ery family that squanders precious time, to spend
an evening in such a home, it would be an inspiration. A bright, alert,
intelligent, harmonious atmosphere so pervades a self-improving home that
one feels insensibly uplifted and stimulated to better things.

I know a New England family in which all the children and the father and
mother, by mutual consent, set aside a portion of each evening for study
or some form of self-culture. After dinner, they give themselves
completely to recreation. They have a regular romp and play, and all the
fun possible for an hour. Then when the time comes for study, the entire
house becomes so still that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is in
his place reading, writing, studying, or engaged in some form of mental
work. No one is allowed to speak or disturb anyone else. If any member
of the family is indisposed, or for any reason does not feel like
working, he must at least keep quiet and not disturb the others. There
is perfect harmony and unity of purpose, an ideal condition for study.
Everything that would scatter the efforts or cause the mind to wander,
all interruptions that would break the continuity of thought, is
carefully guarded against. More is gained in one hour of close,
uninterrupted study, than in two or three broken by many interruptions,
or weakened by mind wandering.

Sometimes the habits of a home are revolutionized by the influence of one
resolute youth who declares himself, taking a stand and announcing that,
as for himself, he does not propose to be a failure, that he is going to
take no chances as to his future. The moment he does this, he stands out
in strong contrast with the great mass of young people who are throwing
away their opportunities and have not grit and stamina enough to do
anything worth while.

The very reputation of always trying to improve yourself in every
possible way, of being dead in earnest, will attract the attention of
everybody who knows you, and you will get many a recommendation for
promotion which never comes to those who make no special effort to climb
upward.

There is a great deal of time wasted even in the busiest lives, which, if
properly organized, might be used to advantage.

Many housewives who are so busy from morning to night that they really
believe they have no time for reading books, magazines, or newspapers
would be amazed to find how much they would have if they would more
thoroughly systematize their wor