rward way of going to the great masters whom we wish
to know.

In one of the books of the Greek general, Xenophon,[60] Socrates is
made to say that men do nothing without fire; and quite in the same
way we may learn nothing of each other, especially of those greater
than ourselves, without thought; which should be pure, strong,
inquiring, and kind. With this we may do all.

Thus far we have two principles. Let us review them:

I. Thoughts become actions.

II. Good music being the fruit of good thought can be played rightly
only by one who thinks good thoughts.

Now, is it not clear that this can come about only when we watch over
our own thoughts and govern them as if they were the thoughts of
others? And when we do not so much as _endure_ the thought of harm or
evil or wrong we shall be living in the spirit of the Roman lady whose
son's life was lived as his mother taught.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE GLORY OF THE DAY.

"Be not anxious about to-morrow. Do to-day's duty, fight today's
temptation; and do not weaken and disturb yourself by looking
forward to things which you cannot see, and could not understand if
you saw them."--_Charles Kingsley._

Nearly all of us have heard about the little child who one day planted
seeds and kept constantly digging them up afterward to see if they
were growing. No doubt the child learned that a seed needs not only
ground and care, but time. When it is put in the earth it begins to
feel its place and to get at home; then, if all is quite right,--but
not otherwise--it sends out a tiny rootlet as if it would say that it
trusts and believes the earth will feed that rootlet. And if the earth
is kind the root grows and finds a solid foothold. At the same time
there is another thing happening. When the seed finds it can trust
itself to root it feels no longer afraid to show itself. It goes down,
down quietly for a _firmer hold_, and upward feeling the desire for
light.

_A firm hold and more light_, we cannot think too much of what they
mean.

Every day that the seed pushes its tender leaves and stem upward it
has more and more to encounter. The rains beat it down; the winds bend
it to the very earth from which it came; leaves and weeds bury it
beneath their strength and abundance, but despite all these things, in
the face of death itself, the brave little plant strongly keeps its
place. It grows in the face of danger. But how? Day after day, as it
fights