THIS is a humble virtue, yet a most lovely Jesus Christ has said that the poor in

one.

spirit the humble-the meek-are blessed, for they shall see God. What a mighty preference! what a noble promise! Humility is, therefore, a pearl of great price, and is really better than money and lands and merchandise. It is not the rich, not the haughty, the proud man, but the humble one that is to see God.

Humility is often of great advantage in life; for when the proud are resisted and crushed, the meek and lowly are frequently

permitted to pass on, unheeded perchance, but yet unhurt. The fable of the Oak and the Reed will illustrate this.

An oak stood on the bank of a river, and growing at its foot was a reed. The oak was aged, and its limbs were torn away by the blasts of years; but still it lifted its head in pride, and looked down with contempt upon the reed.

At last there came a fearful tempest. The oak defied it, but the reed trembled in every fibre. "See," said the oak, "the advantage of strength and power; see how I resist and triumph!"

While it spoke thus, a terrible rush of the gale beset it, its roots gave way, and it fell to the earth with a tremendous crash. But while the oak was thus destroyed in its pride, the humble reed bowed to the blast, and, when the storm was over, it arose and flourished as before.

THE Sun and Wind once fell into a dispute as to their relative power. The Sun insisted that, as he could thaw the iceberg, and melt the snows of winter, and bid the plants spring out of the ground, and send light and heat over the world, he was the most powerful. "It may be," said he to the Wind, "that you can make the loudest uproar, but I can produce the greatest effect. It is not always the most noisy people that achieve the greatest deeds."

"This may seem very well," said the

Wind; "but it is not just.

Do I not blow the ships across the sea, turn windmills, drive the clouds across the heavens, get up squalls and thundergusts, and topple down. steeples and houses with hurricanes?"

Thus the two disputed, when, at last, a traveller was seen coming along; and they agreed each to give a specimen of what he could do, and let the traveller decide between them.

So the Wind began, and it blew lustily. It nearly took away the traveller's hat and cloak, and very much impeded his progress: but he resisted stoutly. The Wind having tried its best, then came the Sun's turn. So he shone down with his summer beams, and the traveller found himself so hot that he took off his hat and cloak, and almost fainted; he soon decided that the Sun had more power than the Wind.

Thus our fable shows that the gentle rays of the Sun were more potent than the tempest; and we generally find in life that mild means are more effective, in the accomplishment of any object, than violence.

CHAPTER XVI.

CANDOUR

CANDOUR is that state of heart which disposes a person to see and confess the truth. It belongs to all real lovers of truth. Without it no person can be honest, just, sincere, or faithful.

It is a most important virtue, for it lies at the very root of goodness, and is indispensable to rectitude of conduct and real force of character. Candour is opposed to prejudice while prejudice would blind the mind, candour would give it clearness of perception. Candour is like a clear atmosphere, enabling us to see objects distinctly prejudice is like a wrinkled glass, that would distort the objects which are seen through it. Candour would wipe clean the spectacles of the mind: prejudice would obscure them, or perhaps paint them over with false and deceptive images.