direction
of religion, so that he desired to become a clergyman. He went through
his college course with credit, and was ordained. He fulfilled his
function well, and appeared happy and satisfied. After a few years he
went to serve in a settlement somewhere near the seat of war which was
then going on between Britain and the United States, and before long
there was fighting not far off. He went forth in his usual
dress--black coat and neat white shirt and neckcloth. When he returned
he was met by a gentleman of his acquaintance, who was immediately
struck by an extraordinary change in the expression of his face and the
flush on his cheek, and also by his unusually shy and hurried manner.
After asking news of the battle the gentleman observed, "But you are
wounded?" "No." "Not wounded! Why, there is blood upon the bosom of
your shirt!" The young man quickly crossed his hands firmly upon his
breast; and his friend, supposing that he wished to conceal a wound
which ought to be looked to, pulled open his shirt, and saw--what made
the young man let fall his hands in despair. From between his shirt
and his breast the friend took out--a bloody scalp! "I could not help
it," said the poor victim of early habits, in an agonized voice. He
turned and ran, too swiftly to be overtaken, betook himself to the
Indians, and never more appeared among the whites.

An Indian once brought up a young lion, and finding him weak and
harmless, did not attempt to control him. Every day the lion gained in
strength and became more unmanageable, until at last, when excited by
rage, he fell upon his master and tore him to pieces. So what seemed
to be an "innocent" sin has grown until it strangled him who was once
its easy master.

Beware of looking at sin, for at each view it is apt to become better
looking.

Habit is practically, for a middle-aged person, fate; for is it not
practically certain that what I have done for twenty years I shall
repeat to-day? What are the chances for a man who has been lazy and
indolent all his life starting in to-morrow morning to be industrious;
or a spendthrift, frugal; a libertine, virtuous; a profane,
foul-mouthed man, clean and chaste?

A Grecian flute-player charged double fees for pupils who had been
taught by inferior masters, on the ground that it was much harder to
undo than to form habits.

Habit tends to make us permanently what we are for the moment. We
cannot possibly hear, see, fe