excellencies. The spirit of the Bible requires us to speak of our neighbor's excellencies in his absence, and if he has failings to go and tell him of them privately. But depraved human nature dictates a course exactly the contrary of all this. It seldom leads us to speak of a brother's faults to his face. I might almost say never. And yet we do not hesitate to hold them up, sometimes with ridicule and reproach, to the view of others.

There is another thing to be considered. The more we allow ourselves to dwell on the defects in our neighbor's character, the more those defects rise in magnitude. The more we indulge in unkind feelings towards another, the more unkind do our feelings become. On the contrary, the more we dwell with pleasure on a neighbor's excellencies, the more does our pleasure increase, with respect to him. Let these principles be understood by christians and acted upon, and how would it change the condition of society! And what a powerful agent, in this way, would female social circles be in its transformation!

It is customary at some of our social circlesespecially at those fashionable and very interesting meetings in the afternoon, called "sewing circles," to spend a large proportion of the time in mere reading. This does not seem to me at all advisable. Reading may be useful to excite conversa

tion, if it inclines to flag; but I would never use the former as a substitute for the latter. Not because I would not have it a leading object to improve the mind and elevate the heart at these and all other social meetings; but because I think free conversation one of the best means for accomplishing so valuable an end. It is on this account that I have ventured to say that females may even be permitted to converse on politics. I love to see ease and freedom in all this sort of intercourse; but a book appears to cause constraint. The conversation can never indeed be too elevated; the more so the better. I do not contend for the admission of petty topics as a matter of choice, so much as for the sake of freedom. Some of the individuals composing an ordinary social circle, are very far from being literary; and those who are of this description may probably do quite as much good by setting the rest an example of a proper and rational way of conversing on ordinary or petty topics, at least a part of the time, as they could by conversing on more elevated, and, in the abstract, more important subjects.

But while the young wife is seeking to improve her mind and heart by associating often with her neighbors, in one way or another, let her assiduously endeavor to avoid the appearance of aristocracy. There is a most unhappy, I might say

unreasonable jealousy of the rich, on the part of the poor; and however conscious the former may be that they do not deserve to be suspected, let them not say that even unfounded and unjust suspicions are to be disregarded. Though fully conscious that they have no aristocratic feelings in their bosoms, let them labor to show their true character by their deeds. Let them be careful to avoid the smallest appearance of evil. Let them select their associates, as much as they may, at all other times; yet, when they have once accepted an invitation to a circle where there are those for whom they have little sympathy, let them, for the time, place themselves on an equal footing with them, and treat them with as much attention as they do others.

There need be no hypocrisy in all this. The Saviour of mankind sometimes associated with publicans and sinners, as well as with other bad people; but will any one suppose, for a moment, that he had a preference, or even a relish, for their society? But he could do them good by it; and that was his object. And he was not afraid of demeaning himself by the course he took. No more should a young wife, who associates for a few hours with persons whose society she would not, in general, prefer. For my own part, I do not believe that the unhappy feeling of the poor

towards the rich, which prevails more extensively in this country than many people are aware, and mars the peace and destroys the union of many a church of Christ, will ever be completely removed till some of the disciples of Christ learn more humility and condescension, and endeavor to avoid, not only all evil, but even the appearance of all evil.

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CHAPTER XXXV.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS IMPROVEMENT.

Doing good. Many forms of doing good. Philosophy of doing good. Associated effort. How to select societies. Individual charitable effort. The poor. The ignorant. The vicious. The sick. Caution in regard to visiting the sick. Prayer as a means of improvement. SelfExamination. Reading. The Bible. Other useful books.

ONE means of moral and religious improvement to every individual, whatever may be his professions or relations, is doing good. "It is more blessed to give than to receive," expresses a great truth in relation to this subject; to which representation every one who has watched carefully the operations of his own mind, and studied thoroughly his own character, will cheerfully respond; and the same truth or nearly the same is expressed by the two following passages of scripture:-" He that doeth truth cometh to the light." "If any man will do my will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God."

I do not, of course, mean to say that there is no other source of moral and religious improvement