3. It makes one a much more agreeable companion. A man who is constantly giving way to ill-temper, or yielding to ill-humor in any of its forms, is a very uncomfortable and undesirable associate.

4. Stability of character is a very important advantage gained by self-government. He who controls his varying inclinations will not readily change his purpose, and his friends will always know where to find him.

5. This habit enables one to exert a far greater influence over others. Parents and teachers would soon lose their power over those committed to their care, if they did not first control their own spirits.

6. He who performs this duty meets with the reward that always follows right doing. He is happy in that self-respect which it justly brings; he is saved from a thousand troubles which come upon those who yield to temptation; and when unavoidable affliction or adversity falls heavily upon him, he is able to sustain it with calmness and self-possession.

Third advantage of self-government? Fourth? Fifth? Sixth?

CHAPTER IV.

SELF-RESPECT.

"Who does the best his circumstance allows,
Does well, acts nobly, - angels could no more."

As creatures of God, the perfect workmanship of His hand, endowed with wonderful faculties of body and mind, destined to live forever, and capable of endless progress in knowledge and goodness, we may justly view ourselves with a degree of reverence. But in proportion as we give way to sin or folly, or as we allow ourselves to be actuated by any unworthy motive, we fall in our own estimation.

Self-respect arises from acting in a manner worthy of the powers that God has given us, and endeavoring to do the very best we can under the circumstances in which we are placed. It is not necessary that we should be rich, or that we should occupy a high station, in order to be entitled to our own self-respect.

The

wood-sawer, the washer-woman, and those boys and girls who get their living by doing errands, if they perform faithfully and well what they undertake, and endeavor to improve heir minds as much as their condition allows, nave a right to respect themselves as highly as

Subject of Chapter IV.? Motto? Why may we view ourselves with a degree of reverence? In what proportion do we fall in our own estimation? From what does selfrespect arise? Is it necessary to self-respect that we be rich, or, what is called, great? How illustrated?

though they were not obliged to labor for their

own support.

"Honor and shame from no condition rise;

Act well your part, there all the honor lies."

The Athenians erected a large statue to Esop and placed him, though a slave, on a lasting pedestal, to show that the way to honor lies open indifferently to all.

Fine clothes are not essential to self-respect. Though a person's dress be coarse and plain, if it is suited to the employment in which he is engaged, or is as good as he is able to procure, and is kept as clean and tidy as possible, he has no reason to think the less of himself because he is not dressed in a rich or fashionable manner.

A proper self-respect prevents us from feeling unhappy or degraded in our own view, when others neglect us, or do not show us that deference or attention which we may deserve. "When a stranger treats me with want of respect," said a poor philosopher, "I comfort myself with the reflection, that it is not myself that he slights, but my old shabby coat and shabby hat, which, to say the truth, have no particular claim to adoration. So if my hat and coat choose to fret about it, let them; but it is nothing to me." The man of whom this anecdote is told had the true spirit of self

Old maxim? What fact about Æsop? What is said of dress as essential to self-respect? Self-respect in reference to neglect? Illustration?

respect. The story, too, renders sufficiently apparent the folly of proportioning our respect for a person according to the quality of his clothes or the fashion of his dress.

If we restrain our passions and appetites for the sake of a future good; if we deny ourselves some gratification from a sense of duty; if, in the darkness of midnight, or when no human eye can see us, we are guilty of nothing in which we would not indulge though the whole world were gathered around us; we secure for ourselves the highest possible self-respect, and the happy feeling of self-approval which reasonably attends it.

It is justly considered one of our duties, to act, at all times, in such a way that we shall have a right to respect ourselves. From this will follow the respect of all those whose opinion is worth having, let our outward circumstances be what they may. We shall be better able to exert a good influence upon others. If we make this duty our rule of action, we shall avoid whatever is low, mean and unworthy; we shall not indulge in ill-temper, slander or retaliation; we shall set our standard high, and live for some great and good purpose..

The following are some of the ways in which self-respect is destroyed :

1. When we allow ourselves to be fretful,

How do we secure the highest possible self-respect? What is considered one of our duties? What will follow from this? What will result from making this duty our rule of action? First case in which self-respect is destroyed?

peevish, ungrateful, narrow-minded, penurious, dishonest or unfair.

2. When we indulge a prying curiosity, that leads us to search into things that do not concern us; such as finding out the age, or the amount of property, of another; trying to get possession of family secrets; reading the letters or private writings of others that chance to fall in our way; peeping into closets, drawers, trunks, and the like; or doing anything of a similar character.

3. If we seek the praise and flattery of others, rather than our own and God's approval, we are wanting in proper self-respect.

4. The man who makes a slave of his body, and neglects the cultivation of his mind, merely to get money, is entirely wanting in that respect which is due to himself.

5. We can have no proper self-respect, if we have not formed habits of truth, honesty, punctuality, order and true politeness.

6. A scholar cannot respect himself, if he whispers when he thinks his teacher does not see him; if he does not learn his lessons as well as he can; or if, in recitation, he answers either from the prompting of his seat-mate, or from a stealthy glance into his book.

7. If we allow ourselves to do anything that we should not honor in another, we lose respect for ourselves, and the commendations of others give us pain rather than pleasure.

Second case in which self-respect is destroyed? Third? What is said, of the man who lives only to get money? Fifth? When cannot a scholar respect himself? Seventh?