e relation in which they stand to you.

Another mode of viewing with charity the conduct of domestic servants, is
to imagine what manner of servant you would make yourself, or any one of
those whom in your own rank you esteem and love. Do you not perceive, in
almost every character, some element which would occasionally make its
possessor fail in performing the duties of domestic service? Do you find
that faithfulness, accuracy, diligence, and truth pervade the circle of
your equals in such abundance that you should be exorbitantly angry, the
moment you perceive a deficiency in such qualities amongst those who have
been but indifferently brought up, and who, perhaps, have early imbibed
those vices of their class, fear and falsehood; vices which their
employers can only hope to eradicate by a long course of considerate
kindness?

* * * * *

I do not speak of the conduct of masters and mistresses as an easy
matter: on the contrary, I believe that it is one of the most difficult
functions in life. If, however, men only saw the difficulty, they would
see the worthiness of trying to overcome it. You observe a man becoming
day by day richer, or advancing in station, or increasing in professional
reputation, and you set him down as a successful man in life. But, if
his home is an ill-regulated one, where no links of affection extend
throughout the family, whose former domestics (and he has had more of
them than he can well remember) look back upon their sojourn with him as
one unblessed by kind words or deeds, I contend that that man has not
been successful. Whatever good fortune he may have in the world, it is
to be remembered that he has always left one important fortress untaken
behind him. That man's life does not surely read well whose benevolence
has found no central home. It may have sent forth rays in various
directions, but there should have been a warm focus of love--that home
nest which is formed round a good man's heart.

* * * * *

Having spoken of some of the duties of private persons, we come now to
the great employers of labour. Would that they all saw the greatness of
their position. Strange as it may sound, they are the successors of the
feudal barons, they it is who lead thousands to peaceful conquests, and
upon whom, in great measure, depends the happiness of large masses of
mankind. As Mr. Carlyle says, "The Leaders of Industry,