therefore never keep borrowed money an hour beyond the time you promised, lest a disappointment shut up your friend's purse for ever." Lawrence ever reduced this wholesome counsel to practice, and he had his reward.

But in his riper years, Mr Lawrence cherished this virtue from higher considerations. He regarded his life as so uncertain, that he must improve the present moment, lest to-morrow find him in the eternal world. His biographer says of him :

"The work of each day was performed with the feeling that it might be his last; and there is through his Correspondence and Diary frequent allusion to the uncertain tenure by which he held life, and his determination to work while the day lasted. If a matter was to be attended to, of great or little importance, whether the founding of a professorship, signing a will, or paying a household bill, all was done at the earliest moment, with the habitual remark, 'I may not be here tomorrow to do it."

A day never passes

How different from this is the course of multitudes! They appear to conduct themselves as if there was time enough and to spare. Urge them to attend to any matter, and they reply, "presently," "by and by." They can see no reason for doing it immediately. This is their habit of procrastination. when they do all that is required: something is put off till to-morrow. For this reason they are always behindhand-they do not drive their business, but their business drives them. They are always hurried, but never despatch work. The habit goes with them into every sphere of life. We remember one of this class. His

He never had a grist

calling was that of a miller. ground at the time it was promised, so that people did not usually go for their meal until two or three days after it was promised. He was expected to be an hour or more behind all his appointments. He was a constant attendant upon public worship on the Sabbath, but seldom came in until the preacher had commenced his sermon. A writer has said, "Some people seem to have been born to be always half an hour after their time;" but this man was much further behind than that.

It is truly lamentable to witness the general want of punctuality around us. We engage a gardener, and he disappoints us. The woodcutter so habitually fails to appear at the time agreed upon, that we say he did not intend to come. The carpenter is four weeks behind his contract; the tailor has not the promised garment ready for his customer when he calls; the debtor promises and promises, and violates his word as often. Thus on through the list. There is only here and there a man, in all the trades and professions, who is always up to the mark.

Such a habit is not only injurious to the person's business, but it becomes a source of trouble to other people. "You have caused us to lose an hour," exclaimed one man to another, whose tardiness had kept twelve individuals waiting. "Oh, that is impossible," replied the delinquent, " for it is only five minutes after the time." "Very true," responded the other, "but here are twelve of us, each of whom has lost five minutes." This is a fair illustration of the inconvenience occasioned by another's want of punctuality. An in

E

stance of the advantage of being in season is afforded in the life of Dr Adam Clarke. When he was young, he saw a copy of the Greek Testament of Erasmus advertised. On the following morning he was up betimes, hastened to the shop, and purchased the book. Before noon a distinguished scholar entered the shop, and inquired for the volume. "You are too late; it is gone," was the reply. "Too late!" exclaimed the scholar,

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why, I came as soon as I had taken my breakfast." The bookseller answered, " Adam Clarke came and purchased it before breakfast." In this age of enterprise and activity, it is more necessary than ever that men should be prompt. Neither wealth nor distinction is won by any other class. The highest authority declares: "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand."

"Shun delays-they breed remorse;

Take thy time while time is lent thee.
Creeping snails have weakest force-

Fly their fault, lest thou repent thee.
Good is best when soonest wrought;
Lingering labours come to nought."

Washington was distinguished for his punctual attendance to his duties. His hour to dine, when he was President, was four o'clock. Frequently new members of Congress, who were invited to dine with him, did not arrive until the meal was half through, when Washington would remark, " Gentlemen, we are punctual here." He visited Boston in 1788, and 8 o'clock A.M., of a certain day, was the hour he appointed to start for Salem. While the clock of the Old South Church was striking eight he mounted his horse, though the cavalry which

volunteered to escort him were not ready. The escort did not overtake him until he reached Charles River bridge. When they came up, the President said to the commander, with a smile: "Major, I thought you had been too long in my family not to know when it was eight o'clock." He once engaged to meet a man at five o'clock in the morning, for the purpose of buying a pair of horses. Washington was promptly there, but the man did not arrive until quarter-past five, when he found the President engaged in other business, so that he could not be seen. He had to wait a week for another opportunity to see him, because he was fifteen minutes behind his engagement.

The biographer of Samuel Budgett says of him: "He was punctual as a chronometer, even out of business. So his men must so arrange their journey that every customer shall know at what hour to expect them. The hour to begin work was six o'clock. By the gate hung a black board divided into squares; each square was numbered, and contained a nail; on the nail hung a little copper plate. Each man had his number, and as he went out, he took a plate with him, leaving his number exposed on the board. As he entered he placed the plate on the nail, so covering his number. The moment the bell ceased ringing, the board was removed, and all whose numbers were not covered, were at once set down as defaulters. He who did not appear once on that list during a year, received at its end a sovereign as his reward. With such spirit was this discipline maintained, that, though many of the men chose to live in Ringswood, after the business was removed to Bristol, they made their four miles' journey, and many never

were late. Some, who have been years in the establishment, have not once been reported absent."

Such discipline was not only indispensable to prosecuting a successful business, but its influence upon the clerks must have been excellent. No doubt it formed a habit of promptness in them which gave lustre to the whole character.

Then let the reader endeavour to be prompt in attending to the business of life. It is the only way to make the most of time, which is passing swiftly as flies the weaver's shuttle. Suppose you are a member of a school, and enter after the exercises have commenced; your late coming disturbs the recitations, and for two minutes, perhaps, at least, until you take your seat, and get your books ready for study, they are suspended. The attention of all the pupils is drawn from their books, and thus some of their time is wasted. Suppose there are sixty pupils in the school, and your tardiness causes them to lose two minutes each. There are two hours wasted through your late arrival. take the responsibility of robbing precious time?

Are you willing to others of so much

A man is away from home. He is designing to take the train to return at four o'clock P.M. His family are expecting to welcome him. But his old habit of being behind the time delays him, and when he reaches the depôt he is just two minutes too late. Now he must incur the expense of stopping until the next day, besides losing several hours which punctuality might have turned to good advantage, while his family spend a sleepless night, because they fear that evil has befallen him.