see that in a country where there is much industry there are far more people, and these far happier, than in one where there is no industry.

The same rule holds respecting individuals. He who does not work, or in some way serve his fellow-creatures, is left to want; but he who works, obtains the means of living in greater or less comfort. Generally, according as men are diligent and honest, or the reverse, just so do they prosper in their callings. While God has appointed all good things to be attainable only through labour, he has also appointed that labour should in itself be useful and agreeable to man. We cannot be healthy, we cannot be happy, unless we have some occupation for our minds and hands. On the other hand, we should not labour too hard or too diligently, for then we shall exhaust the powers of our bodies, and incur diseases which are even worse than the consequences of idleness. To be actively employed for ten hours every day (Sundays being excepted), is generally thought to be as much as is consistent with health.

THE HUSBANDMAN AND HIS SONS: A FABLE.

A certain husbandman, lying at the point of death, and being desirous his sons should pursue that business of agriculture in which himself had been engaged all his life, made use of this expedient to induce them to it. He called them to his bedside and spoke to this effect:-" All the patrimony I have to bequeath to you, my sons, is my farm and my vineyard, of which I make you joint heirs. But I charge you not to let it go out of your own occupation for if I have any treasure besides, it lies buried somewhere in the ground, within a foot of the surface."

This made the sons conclude that he talked of money which he had hidden there: so, after their father's death, with unwearied diligence and application, they carefully dug up every inch both of the farm and vineyard. From which it came to pass, that though they found no such treasure as they expected, the ground, by being so well stirred and loosened, produced so plentiful a crop of all that was sowed in it, as proved a real and substantial treasure.

THE DILIGENT CARPENTER.

31

CRESIN.

Pliny, the ancient naturalist, relates that the people of a certain district in Italy were much surprised at the fine appearance and great fertility of a farm belonging to one amongst them named Cresin. As their own lands were poor and barren, they conceived that Cresin must employ some magical arts in order to make his ground yield such abundance. Accordingly, they brought him before a judge, and accused him of being an enchanter.

Cresin, being called upon for his defence, brought forward a stout girl, his daughter, and also his implements of husbandry and the cattle which drew his plough. "This girl," said he, "pulls all the weeds which grow on my farm. I manure it carefully, to enable the ground to bear good crops. You see that all my implements are in the best order, and that my cattle, which I take pains to feed well, are the stoutest in the country. Behold," said he, "all the magic I use in the management of my farm! Any one of my neighbours may have as good crops as I, if he will use the same means."

The judges said they never had heard a better pleading, and dismissed Cresin with many commendations of his industry.

THE DILIGENT CARPENTER.

Sir Jonah Barrington, in his memoirs, says "I recollect, in Queen's County, to have seen a Mr Clerk, who had been a working carpenter, and, when making a bench for the session justices at the court-house, was laughed at for taking peculiar pains in planing and smoothing the seat of it. He smilingly observed that he did it to make it easy for himself, as he expected he should not die till he had a right to sit thereupon; and his expectation was fulfilled. He was an industrious man-honest, respectable, and kind-hearted. He succeeded in all his efforts to accumulate an independence: he did accumulate it, and uprightly. His character kept pace with the increase of his property, and he lived to sit as a magistrate on that bench he had shaved and planed."

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

Benjamin Franklin was the son of a tallow-chandler at Boston in North America. His father, who was a poor man, brought him up as a printer. Benjamin was fond of reading, and spent all the money he could spare in buying books. At the same time he did not neglect his work. He lived sparingly, and never wasted his time. When seventeen years old, he removed to Philadelphia, another city in North America, and there worked for some time with a printer named Keimer. He was already, by his talents and diligence, able to write a letter in neat and proper language. It chanced that the governor of the province saw a letter he had written, and thought so highly of it, that he went to seck for the young printer at his master's shop, and invited him to his house. Franklin soon after went to London, where he worked for some time with various printers. While the other workmen spent five or six shillings a-week on beer, and thus were always muddling their brains, Benjamin drank no fermented or spirituous liquor, and thus, while much clearer in the head, and much healthier than they, he saved a little money. At twenty years of age, he returned much inproved to Philadelphia, where, soon after, he set up in business with Mr Keimer. He was now extremely industrious. Every day he composed or arranged the types of a sheet of small folio, besides attending to other business. His neighbours, pleased with his diligence, his honest and correct behaviour, and his lively talents, brought him all the business they could; and thus he could not fail to prosper. He now set up a newspaper, which he conducted with so much prudence and ability, that it acquired a great circulation, and brought him in much profit. Still, however, to show that he was not spoilt by his success, he dressed very plainly, lived frugally, and would sometimes be seen wheeling along a barrow containing the paper which he had purchased for his printing-office. He then set up as a stationer, commenced a subscription library, and began to publish an annual work entitled Poor Richard's Almanac, which contained a great number of prudent and sensible advices. Still, amidst all

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Ark this inquity respecting Frankin, we shall find
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It depends chiedly on two words industry

make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do; and with them, everything. After industry and frugality, nothing contributes more to the raising of a young man in the world than punctuality and justice in all his dealings. Diligence," he adds, "is the mother of good luck. God gives all things to industry. Work while it is called to-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered to-morrow. If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? If, then, you are your own master, be ashamed to catch yourself idle."

SAYINGS OF POOR RICHARD.

It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more: sloth, by bringing on disease, absolutely shortens life. "Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears, while the used key is always bright," as Poor Richard says. But "dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of," as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep! forgetting that "the sleeping fox catches no poultry," and that "there will be sleeping enough in the grave," as Poor Richard says.

"If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be," as Poor Richard says, "the greatest prodigality;" since, as he clsewhere tells us, "Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough. Let us, then, up and be doing, and be doing to the purpose, so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy: and he that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night;" while "laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee; and early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” as Poor Richard says.

So what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better if we bestir ourselves. "Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hope will