they will be of
little real use unless men will think for themselves, and work out the
subjects instead of taking their opinions ready made. Study, not simply
listen. Study both secular and religious subjects. You may be sure that
there can be no advance in real self-improvement unless it is well
balanced. Religious knowledge should go hand in hand with secular
knowledge. Christ should be our great example in this as in all else,
and He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men."

CHUMS.

Birds of a feather flock together. A man is known by his friends. It is
of great importance therefore that your friends should be such as will
show that you yourself are of the right sort. A boy, unless he is a
particularly disagreeable one, will probably have a fair number of
friends, that is to say, of fellows that he knows and associates with,
but above and beyond these he will probably have some one particular
chum, one who shares in all his plans, one with whom to talk over all his
schemes, one often with whom to join in some piece of mischief. Chums to
do one another much good should be about the same age. There may be a
friendship between an elder and a younger boy, or between a boy and a
man, but they will not be exactly chums. A friendship of this sort is
very useful if the elder is one who will lead aright, but if the elder is
the weaker of the two, or still more if the elder is viciously inclined,
such an acquaintance is one of the worst possible things for a lad. A
young boy, hanging on to an elder one, learning all his bad habits, is
only too likely to prove an apt pupil, and come utterly to grief.
Remember no one is worthy of the name of friend who would ever counsel
you to do anything wrong, or who would not give you a word in season when
he found you were going on a wrong tack. A chum of one's own age is
quite a different article. Very often they are not lads of the same
dispositions and tastes, and are drawn to one another by these very
differences. It not unfrequently happens that a bright active lad will
chum with a very quiet meditative one. The one doing the thinking and
the other the acting. Such friendships will last on sometimes through
life, but generally well through boyhood. Very often the last act of
chumship is the acting as best man at the friend's wedding. Such
friendships will work great good so long as they are on the give and take
principle, and that