2180. Choice of Friends.

Dr. Blair has said:

"We should ever have it fixed in our memories, that _by the
character of those whom we choose for our friends our own character
is likely to be formed_, and will certainly be judged of by the
world. We ought, therefore, to be slow and cautious in contracting
intimacy; but when a virtuous friendship is once established, we
must ever consider it as a sacred engagement."

2181. Words.

Soft words soften the soul--angry words are fuel to the flame of
wrath, and make it blaze more freely. Kind words make other people
good-natured--cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and
bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make wrathful. There
is such a rush of all other kinds of words in our days, that it seems
desirable to give kind words a chance among them. There are vain
words, and idle words, and hasty words, and spiteful words, and silly
words, and empty words, and profane words, and boisterous words, and
warlike words. Kind words also produce their own image on men's souls,
and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the
hearer. They shame him out of his sour, and morose, and unkind
feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as
they ought to be used.

2182. Gossiping.

If you wish to cultivate a gossiping, meddling, censorious spirit in
your children, be sure when they come home from church, a visit, or
any other place where you do not accompany them, to ply them with
questions concerning what everybody wore, how everybody looked, and
what everybody said and did; and if you find anything in this to
censure, always do it in their hearing. You may rest assured, if you
pursue a course of this kind, they will not return to you unladen with
intelligence; and rather than it should be uninteresting, they will by
degrees learn to embellish, in such a manner as shall not fail to call
forth remarks and expressions of wonder from you. You will, by this
course, render the spirit of curiosity, which is so early visible in
children, and which, if rightly directed, may be made the instrument
of enriching and enlarging their minds, a vehicle of mischief which
will serve only to narrow them.

2183. Rules of Conduct.

The following rules of conduct were drawn up by Mrs. Fry, who combined
in her character and conduct all that i