom God will help, no malice of man shall be able to hurt.

If thou canst be silent and suffer, without doubt thou shalt see that the Lord will help thee.

By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly, namely, by Simplicity and Purity.

If thou intend and seek nothing else but the will of God and the good of thy neighbor, thou shalt thoroughly enjoy inward liberty. THOMAS À KEMPIS.

He liveth long who liveth well;

All else is life but flung away;

He liveth longest who can tell

Of true things truly done each day.

H. BONAR.

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27. What a suffocating feeling it is, leaving school for ever a period, an era completely passed and left behind! One feels that childhood is over now, and a sense of tenfold increased responsibility and independence, so to speak, is a weight upon the spirit One's

future education and formation of character, whether for good or evil, depends now upon one's self. Many a power of mind must be exercised, which, as yet, has had little opportunity to try its flight; judgment and discretion and a thousand things are needful; one must think and act - far more for oneself; self-denial must be learnt; oh! so much has to be done! One's spirit is a precious diamond; the rougher cutting work has been done by other hands, now one must undertake the further beautifying oneself. FRANCES R. HAVERGAL.

28. He serves all who dares to be true.

EMERSON.

Those love truth best who to themselves are true, And what they dare to dream of, dare to do. Sincerity is impossible, unless it pervade the whole being, and the pretence of it saps the very foundation of character.

She hath a natural, wise sincerity,

A simple truthfulness, and these have lent her
A dignity as moveless as the centre ;

So that no influence of earth can stir

Her steadfast courage, nor can take away
The holy perfectness, which, night and day,
Unto her queenly soul doth minister. LOWELL.

29. Small talk is like small change, good to buy light commodities. It serves to scatter smiling favors, pretty jests, merry words, and wins a way into the good graces of our acquaintances. It fills many an hour that otherwise would be moody and, loans a sense of cheerfulness and sportiveness to girls especially. Even nonsense is at times convenient and in place, and girls can no more help falling into it than birds can help singing when the sun shines. It is really sad when a girl becomes so ultra proper that she always talks the strongest sense. But remember, girls, small talk must not be deliberate fault-finding, nor unjust criticism, nor that kind of gossip which creates a love for scandal and only adds evil to evil. And bear in mind, too, that the gold of real conversation is not to be preferred to, nor exchanged for, the tinsel of chatA. H. R.

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30. I verily believe that any young lady who would employ some of her leisure time in collecting wild flowers, carefully examining them, verifying them, and arranging them; or who would in her summer trip to the sea-coast do the same by the common objects of the shore, instead of wasting her holiday, as one sees hundreds doing, in lounging on benches and criticising dresses - that such a young lady, I say, would not only open her own mind to a world of wonder, beauty, and wisdom, but would save herself from the habit of gossip; because she would have things to think of and not merely persons; facts instead of fancies; while she would acquire something of accuracy, of patience, of methodical observation and judgment, which would stand her in good stead in the events of daily life. CHARLES KINGSLEY.

I. I would help the youngest of you to remember what noble Margaret Fuller said: "No woman can give her hand with dignity, or her heart with loyalty, until she has learned how to stand alone." It is not so much what comes to you as what you come to, that determines whether you are a winner in the great race of life. Never forget that the only indestructible material in destiny's fierce crucible is character. Say this, not to another say it to yourself; utter it early, and repeat it often: Fail me not thou.

FRANCES E. WILLARD.

2. The cares and worries of housekeeping are not repugnant to me. With a lively taste for the acquisition of knowledge, I yet feel that I could pass the remainder of my life without opening a book or being bored by not doing So. Let only the home I live in be embellished by order, peace, and harmony; let me only feel that I have helped towards making it so, and be able to tell myself at the close of each day that it has been usefully spent for the good of a few, and I shall value existence and daily bless the rising of the sun. MADAME ROLAND.

Truly, from the smallest Little Peddington that carries on, year by year, its bloodless wars, its harmless scandals, its daily chronicle of interminable nothings, to the great metropolitan world, fashionable, intellectual, noble, or royal, the blight of civilized life is gossip.

The worst is never true of anybody.

MISS MULOCK.

MRS. A. D. T. WHITNEY.

3. Not unfrequently the most important years of a life, the years which tell most on the character, are unmarked by any notable events. A steady, orderly routine, a gradual progression, perseverance in hard work, often do more to educate and form than a varied and eventful life.

EDNA LYALL.

Look at a cathedral from without, and the windows are all dull and discolored and meaningless; but step inside the hallowed edifice, and they glow with gules and amethyst, and tinge the sunlight with the grandeur or pathos of sacred histories. So it is with human life. It often looks to us dingy and inexplicable; but step within the sanctuary of faith, and God's eternal sunlight, making the whole edifice radiant with eternal beauty and with infinite significance, streams into it with many colored glories and divine mercy and human heroism or toil.

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CANON FARRAR.

4. Think of your home - write and send and talk about it. Let it be nearer and nearer to your thought, the farther you have to travel from it. And for your country, and for that flag, never dream a dream but of serving her as she bids you, though the service carry you through a thousand hells. No matter what happens to you, no matter who flatters you or who abuses you, never look at another flag, never let a night pass but you pray God to bless that flag. Remember, boy, that behind all these men you have to do with, behind officers, and gov. ernment, and people even, there is the Country Herself, your Country, and that you belong to Her as you belong to your own mother. EDWARD EVERETT HALE.

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