we may have too much of a
good thing. His oration in praise of women was an excellent oration, had
it been delivered in another house than his own; and, say, when he was
asked to give the health of Christiana, or of Matthew the bridegroom and
Mercy the bride, it would then have been perfect; but not in his own
house, and not when his guests were waiting for their supper. On the
other hand, you should have seen that perfect gentleman, Mr. Mnason. For
that true old Christian and old English gentleman never once opened his
mouth after he had set his guests a-talking. He was too busy watching
when any man's dish was again empty. He was too much delighted to see
that every one of his guests was having his punctual share of the supper,
and at the same time his full share of the talk. Mr. Fearing's small
voice was far more pleasant to Mr. Mnason than his own voice was in his
own best story. As I opened my own door the other night after supping
with Mr. and Miss Mnason, I said to myself--One thing I have again seen
and learned to-night, and that is, that a host, and still more a hostess,
should talk less at their own table than their most silent, most bashful,
and most backward guest. "Make this an ordinance for thee," said Rabban
Shammai to his sons in the law; "receive all thy guests with a pleasant
expression of countenance, and then say little and do much."

CHRISTIAN

"The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."--_Luke_.

"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."--_King Agrippa_.

"Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity."--_Paul_.

All the other personages in the Pilgrim's Progress come and go; they all
ascend the stage for a longer or shorter time, and then pass off the
stage and so pass out of our sight; but Christian in the First Part, and
Christiana in the Second Part, are never for a single moment out of our
sight. And, accordingly, we have had repeated occasion and opportunity
to learn many excellent lessons from the chief pilgrim's upward walk and
heavenly conversation. But so full and so rich are his life and his
character, that some very important things still remain to be collected
before we finally close his history. "Gather up the fragments that
nothing be lost," said our Lord, after His miraculous meal of multiplied
loaves and fishes with His disciples. And in like manner I shall now
proceed to gather up some of the remaining frag