hat sort of meddling which may be
construed into officiousness.

Some of the worst meddlers in human society are those who have been
denominated _match-makers_. A better name for them, however, would be
match-_breakers_, for if they do not actually break more matches than
they make, they usually cause a great deal of misery to those whom they
are instrumental in bringing prematurely together.

Many people who, in other respects, pass for excellent, do not hesitate
to take sides on almost all occasions, whether they know much about the
real merits of the case or not. Others judge, at once, of every one of
whom they hear any thing evil, and in the same premature manner.

All these and a thousand other kinds of 'meddling' do much evil. The
tendency is to keep men like Ishmael, with their hands against every
man, and every man's hands against theirs.

SECTION XIV. _On Keeping Secrets._

It is sometimes said that in a good state of society there would be no
necessity of _keeping_ secrets, for no individual would have any thing
to conceal. This _may_ be true; but if so, society is far--very
far--from being as perfect as it ought to be. At present we shall find
no intelligent circle, except it were the society of the glorified
above, which does not require occasional secrecy. But if there are
secrets to be kept, somebody must keep them.

Some persons can hardly conceal a secret, if they would. They will
promise readily enough; but the moment they gain possession of the
fact, its importance rises in their estimation, till it occupies so
much of their waking thoughts, that it will be almost certain, in some
form or other, to escape them.

Others are not very anxious to conceal things which are entrusted to
them. They may not wish to make mischief, exactly; but there is a sort
of recklessness about them, that renders them very unsafe confidants.

Others again, when they promise, mean to perform. But no sooner do they
possess the _treasure_ committed to their charge, than they begin to
grow forgetful of the _manner_ of coming by it. And before they are
aware, they reveal it.

There are not many then, whom it is safe to trust. These you will value
as they do diamonds, in proportion to their scarcity.

But there _are_ individuals who merit your highest confidence, if you
can but find them. Husbands, where a union is founded as it ought to
be, can usually trust their wives. This is one of the prominent
advantages of mat