mancies the works of Satan; the dragons and monsters, the
ills, the difficulties, the obstacles to all good works which have to be
overcome. It was not the fashion to speak out great truths plainly in
those days, as it has happily become at the present time; and so
philosophers who held them wrapped them up in fables and allegories, the
true import of which only the wisest and most sagacious could
comprehend. The great truth that all men are sent into this world to
work, to fight, to strive with might and main, the Doctor tried to
impress on his pupils. He found it difficult, however, to make them
understand the matter. Many of them thought that they knew better than
he did on that subject. Some of them had been told at home, by ignorant
servants or injudicious friends, that they were born heirs to good
fortunes; that they were to go to school, and be good boys, and get
through their lessons as well as they could, and then they would go to
Oxford or Cambridge, because most gentlemen of any pretension went
there; and then that they would be able to live at home and amuse
themselves for the rest of their lives. Of course, such boys thought
that what the Doctor was saying could have nothing at all to do with
them, and could only refer to the children of poor people, who had
nothing to give them. The Doctor, suspecting what was in their
thoughts, surprised them very much by propounding the doctrine that no
one was exempt from the rule; that all mankind, from the sovereign on
his throne to the peasant in the field, are born to labour--to labour
with the head or to labour with the hands, often with both; or if not,
strictly speaking, with the hands, at all events with the mind and body.

"And what, think you, is the labour all men ought to engage in? What is
the great present object of labour?" asked the Doctor. "Why, I reply,
to do good to our fellow-creatures, to ameliorate their condition by
every means in our power."

No boys took in these truths more eagerly than did Bracebridge and
Ellis. They talked them over and over, and warmed with the glorious
theme. To the former they were not new. His father had propounded the
same to him long ago, but the Doctor's remarks gave them additional
strength and freshness.

"It is grand, indeed," exclaimed Ernest, "to feel what victories we have
to achieve, what enemies to overthrow; that if we do our duty we can
never be entirely defeated; and that, though success may be