it has made a
whole life unhappy, or ruined the peace of a household. It was well said
by St. James, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth
not his tongue, that man's religion is vain."

--_Stopford Brooke._

* * * * *

There are three kinds of silence. Silence from words is good, because
inordinate speaking tends to evil. Silence, or rest from desires and
passions, is still better, because it promotes quietness of spirit. But
the best of all is silence from unnecessary and wandering thoughts,
because that is essential to internal recollection, and because it lays
a foundation for a proper regulation and silence in other respects.

--_Madame Guyon._

* * * * *

The example of our Lord, as He humbly and calmly takes the rebuff, and
turns to go to another village, may help us in the ordinary ways of
ordinary daily life. The little things that vex us in the manner or the
words of those with whom we have to do; the things which seem to us so
inconsiderate, or wilful, or annoying, that we think it impossible to
get on with the people who are capable of them; the mistakes which no
one, we say, has any right to make; the shallowness, or conventionality,
or narrowness, or positiveness in talk which makes us wince and tempts
us towards the cruelty and wickedness of scorn;--surely in all these
things, and in many others like them, of which conscience may be ready
enough to speak to most of us, there are really opportunities for thus
following the example of our Saviour's great humility and patience. How
many friendships we might win or keep, how many chances of serving
others we might find, how many lessons we might learn, how much of
unsuspected moral beauty might be disclosed around us, if only we were
more careful to give people time, to stay judgment, to trust that they
will see things more justly, speak of them more wisely, after a while.
We are sure to go on closing doors of sympathy, and narrowing in the
interests and opportunities of work around us, if we let ourselves
imagine that we can quickly measure the capacities and sift the
characters of our fellow-men.

--_Bishop Paget._

* * * * *

How much squandering there is of the voice! How little is there of the
advantage that may come from conversational tones! How seldom does a man
dare to acquit himself with pathos and fervor! And the men are
thems