though easy to be cured at this age, the cure may, a few years hence, be very difficult, if not impossible.

Others, again, indirectly teach their little children to lie by passing deceptions upon them.-Now every deception that is passed upon the child, goes to teach the child to deceive. The deceptive arts that are played off upon himself, he is quickly prepared to put in practice upon others. Especially if his parents, to whom he looks for example, deceive him with falsehoods for whatever purpose, he, also, will not scruple to utter falsehoods to gain his ends.

Finally, some so keenly mark, and so severely punish even the petty faults of children, that they are strongly tempted to a denial of the truth, whenever they see the least chance of escape by that means;—and thus they begin to form the habit of lying, as it were, in their own defence.

To teach children to despise and detest falsehood and prevarication, and on no account to be guilty of an untruth, is one of the most essential articles in a good education. This is among the good seed that should be sown, betimes, in their minds, by their parents and instructors; so as to prevent, if possible, their ever uttering a wilful falsehood, or, at least, to cure the evil at its first budding else the force of habit being superadded to the vicious propensities of nature, a cure will be doubly difficult, and next to hopeless.

Great care should be taken, not only that children be not led into temptation to this pernicious evil, but, also, that they be early and constantly guarded against it by all prudent means, and be made to form the habit of honestly speaking the truth on every occasion. Be not over much prying and severe in regard

to the mere frailties common to childhood. Many things you must overlook, and forbear to notice, unless you would render your government over your children both odious and contemptible by your perpetual chiding. Never deceive your children by word or deed. Never fail to reprove them seriously for any, and every act of falsehood, or equivocation, that you find them guilty of; however much your parental vanity may be flattered with the dexterity of the little deceivers. Whenever they frankly own a fault, whilst you blame them for the fault, forget not to commend them for speaking the truth about it.

NUMBER XLVI.

OF HABITUAL DISCONTENT, ARISING FROM IMAGINARY WANTS.

THE following short apologue of Sadi, an Asiatic sage, is full of valuable instruction:- "I never complained of my wretched, forlorn condition, but on one occasion, when my feet were naked, and I had not wherewithal to shoe them. Soon after, meeting a man without feet, I was thankful for the bounty of Providence to myself, and with perfeet resignation submitted to my want of shoes."

The true secret of living happily, lies in the philosophy of contentment, which is of more value than the imagined stone of the alchymist, that turns every thing to gold.

It is to be lamented, however, that in this age of boasted light and improvement the philosophy of contentment is very little studied or regarded. From various corrupted sources we have learned not to be content, but dissatisfied with the ordinary conditions of life. And though neither shoeless, nor destitute of any

essential article of raiment or food, we are ready to consume our hearts with vexation because we are not seated at the upper end of fortune's table. The semblance of happiness is more sought after than the reality; the mere phantom of it, rather than the substance. The simple plainness of former days is despised. Plain apparel, plain fare, and plain houses and furniture, such as our worthy progenitors were quite contented with, and very thankful for, our fastidious delicacy regards with scorn, and we must needs be fine and fashionable, or pine our lives away in grief and shame. Nor would it be either so alarming, or so lamentable, were this the folly of only a few. But the worst of it

is, it has spread, like an epidemic, over the whole land, and throughout almost every class of society. Tens and even hundreds of thousands, embracing both sexes alike, are the miserable victims of a morbid sensibility, and squeamishly dash from their lips the cup of ordinary comfort, which is presented to them, because it is not filled to the brim, or because it is not spiced and sweetened exactly to their taste.

And where lies the remedy? It is not within the art of the apothecary, or in the power of any nostrums of partial and limited effect. No, the people must be wise for themselves. The great body of the people, coming once more to their sober senses, must agree to return to the plain, frugal, uncostly habits of other times; and must strive, with general accord, to bring those longdiscarded habits into fashion again, and to render them honorable by the suffrage of public opinion.

As the want of contentment is one of the most grievous wants that affect human life, it ought to be provided against with the utmost care, and particularly in the following ways.

1st. In training up children, scarcely anything is of greater importance than guarding them against the intrusion of too many artificial wants. I say too many, because some wants of this sort do naturally and necessarily grow out of civilization, and it is only their excess that tends to discontent and wretchedness. Of that excess the danger is great, inasmuch as the effects are always deplorable. What multitudes, at this very instant, are discontented and wretched, who might enjoy life comfortably, had they been early taught to conform their desires to their conditions, and to act upon the principles of sober and rational economy. Nor is it of small importance in training up children, to accustom them to useful employment. A useless life is seldom found to be a contented one. Occupation is so necessary to human quiet, that to bring up children in idleness, is the way to make them a burden to themselves, as well as to the community.

From this twofold cause, the excess of artificial wants and the neglect of forming habits of useful industry in the early period of life, has sprung, perhaps, full half of the discontent that secretly preys upon so many bosoms. In short, important as it is to teach children reading and writing and the use of figures, it is of still greater importance to regulate their tempers, to curb their wayward desires, and to fix them in habits of industry, temperance, and frugality, without which the acquisition of learning could be but of little benefit to them.

2d. The self-discipline of adult age is an essential requisite towards leading and enjoying a contented life. A well disciplined mind studies to be content, and most commonly is so. It attains its desires by moderating and limiting them, and thus bringing