beautiful harmony and
precision in the government of the world, that bends man's selfish
purposes into serving the common good. Men work for themselves
alone, each caring for himself alone; yet Providence so orders and
arranges, that the neighbour is more really benefited than the
individual worker toiling only for himself. Who is most truly
served--the man who makes a garment, or the man who enjoys its
warmth? the builder of the house, or the dweller therein? the tiller
of the soil, or he who eats the fruit thereof? Yet, how rarely does
the skilful artisan, or he who labours in the field, think of, or
care for, those who are to enjoy the good things of life he is
producing! His thought is on what he is to receive, not on what he
is giving; and far too many of those who benefit the world by their
labour are made unhappy when they think that others really enjoy
what they have produced--if their thought ever reaches that far
beyond themselves."

"Man is very selfish, I will admit," said Mr. Markland,
thoughtfully.

"It is self-love, my friend," answered the old man, "that gives to
most of us our greatest energy in life. We work ardently, taxing all
our powers, in the accomplishment of some end. A close self-examination
will, in most cases, show us that self is the main-spring of all this
activity. Now, I hold, that in just so far as this is the case, our
efforts are misapplied."

"But did you not just admit that the world was benefited by all
active labour, even if the worker toiled selfishly? How, then, can
the labour be misapplied?"

"Can you not see that, if every man worked with the love of
benefiting the world in his heart, more good would be effected than
if he worked only for himself?"

"Oh, yes."

"And that he would have a double reward, in the natural compensation
that labour receives, and in the higher satisfaction of having done
good."

"Yes."

"To work for a lower end, then, is to misapply labour, so far as the
man is concerned. He robs himself of his own highest reward, while
Providence bends the efforts he makes, and causes them to effect
good uses to the neighbour he would, in too many cases, rather
insure than benefit."

"You have a curious way of looking at things, or, rather, _into_
them," said Mr. Markland, forcing a smile. "There is a common saying
about taking the conceit out of a man, and I must acknowledge that
you can do this as effectually as any one I ever knew."

"When the truth