roportioned faculties.
In a corner of his desk, Lincoln kept a copy of the latest humorous
work; and it was frequently his habit, when fatigued, annoyed, or
depressed, to take this up, and read a chapter with great relief. Clean,
sensible wit, or sheer nonsense,--anything to provoke mirth and make a
man jollier,--this, too, is a gift from Heaven.

In the world of books, what is grand and inspiring may easily become a
part of every man's life. A fondness for good literature, for good
fiction, for travel, for history, and for biography,--what is better
than this?

THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD.

This title best fits Victoria, the true queen of the world, but it fits
her best because she is the best type of a noble wife, the queen of her
husband's heart, and of a queen mother whose children rise up and call
her blessed.

"I noticed," said Franklin, "a mechanic, among a number of others, at
work on a house a little way from my office, who always appeared to be
in a merry humor; he had a kind word and smile for every one he met.
Let the day be ever so cold, gloomy, or sunless, a happy smile danced on
his cheerful countenance. Meeting him one morning, I asked him to tell
me the secret of his constant flow of spirits.

"'It is no secret, doctor,' he replied. 'I have one of the best of
wives; and, when I go to work, she always has a kind word of
encouragement for me; and, when I go home, she meets me with a smile and
a kiss; and then tea is sure to be ready, and she has done so many
little things through the day to please me that I cannot find it in my
heart to speak an unkind word to anybody.'"

Some of the happiest homes I have ever been in, ideal homes, where
intelligence, peace, and harmony dwell, have been homes of poor people.
No rich carpets covered the floors; there were no costly paintings on
the walls, no piano, no library, no works of art. But there were
contented minds, devoted and unselfish lives, each contributing as much
as possible to the happiness of all, and endeavoring to compensate by
intelligence and kindness for the poverty of their surroundings. "One
cheerful, bright, and contented spirit in a household will uplift the
tone of all the rest. The keynote of the home is in the hand of the
resolutely cheerful member of the family, and he or she will set the
pitch for the rest."

"Young men," it is said, "are apt to be overbearing, imperious, brusque
in their manner; they need that s