that Ellen will be as happy here as in any man's house to which she might go." Harry listened to his father and scarcely knew what to answer. There was a pause, after which he said: 66 'Well, father, I agree quite willingly for the house to be Ellen's, but really I can hardly make up my mind to her living an old maid's life. You see I want Ellen to be as happy as Minnie and I are going to be." Mr. Walton smiled at his son, and it was a smile of sympathy with him in his joyous anticipations for the future, and then he answered: "Your enthusiasm is natural enough, Harry, and I would not say a word to damp it. But do not think that all the happiness in the world is confined to the married folks. And as for old maids, why there are amongst them some of the kindest, the most noble hearted women in the world! My mother's sister was one. She never married, not because she had no chance, for she had offers enough, but because she never had an offer from a man whom she thought worthy of her hand and heart. And I honoured her for her decision. She lived a most useful life nevertheless. And it seems to me likely at present that Ellen will follow her example, though not for the same reason. Not that I wish her to remain unmarried. I should prefer otherwise. But she must be at liberty to please herself, or rather to do what she thinks right, which is scarcely the same thing. And you need not look so doleful, as though you feared that I disapproved of your own marriage. I am thankful for your good fortune. I believe you will have in Minnie Maylow a faithful devoted wife, and may God bless you both! "But really I called you in here to have a little business talk with you and we have not got far yet. I fear Ellen will be wondering what is the matter, and fancying some more trouble about Nancy. You must know then that I want you to be one of my executors under my new will. And besides the arrangement for Ellen, I of course leave the business to Richie, and the rest will be divided equally among you. But there is a little matter about Jortin, Jimmy Jortin as he was called at first. I have always regretted that in my hastiness I once suspected him of theft. I ought to have known better at the time; but I caused him much suffering. He has turned out a most faithful and valuable servant. And he is so respectable and gentlemanly in his manners that you must be as astonished as I am myself. I leave him a hundred pounds, as an expression of my regret for the injustice I did him, and to show my present regard. This is all I need tell you now, go and find Ellen, and tell her that we will have an early supper, but don't trouble her with the matters we have talked about to-night.” 296 PAPERS FOR THOUGHTFUL GIRLS. BY THOS. STONELEY, Author of " Papers for Thoughtful Boys." XI.-FRIENDSHIP. "Some 1 remember, and will ne'er forget, ROBERT POLLOCK. Keep good company, and you shall be of the number." GEORGE HERBERT. HEN a man, blind from his birth, was asked what he thought the sun to be like, he replied, "Like friendship." He could not conceive of anything more fitting as a similitude for what he had been taught to regard as the most glorious of material objects, and whose quickening and exhilarating influences he had rejoiced to feel. And truly friendship is a sun, if not the sun, of life. All feel it to be so. It would be commonplace to dwell upon its delights and advantages. The theme of poets and moralists in all ages and countries, what can be said upon it has been said so often as to make repetition stale, so well as to make improvement impossible. How friendship is a pearl of greatest price; how it is often more deep and steadfast than natural affection, a friend sometimes sticketh closer than a brother," how it is as useful as lovely, "strength and beauty;" how it lessens grief and increases pleasure; all this is familiar as the lessons of childhood, and true as the elementary principles of our nature. 66 It has been said that much of what is lovely and most valuable to us in the course of our earthly experience, arises out of the poverty and the feebleness of our nature. This is undoubtedly true of friendship. Friendship would never have existed, but for the absolute want of the human heart, from its utter inability to perform the functions of life, without a participator in its joys, a recipient of its secrets, and a soother of its sorrows. The mind, too, seeks companionship. During life's early morning the want of friends is felt more keenly than at a later period; towards the evening of life we learn as it were to stand alone. Interests and claims, which have little to do with the affections, press upon us on every hand, and hem us in to a narrow and accustomed path, from which there is little temptation to deviate. But in youth we seem to walk at large, with no boundary to our horizon; and the fear and uncertainty which necessarily attend our movements, render a companion with whom we may consult, deliberate, and sympathise, absolutely necessary to our cheerfulness and support. Our blessed Saviour, when on earth, drank deeply, we may reverently believe, of the sweets of friendship. He had many friends, and we all know how ardently He loved them, and how faithfully He served them. And we must not forget that, with all their faults, they reciprocated His affection with passionate devotion. The wise men from the east were but the leaders of a noble army of friends and admirers who laid their treasures at His feet. Mary immortalised herself by the costliness of her offerings, and the quiet devotion of her heart to her Lord. John was "that disciple whom Jesus loved;" and even Peter occupied an honourable place in the affections of the Master for whom he was ready to go to prison and to death. These and a host of others were loved and admired by our Lord, and He in return was loved and admired by them. Now, may we offer you a few hints with regard to the important yet delightful occupation of choosing friends? We shall speak only of those of your own sex, because that choice is more entirely in your own hands. In the selection of friends do not forget what I have said about the heart needing the solace of sympathy. Do your best to decide upon those who will wear well. Do not have any one as a companion merely because she is good-looking, or merry, or accomplished. Many a chatty, pleasant, attractive girl will be found on closer observation to be shallow-hearted and vain, and altogether incapable of a strong, firm