Life and Literature Part 58

'You,' said the little girl, slowly--'well, papa, dear, you like most anything we haven't got.'"

806

Guilt is always cowardly.

--_From the Latin._

807

Dr. Guthrie tells an anecdote in which he humorously introduces a Brechin citizen, alive in his youthful days:--"An honest countryman came one day to Mr. Linton (head master of the grammar school) with a halflin[807:A], a long, empty chap, who had taken it into his head that he would have some little learning. Said the father, 'Mr. Linton, ye see, my laddie's fond o' lear'[807:B], and I'm thinking o' makin' a scholar o' him.' 'But,' said Mr. Linton, looking at the youth, and not seeing any sign that there was much in him, 'What are you to make of him?' 'You see, Mr. Linton,' rejoined the father--and it showed how sound the old Scotchman was--'if he gets grace, we'll make a minister o'

him!' 'Oh, but,' says Mr. Linton, 'if he does not get grace, what will you make of him then?' 'Weel, in that case,' said the parent, 'if he disna get grace, we'll just mak' a dominie o' him! '"

--_From Memoir._

FOOTNOTES:

[807:A] Half-grown.

[807:B] Learning.

807a

_Dr. Guthrie to his Son_: "I saw an adage yesterday, in a medical magazine, which is well worth your remembering and acting on, it is this wise saying of the great Lord Bacon's:--'Who asks much learns much.' I remember the day when I did not like by asking, to confess my ignorance.

I have long given up that, and now seize on every opportunity of adding to my stock of knowledge."

--_From Memoir of Dr. Guthrie._

H

808

HA AND AH!

Ha, is an exclamation denoting surprise or joy; ah, an exclamation expressive of pity or grief.

--_Fuller._

809

How use doth breed a habit in a man!--

--_Shakespeare._

810

HOW TO CORRECT A BAD HABIT.

Penn was once advising a man to leave off his habit of drinking intoxicating liquors.

"Can you tell me how to do it?" said the slave of his appet.i.te.

"Yes," answered Penn. "It is just as easy as to open thy hand, friend."

"Convince me of that and I will promise, upon my honor, to do as you tell me."

"Well, my friend," said the great Quaker, "when thou findest any vessel of intoxicating liquor in thy hand, open the hand that grasps it before it reaches thy mouth, and thou wilt never be drunk again."

The man was so pleased with the plain advice that he followed it.

--_Monthly Magazine._

811

You need not wrestle and strive with the old habit, only just be persistent in forming the good one, and the bad one will take care of itself.

--_Ursula._

812

Habit is like a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.

--_Horace Mann._

813

No man is free who is a slave to any kind of useless habit.

--_Seneca._

814

Habit, if not resisted soon, becomes necessity.

--_St. Augustine._