ill never be in want of friends. You must not regard
it as your misfortune that others do not love you, but your fault. It
is not beauty, it is not wealth, that will give you friends. Your
heart must glow with kindness if you would attract to yourself the
esteem and affection of those by whom you are surrounded.

You are little aware how much the happiness of your whole life depends
upon your cultivating an affectionate and obliging disposition. If you
will adopt the resolution that you will confer favors whenever you
have an opportunity, you will certainly be surrounded by ardent
friends. Begin upon this principle in childhood, and act upon it
through life, and you will make yourself happy, and promote the
happiness of all within your influence.

You go to school in a cold winter morning. A bright fire is blazing
upon the hearth, surrounded with boys struggling to get near it to
warm themselves. After you get slightly warmed, another schoolmate
comes in suffering with the cold.

"Here, James," you pleasantly call out to him, "I am 'most warm; you
may have my place."

As you slip one side to allow him to take your place at the fire,
will he not feel that you are kind? The worst dispositioned boy in
the world cannot help admiring such generosity. And even though he be
so ungrateful as to be unwilling to return the favor, you may depend
upon it that he will be your friend, as far as he is capable of
friendship. If you will habitually act upon this principle, you will
never want for friends.

Suppose some day you are out with your companions playing ball. After
you have been playing for some time, another boy comes along. He
cannot be chosen upon either side; for there is no one to match him.

"Henry," you say, "you may take my place a little while, and I will
rest."

You throw yourself down upon the grass, while Henry, fresh and
vigorous, takes your bat, and engages in the game. He knows that you
gave up to accommodate him. And how can he help liking you for it? The
fact is, that neither man nor child can cultivate such a spirit of
generosity and kindness, without attracting affection and esteem.
Look and see who of your companions have the most friends, and you
will find that they are those who have this noble spirit; who are
willing to deny themselves, that they may make their associates
happy. This is not peculiar to childhood, but is the same in all
periods of life. There is but one way to make friends, and t