that you think no more
highly of yourself than you ought to think. Then will others love
you. They will rejoice at your prosperity. And they will be glad to
see you rising in the world, in usefulness and esteem.

Moral courage is a trait of character of the utmost importance to be
possessed. A man was once challenged to fight a duel. As he thought of
his own condition, if he should kill his adversary, and of his
widowed wife and orphan children, if he should be shot himself as he
thought of his appearance before the bar of God to answer for the
atrocious sin, he shrunk from accepting the challenge. But when he
thought of the ridicule to which he would be exposed if he declined;
that others would call him a coward, and point at him the finger of
scorn, he was afraid to refuse. He was such a coward that he did not
dare to meet the ridicule of contemptible men. He had so little moral
courage, that he had rather become a murderer, or expose himself to be
shot, than boldly to disregard the opinions and the sneers of the
unprincipled and base. It is this want of moral courage which very
frequently leads persons to the commission of crimes.

There is nothing so hard to be borne as ridicule. It requires a bold
heart to be ready to do one's duty, unmoved by the sneers of others.
How often does a child do that which he knows to be wrong, because he
is afraid that others will call him a coward if he does right! One
cold winter's day, three boys were passing by a school-house. The
oldest was a mischievous fellow, always in trouble himself, and
trying to get others into trouble. The youngest, whose name was
George, was a very amiable boy, who wished to do right, but was very
deficient in moral courage. We will call the oldest Henry, and the
other of the three James. The following dialogue passed between them.

Henry.--What fun it would be to throw a snowball against the
schoolroom door, and make the instructer and scholars all jump!

James.--You would jump if you should. If the instructer did not catch
you and whip you, he would tell your father, and you would get a
whipping then, that would make you jump higher than the scholars, I
think.

Henry.--Why, we could get so far off, before the instructer could come
to the door, that he could not tell who we are. Here is a snow-ball
just as hard as ice, and George had as lief throw it against that door
as not.

James.--Give it to him and see. He would not dare to throw it against