in the lottery, his friend desired he would buy one for him at the same time, which of course was very willingly agreed to. The conversation dropped, the ticket never arrived, and the whole affair was entirely forgotten, when the country gentleman received information that the ticket purchased for him by his friend had turned out a prize of 20,000l. Upon his arrival in London, he inquired of his friend where he had put the ticket, and why he had not informed him that it was purchased. 'I bought them,' he replied, both the same day, and flung them into a drawer, never thinking of them afterwards.' 'But how do you distinguish one ticket from the other?' 'Why, at the time I put them into the drawer, I put a little mark in ink upon the ticket which I resolved should be yours, and on reopening the drawer I found that the one so marked was the fortunate ticket. I therefore sent to you to inform you of your success.'

ON CONFIDENCE AND SUSPICION.

Those people who value themselves on their sharpsightedness are always on the look-out lest they should be duped, or, as they express in, taken it. But it is better occasionally even to be duped than to have no confidence in, or be suspicious and distrustful of, your fellow-men. That credulity which has faith in goodness is a sign of goodness. That man who has confidence in others enjoys his situation, whatever it be, with cheerfulness

and peace.

Prudence directs his intercourse with the world, but no black suspicions haunt

his hours of rest.

Accustomed to view the character of his neighbours in the most favourable light, he is like one who dwells amidst those beautiful scenes of nature on which the eye rests with pleasure; whereas the suspicious man, having his imagination filled with all shocking forms of falsehood, resembles the traveller in the wilderness, who discerns no objects around him. but such as are either dreary or terrible, caverns that open, serpents that hiss, and beasts of prey that howl. As a suspicious spirit is the source of many crimes and calamities in the world, so it is the spring of certain misery to the person who indulges it. Besides the external evils which he draws upon himself, arising from alienated friendship, broken confidence, and open enmity, the suspicious temper itself is one of the worst evils which any man can suffer. So numerous and so great are these evils that, of the two extremes of confidence and suspicion, it is wiser even to expose ourselves to occasional disadvantages from thinking too well of others, than to suffer continual misery by thinking always ill of them. It is better sometimes to be imposed upon than never to trust or to confide in others. Safety is purchased at too dear a rate when, in order to secure it, we are always obliged to be clad in armour, and to live in

perpetual hostility with our fellows. This is, for the sake of living, to deprive ourselves of the comforts of life.

A SUSPICIOUS COUNTRYMAN REBUKEd.

A countryman had a brother in town who was a gardener, and possessed a splendid orchard full of the finest trees, so that his skill and his beautiful trees were commended everywhere. The countryman went to town to visit him, and was astonished at the beautiful rows of trees that grew slender and smooth as waxen tapers.

Then the gardener ordered his workmen to take one of the trees out of the ground, and he presented it to his brother. The countryman was very glad, and caused it to be conveyed to his home in safety.

When he returned home, there was great doubt in his mind as to where he should plant the tree. For he said to himself, 'If I plant it on that hill the wind may catch it, and shake down the delicious fruit before it is ripe; if I plant it close to the wayside the passers-by will see it, and the luscious apples may be stolen; and if I plant it too near the door of my house, it is not safe from my own children and servants.'

After much consideration and hesitation he planted the tree behind his barn on the north side, saying to himself, Prying thievishness

will hardly think to find it here;' and he rejoiced secretly at his prudence.

But, behold, the tree had no fruit the first year nor the second year.

Then he sent to his brother, the gardener, and reproached him, saying, 'You have deceived me, and given me a barren miserable tree instead of a fruitful one. For, behold, this the third year that it brings forth nothing but leaves.'

The gardener laughed when he saw the tree, and said, ‘I am not surprised at it. You have planted the tree where it is exposed to the cold winds. It has neither light nor warmth. From whence should the flower and the fruit come? Its nature is and will always be noble.

But it

has suffered through your want of confidence. You have planted it with an evil and suspicious heart. How, then, could you expect to reap that which is noble and agreeable?'

ON IMPARTIALITY AND PREJUDICE.

There are habits of misapprehension and misjudging common among all degrees of men. One of the most powerful of these habits is partiality, which warps everything to its own purpose.

Human nature is so constituted that all see and judge more impartially in the affairs of other men than in their

own.

In order to form correct opinions concerning mankind two things are especially requisite

information and impartiality. But such as are most forward to decide unfavourably are commonly destitute of both. Instead of possessing, or even requiring, full information, they proceed frequently on the most slight and frivolous grounds. A tale, perhaps, which the idle have invented, the inquisitive have listened to, and the credulous have propagated, or a real incident, exaggerated and disguised, supplies them with materials of confident assertion and decisive judgment. From an action they at once look into the heart and infer the motive. This supposed motive they conclude to be the ruling. principle, and pronounce at once concerning the whole character.

Contending parties are very apt to appeal for the truth to what is said on their own side only, but nothing is more unfair, and, at the same time, insignificant and unconvincing. Such is the partiality of mankind in favour of themselves and their own actions, that it is almost impossible to come to any certainty by hearing or reading the accounts on one side only.

The great obstacle to the exercise of an impartial spirit is prejudice. This word implies that judgments are formed before examination, and such judgments, it will generally be found, bear on their very face the marks of rash and unreasonable decision. They are, however, so common that few persons recognise them to be wrong.