RESS on! there 's no such word as fail; Look upward, onward,-never fear! PRESS ON. Why should'st thou faint? Heaven smiles above Press on! surmount the rocky steeps, He fails alone who feebly creeps; He wins who dares the hero's march. Be thou a hero! let thy might Tramp on eternal snows its way, And through the ebon walls of night Hew down a passage unto day. Press on! if once, and twice, thy feet While on their breasts who never quail, Press on! if fortune play thee false Makes up for follies past and gone; Press on! what though upon the ground The sweetest that is born of pain. Oft 'mid the forest's deepest glooms, Therefore, press on! and reach the goal, Come wealth and honor and renown. PARK BENJAMIN. A TRUE WOMAN. COVE IVE ear, fair daughter of love, to the instructions of prudence, and let the precepts of truth sink deep in thy heart: so shall the charms of thy mind add lustre to the elegance of thy form; and thy beauty, like the rose it resembleth, shall retain its sweetness when its bloom is withered. In the spring of thy youth, in the morning of thy days, when the eyes of men gaze on thee with delight, and nature whispereth in thine ear the meaning of their looks; ah! hear with caution their seducing words; guard well thy heart, nor listen to their soft persuasions. Remember that thou art made man's reasonable companion, not the slave of his passion; the end of thy being is not merely to gratify his loose desire, but to assist him in the toils of life, to soothe him with thy tenderness, and recompense his care with soft endearments. Who is she that winneth the heart of man, that subdueth him to love, and reigneth in his breast? Lo! yonder she walketh in maiden sweetness, with innocence in her mind and modesty on her cheek. Her hand seeketh employment, her foot delighteth not in gadding abroad. She is clothed with neatness, she is fed with temperance: humility and meekness are as a crown of glory circling her head. crown of glory circling her head. On her tongue dwelleth music, the sweetness of honey floweth from her lips. Decency is in all her words; in her answers are mildness and truth. Submission and obedience are the lessons of her life, and peace and happiness are her reward. Before her steps walketh prudence, and virtue attendeth at her right hand. Her eye speaketh softness and love; but discretion with a sceptre sitteth on her brow. The tongue of the licentious is dumb in her presence; the awe of her virtue keepeth him silent. When scandal is busy, and the fame of her neighbor is tossed from tongue to tongue; if charity and good nature open not her mouth, the finger of silence resteth on her lips. Her breast is the mansion of goodness; and therefore she suspecteth no evil in others. Happy were the man that should make her his wife; happy the child that shall call her mother. She presideth in the house, and there is peace; she commandeth with judgment, and is obeyed. She ariseth in the morning, she considers her affairs, and appointeth to every one their proper business. The care of her family is her whole delight, to that alone she applieth her study; and elegance with frugality is seen in her mansions. The prudence of her management is an honor to her husband, and he heareth her praise with a secret delight. She informeth the minds of her children with wisdom; she fashioneth their manners from the example of her own goodness. The word of her mouth is the law of their youth; the motion of her eye commandeth obedience. She speaketh, and her servants fly; she pointeth, and the thing is done; for the law of love is in their hearts, and her kindness addeth wings to their feet. In prosperity she is not puffed up; in adversity she healeth the wounds of fortune with patience. The troubles of her husband are alleviated by her counsels, and sweetened by her endearments: he putteth his heart in her bosom, and receiveth comfort. Happy is the man that hath made her his wife; happy the child that calleth her mother. NDUSTRY is a substitute for genius. Where one or more faculties exist in the highest state of development and activity,-as the faculty of music in Mozart, invention in Fulton,-ideality in Milton,- we call their possessor a genius. But a genius is usually understood to be a creature of such rare facility of mind, that he can do anything without labor. According to the popular notion, he learns without study, and knows without learning. He is eloquent without preparation, exact without calculation, and profound without reflection. While ordinary men toil for knowledge by reading, by comparison, and by minute research, a genius is supposed to receive it as the mind receives dreams. His mind is like a vast cathedral, through whose colored windows the sunlight streams, painting the aisles with the varied colors of brilliant pictures. Such minds may exist. So far as my observations have ascertained the species, they abound in academies, colleges, and Thespian societies; in village debating clubs; in coteries of young artists, and among young professional aspirants. They are to be known by a reserved air, excessive sensitiveness, and utter indolence; by very long hair, and very open shirt collars; by the reading of much wretched poetry, and the writing of much yet more wretched; by being very conceited, very affected, very disagreeable. and very useless, -beings whom no man wants for friend, pupil, or companion. HENRY WARD BEECHER THE LIGHT OF STARS. THE night is come, but not too soon; And sinking silently, Drops down behind the sky. There is no light in earth or heaven, And the first watch of night is given To the red planet Mars. Is it the tender star of love? The star of love and dreams? And earnest thoughts within me rise, O star of strength! I see thee stand Thou beckonest with thy mailéd hand, Within my breast there is no light, I give the first watch of the night The star of the unconquered will, And calm, and self-possessed. And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art, O fear not in a world like this, HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. A HAPPY LIFE. SOW happy is he born and taught, Who envies none that chance doth raise, How deepest wounds are given by praise; Who hath his life from rumors freed, Who God doth late and early pray, This man is freed from servile bands, SIR HENRY WOTTON. T SUCCESS IN LIFE. AKE earnestly hold of life, as capacitated for and destined to high and noble purpose. Study closely the mind's bent for labor or a profession. Adopt it early and pursue it steadily, never looking back to the turning furrow, but forward to the ground that ever remains to be broken. Means and ways are abundant to every man's success, if will and actions are rightly adapted to them. Our rich men and our great men have carved their paths to fortune, and by this internal principle—a principle that cannot fail to reward him who resolutely pursues it. To sigh or repine over the lack of inheritance is unmanly. Every man should strive to be creator instead of inheritor. He should bequeath instead of borrow. He should be conscious of the power in him, and fight his own battles with his own lance. He should feel that it is better to earn a crust than to inherit coffers of gold. When once this spirit of self-reliance is learned, every man will discover within himself the elements and capacities of wealth. He will be rich, inestimably rich in self-resources, and can lift his head proudly to meet the noblest among men. MY lord, lie not idle: HONORABLE EMPLOYMENT. The chiefest action for a man of great spirit Virtue is ever sowing of her seeds: In the trenches for the soldier: in the wakeful study JOHN WEBSTER. A RHYME OF LIFE. F life be as a flame that death doth kill, With a pure flame, that I may rightly see If life be as a flower that blooms and dies, With Judas kiss, and trusting love betrays; Forever may my song of praise If life be as a voyage, foul or fair, CHARLES WARREN STODDARD. T INDUSTRY. HE way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything. 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. Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. There are no gains without pains; then help, hands, for I have no lands; or if I have, they are smartly taxed. He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, at the working-man's house, hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for industry pays debts, while despair increaseth them. Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure; and since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; for a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. M MY WORK. ASTER! to do great work for thee, my hand To build vast temples, gloriously planned, FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL. |