lad left school it was the rule and
not the exception for the boys to say their prayers.

_Fasting_. People understand feasts and are ready enough to keep them,
but fasting is quite another matter. Feasts should be kept, and the more
the great festivals are recognized the better. Fasting, however, is
quite as necessary. Appointed times in which to remember more
particularly Christ's suffering for us, to deny ourselves lawful
pleasures, and to make us think more of our sins and how to conquer them.
They keep us from getting careless, and letting our religion become a
sort of Sunday clothes, to be put on at certain times, but to have no
real effect upon our daily life.

One thing more. God has given you brains and the power to use them. You
are bound then to try and learn about God, and the duty you owe to Him.
Every year you ought to advance in knowledge, and not be content with the
little you were taught as a child. Read your Bible--think it out for
yourself--pray for understanding, and study such books as will help you
to a better knowledge of it.

COURAGE.

Boys and men are great cowards. There is hardly any accusation that an
Englishman or boy resents so much as to be called a coward. Still I
venture to make the accusation, and will try and make good my words. I
do not mean that you are cowards in the sense of being afraid to attempt
any act of daring. You have pluck enough to tackle a fellow half as big
again as yourself, pluck enough to endure pain without a word, pluck
enough to risk your life to save another, but too often you have not
pluck enough to say no, or to brave a laugh. That is what I mean by
saying that men and boys are cowards. You will let the worst fellow of
the lot be the leader and give the tone to conversation because you have
not the pluck to say boldly that it is wrong, and that you will not join
in it. This want of moral courage makes a lad give up little by little
his hold on what is right. Sunday school, Church-going, prayers given up
because Jem chaffs so about them. If he chooses to neglect them that is
his look out. You have as much right to your opinion as he has to his.
Why should you let him show more courage in doing wrong than you in doing
right. Are you afraid of him? No. Well then, stick to your duty.

I said just now that going to work throws you in with a different set of
companions. Here, specially, comes the test of your courage. Are you
goin