necessity and works of benevolence. This will teach him to exercise forethought and economy. A book, a watch, a toy, or a gift towards some benevolent object thus obtained, will not only be a hundred times more valuable to the child, but he will thus learn a most useful lesson for all his after life.

Good mental habits should be cultivated by a wise supervision of a child's reading when out of school. Most children will read of their own accord if they can get hold of attractive books, and will fly from the comparative drudgery of the school to the interesting volume of travels, tales, or adventures, which stimulates the imagination and requires no effort. This tendency must be turned to good account, and prevented from becoming a source of evil. Travels and adventures, if well selected and well read, are of course useful; and the same may be said of some tales. But never, perhaps, was care in the selection of books, especially of those comprised under the general term of "light literature," more necessary than in the present day. The flippant tone of some, the disgusting slang of others, the exaggerated colouring of another class, are, to the tender and impressible mind of the child, like attractive poison. The imagination, over stimulated, becomes jaded, and demands more extravagant incidents, profounder mysteries, and darker horrors. And it is needless to say that where this is the case, the inclination, and often not only the inclination, but, for a time, the capacity, for sound, good reading is lost. What is more sad than to find young people blind to the beauties of our sterling English literature-indeed, utterly ignorant of it-while reading with morbid avidity second and third rate works of exciting fiction?

This must be the parent's care. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes," is a resolve which ought to apply especially to books. Many a man has had through life to mourn the day when, in the impressible time of his youth, he met with a bad book. The mind becomes enfeebled, the moral tone lowered, and the life corrupted, by access to vicious literature in early life.

Let it not be supposed that in minutely pointing out these habits as necessary to the right formation of character, and as important to the child's well-being, the higher aspects of life have been lost sight of These habits are no less necessary to a consistent Christian character than to a reputable and successful earthly career, and nowhere will they be so perfectly developed as where there is a basis of Christian faith. No man can "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," unless he be truthful, industrious, persevering, self-reliant,-unless all his faculties be devoted to wise and holy uses. While our highest efforts must, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit of God, be given to teach our children in the way of life, to point them to Christ as the only Saviour, and to lead them, so far as our hands can guide them, to him, we must not forget for them the apostolic injunction, "Add to your faith virtue." And it is only by wise and watchful discipline we can do this for ourselves or for them.

1 It is said on good authority that the late honoured and lamented Prince Consort not only superintended the general education of his children, but carefully selected, and himself read, the books which they were permitted to read. Such an illustrious example is in this respect, as well as in that already referred to, worthy of all imitation.

2 Tit. ii. 10.

$ 2 Pet. i. 5.

105

CHAPTER VII.

THE FORMATION OF CHARACTER-SOCIAL HABITS.

THIS chapter will be devoted to a consideration of those habits which more directly affect our social relationships. And of these the first in order and importance is the habit of obedience to authority, and especially to the authority of the parent. This is a habit easily formed, if the education begin sufficiently early, but which is rarely acquired if that opportunity be lost. No child should ever be permitted, from the earliest period of apprehension, to treat lightly the bidding of its father or mother. It may be deemed superfluous to mention a truth so obvious as this. Unhappily, too many parents do allow their children so to slight their authority in early life, and then wonder (how can they wonder !) that it is so difficult to enforce obedience afterwards. "My rule," said the mother of Sir T. F. Buxton, "is implicit obedience, unconditional submission." The early enforcement of this rule will have a most beneficial effect upon a child's character, and save the parent many an hour of subsequent anxiety.

"When the will of a child is subdued," writes Mrs. Wesley, "and it is brought to revere and stand in awe of its parents, then a great many childish follies and inadvertencies may be passed by. Some should

be overlooked, and others mildly reproved; but no wilful transgression ought ever to be forgiven children without chastisement, less or more, as the nature and circumstances of the offence may require. I insist upon conquering the will of children betimes, because this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious education, without which both precept and example will be ineffectual. But when this is thoroughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason and piety of its parents, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind.”

The methods by which obedience is secured must, of course, be left for individual judgment. Suffice it to say, that kindness will generally be even more effectual than severity. An instance will serve to illustrate this. A lad, just emerging from boyhood, and beginning to think-with the folly common to boys of that age that it was manly to act as if independent of any control, had by his conduct greatly grieved his pious father and mother. One day, during their absence from home, he behaved with a degree of licence which, on their return, they felt they could not overlook. They accordingly sent for him to remonstrate with him upon his conduct. The father, as he spoke, held in his hand a beautiful pocket Bible. "This," he said, "I bought to-day for you; but how can I give it to you after such conduct as you have been guilty of? Yet," he continued, in a serious and sad tone, "I will give it you in the hope that you will from this time adopt a wiser course." The tenderness and sorrow of the father touched the son's heart, and the offence was never repeated.

In Dr. Morison's life there is a very instructive instance of wise and successful discipline, resulting in the securing of this early obedience. Speaking of his son Joseph, his biographer says,-"From his natural firmness of character, he was in no small danger, at times, of yielding to a feeling of obstinacy and filial disobedience. As early as four years of age, a striking instance of this kind occurred, which was overruled for good. He had acted with some degree of rudeness to his mother, and all that was required by his father was that he should ask her forgiveness. This he peremptorily refused to do. He was taken to another apartment by his father, reasoned with, and punished; after which he was still required to entreat forgiveness of her whom he had grieved. But again he refused, and suffered a second chastisement. Still his spirit was not subdued; he would not comply with the reasonable demand made upon him. With an anguish never to be forgotten, the father retired with him a third time, and accompanied the use of the rod with fervent prayer that the youthful offender's heart might be touched with penitence. This last effort was effectual; the offence was confessed and forgiven; filial affections gushed forth in all their tenderness, and from that hour to the moment of his departure out of this world, he never again entered into direct litigation with parental authority."

1

"The first commandment with promise" is one which, both for their children's sakes and their own, it is the duty of parents rigidly to enforce. Disobedience, want of proper respect, contempt for their

1 "Life of Dr. Morison."

2 Ephes. vi. 2.