attachment such as will meet your requirement. This does not follow of necessity. And hence we would not have it thought that we are about to recommend you to select your friends from among the dull, heavy, uninteresting girls of your acquaintance, because a girl is not obliged to be bad or vain merely because she is beautiful, merry, and well-educated; only do not disregard the more sterling qualities of the character. Indeed, we would have you think more of these than of any others. And here it seems fitting to offer a protest against that rashness and impetuosity so frequently manifested in the formation of early friendships, which of themselves are sufficient to render such intimacies uncertain, and of short duration. In the early morn of life, friendships are the result of accident rather than choice ; though even then, there is some real or fancied congeniality of feeling. As the judgment matures, there comes the ability to analyse character, and to choose friends with more discrimination. Yet how seldom, even at the noon of life, is the judgment exercised in the choice; some fortuitous circumstances give an introduction to one of whose mind and heart little is known; an intimacy is formed which bears the name of friendship, though wanting in some of its essential ingredients. This companionship is what usually passes current in the world for the pure beaten gold of friendship. That such intimacies should soon fail is not to be wondered at. You may hear, perhaps, complaints on both sides of the inconsistency, the falsity, the fickleness of friends. But they never were friends. They were glued together only by that which is external and superficial. My advice to you, dear young reader, is, do not be in haste to give the tender and expressive name of friend to any one. Again, if friendship is to be rendered either lasting or desirable, it is important that you select your friends from those who are about your own equals. Your equals I mean, not only in social standing, but, as far as possible, in intellectual attainments. Great disparity of rank between two friends, will assuredly involve them at times in dilemmas, from which it will be impossible to escape without wounded feelings, either on one side or the other. Those mentally inferior are, however, much more objectionable as friends, than those who are inferior only in worldly circumstances; because they must always be incapable of judging of persons more highly gifted than themselves, and on this account they will bestow their praise and their blame with equal injustice. Prejudice, too, is always associated with ignorance. For the young, therefore, to take up with those whose minds are unenlightened would expose them to the risk of imbibing opinions formed upon false conclusions, by which, in all probability, their future lives would be powerfully influenced. Were it not for equality in friendship being necessary to the mutual participation of its pleasures, I should strongly recommend all young persons to seek friends amongst those who are better than themselves, and strive to imitate their example. Association with persons wiser, better, and more experienced than ourselves, is always more or less inspiring and invigorating. In this case, however, too much must not be expected in return, for it is scarcely possible that the confiding intimacy of a young girl should always be interesting, or even acceptable to a woman more advanced in life. An entirely new direction may be given to the life of a young woman by a happy suggestion, a timely hint, or the kindly advice of an honest friend. And here let me add that if the friend you have chosen never attempts to correct your faults, or make you better than you are, she is not worthy of the name; nor ought she to be fully confided in, whatever may be the extent of her kindness to you, or the degree of her admiration of your character. When, after due consideration, you have made choice of your friend, the next thing is to trust her. True friendship cannot exist without entire confidence, a self-sacrificing spirit, and mutual forbearance. "He that You cannot We have already occupied sufficient space, but our paper would be incomplete if we did not turn from the nature of true friendship to say a word or two on its requirements. These are mutual, and may be comprehended in the saying of the wise man. would have friends must show himself friendly." always be receiving, you must give as well. Socrates says: "Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love. Excite them by your civilities, and show them that you desire nothing more than their satisfaction: oblige with all your soul that friend who has made you a present of her own." If we expect to receive, we must be studious to give. An interchange of kind offices and evident proofs of affection are essential to the vitality of friendship. Remember the Scotch proverb :'Friendship cannot stand aye on one side." 66 I have often regretted, and so have many others, that the young so seldom enter into close and intimate friendship with the members of their own family. I hope it may never come to pass in your case that the dear ones at home are neglected, or not allowed to be sharers in your best and strongest love. And what about the Friend that "sticketh closer than a brother." Is He to have no place in your heart? Will you admit others and keep Him standing outside "Knocking! Knocking? "Doctor, what shall I do?" asked a patient of her medical adviser. "My friends are all out of town." "You may have one friend," was the answer, "who is never out of the way, but ever near, and ever true. Jesus is the best friend for earth or heaven! Human love can never satisfy you. St. Augustine uttered a deep truth when speaking to that best Friend, he said, 'Thou hast made me for Thyself; and my heart is restless till it rest in Thee.'" Hast thou a friend as heart may wish at will? Then use him so, to have his friendship still. Wouldst have a friend-wouldst know what friend is best? Have Christ thy friend, who passeth all the rest. STORY OF MY CHILD-LIFE. BY GRANDPAPA. CHAPTER VI.-MY FIRST BOOKS. SI have already told, I learnt to read at a very early age, and reading was a great delight to me. I often preferred it to play, and if I had a nice book at hand I did not regret the day being so wet that I could not go out of doors. But what were the books I read in the days of my boyhood? Well, on the whole very different to those which boys and girls |