ion of his time in painting,--though he is too
modest to exhibit. The last time we visited his beautiful home at
Hammerfield, he was busy polishing glasses for one of his new
telescopes,--the motive power being a windmill erected on one of his
outhouses.

Another word before we have done. "If," said Nasmyth, "I were to try to
compress into one sentence the whole of the experience I have had during
an active and successful life, and offer it to young men as a rule and
certain receipt for success in any station, it would be composed in
these words--'Duty _first!_ Pleasure _second!_' From what I have seen of
young men and their after-progress, I am satisfied that what is
generally termed 'bad fortune,' 'ill luck,' and 'misfortune,' is in nine
cases out of ten, simply the result of _inverting_ the above simple
maxim. Such experience as I have had, convinces me that absence of
success arises in the great majority of cases from want of self-denial
and want of common sense. The worst of all maxims is 'Pleasure _first!_
Work and Duty _second!_"

CHAPTER VI.

METHODS OF ECONOMY.

"It was with profound wisdom that the Romans called by the same name
courage and virtue. There is in fact no virtue, properly so called,
without victory over ourselves; and what cost us nothing, is worth
nothing."--_De Maistre_.

"Almost all the advantages which man possesses above the inferior
animals, arise from his power of acting in combination with his fellows;
and of accomplishing by the united efforts of numbers what could not be
accomplished by the detached efforts of indivduals."--_J.S. Mill_.

"For the future, our main security will be in the wider diffusion of
Property, and in all such measures as will facilitate this result. With
the possession of property will come Conservative instincts, and
disinclination for rash and reckless schemes.... We trust much,
therefore, to the rural population becoming Proprietors, and to the
urban population becoming Capitalists."--_W.R. Greg_.

The methods of practising economy are very simple. Spend less than you
earn. That is the first rule. A portion should always be set apart for
the future. The person who spends more than he earns, is a fool. The
civil law regards the spendthrift as akin to the lunatic, and frequently
takes from him the management of his own affairs.

The next rule is to pay ready money, and never, on any account, to run
into debt. The person who runs into debt is apt