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forms a foundation on which to build without fear of overthrow, a reliable character" that will open wide for you the gates of success, of honour, of respect, of affection, through which so many without its aid seek in vain to enter. Be firm; let men know that what you say, you will do; that your decision made is final, no wavering; that, once resolved, you are not to be allured or intimidated. Acquire and maintain that character, and there will be no difficulty in your serving equally both God and Mammon. Believe me, that the majority of us may become, do become, good or bad as we choose to make ourselves. School may give the foundation, but the real education that moulds and shapes our lives is that which we give ourselves. Men should feel labour an honour, and perform their allotted tasks willingly, and not from the necessity to live. A true man needs not this compulsion; and as he works for something higher and better than the mere wages, he needs no looking after; his self-respect is satisfied by knowing his employer respects and trusts him.

During business hours give your mind, soul, heart, and body to it; stick to your trade or profession-that which you know something about; and do not invest in matters you are ignorant of. But when business is over, forget all about the making of money, and attend to the other numerous and equally important things of life; use your money wisely and well, and be as earnest in enjoying life as you are in making money. Think of life, not to account for it, but how to make the most of it; for this we need to be healthy. The world is dearly bought if paid for in the sacrifice of our health; thereby depriving life of all enjoyment. I do not mean that thing called pleasure; indulgences that make men base-that dexterous contrivance for selfish ease, that shrinking from endurance and strain, when others are bowing beneath burdens too heavy for them. There is no real pleasure in shirking our legitimate burdens; it is better to perform our duties, however unpleasant, than to shirk them, or put them upon others. All actions are wrong that lessen our self-respect. We need trust in ourselves and others. No soul is desolate as long as there is a human being for whom it

can feel trust and reverence. Our deeds are like children that are born to us; they live and act apart from our own will. Nay, children may be strangled, but deeds never; they have an indestructible life, both in and out of our consciousness; and it is a terrible ordeal when that dreadful vitality of deeds presses hard upon us.

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Civilization began when men began to provide for to-morrow as well as to-day. Economy is essential to civilization; we cannot progress without its aid; the economy of the individual that results in the good order and management of the family, to be followed by that larger economy that grasps the truth that, by faithful adherence to the laws of political economy, we not only create and increase the wealth of nations, but thereby best promote the happiness and well-being of each individual. Every thrifty person is a public benefactor; every thriftless person a public enemy. "Waste not, want not," is a law of nature. Let no man say that he cannot economize; every man can if you once get the habit into him. Franklin said, Time is gold; yet how thriftless nearly all are with time! Yet, to earn money, we need to know how to make the most of, be thrifty with, our time. 66 Economy" is "common sense in every-day life;" it means the power to resist selfish indulgence. To get this valuable habit, a little self-denial is wanted; the oftener it is practised, the easier it becomes. It means that every man with any self-respect will "economize," so that his children shall not, in the event of his death, be left a burthen upon society. Without economy, no man can be just, no man can be honest. Yet "thrift" is considered by some as a secondary virtue; but in my philosophy it takes the first rank. It is the foundation of "independence;" it alone ennobles a man, like the village blacksmith immortalized in Longfellow's poem, who was able to "look the whole world in the face, for he owes not any man." Not only socially and intellectually is economy an important thing, but to feel we are making the most thrifty use of our time and faculties is the best return we can make to the Creator for His many kindnesses towards us. To teach the necessity of economy

may be a thankless task, but it is a necessary one, and few will dissent from the opinion that this valuable habit needs cultivation amongst us. To explain some of the causes of the national suffering, how it is that nations and individuals have suffered and do suffer, by what means the poverty of individuals and nations may be removed, and wealth obtained, and so used as to be a benefit and not a curse, has been the object of my books, and more especially of "Economy." The subject may be old, but, like plenty of sentences and maxims that are used so commonly, we forget their meaning; like the stones on a wellkept road, they have sunk out of sight by usage; so it is as well now and then to bring up such subjects to the front, and here and there, if you will but read, you may find a something that will give you a new meaning, or rather, let you see a meaning hidden from you before, or enable you to create a fresh application therefrom. The failing of our times is over-estimating knowledge, and under-estimating the "understanding" thereof; hence it is so much fruitless toil. "Two persons took trouble in vain, and used fruitless endeavours, he who acquired wealth without enjoying it, and he who taught wisdom, but did not practise it. How much soever you may study science, when you do not act wisely, you are ignorant. The beast whom they load with books is not profoundly learned and wise: what knoweth his empty skull whether he carrieth firewood or bricks?" (SÁDI.) "Things have their root and their completion. It cannot be that when the root is neglected, what springs from it will be well ordered." "The ancients, who wished to illustrate virtue throughout the empire, began, said Confucius, with investigation. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were thus rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole empire was made tranquil and happy" (Chinese).

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ECONOMY.

"When beginning the loaf is the time for saving.'

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Being economical, I can therefore be liberal." "Do thou good in the same manner that God hath done good unto thee." "There is no virtue in the world greater than that of doing good to others."

THE word "economy" is from the Greek oeconómia, “houscmanagement" or "household management," the notion of which is generally understood. It does not signify in the original language merely "saving" or "thrift," but the judicious and profitable management of a man's property, the careful husbanding of the resources of the nation and the individual, so as to produce and distribute the necessaries of life, all articles in fact, cheaper and cheaper to the individual. Economy means frugality in general, from the government of the universe to the management of the kitchen. Popularly, it is considered, in relation to the household, domestic. But it has reference to everything where thrift can be exercised. We can be economical or the reverse in the management of household or pecuniary affairs, private or public-we are thrifty or prodigal in our household or national system-as we do or do not thoughtfully adapt our means to the end we have in view. Economy means the saving of waste and avoiding unnecessary expense in the management of the nation, the warehouse, or the home. "Economy" has a horror of the credit system, and its twin brother, debt-that curse of the middle and upper classes of society. I would have put prominently in every house, "Owe no man anything." That nation must be wealthy whose people have the moral courage "I can't afford it; I will live within my means; I will be

to say,

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