Have Compassion.


WHILE passing through a village a short

time since, my attention was arrested by a

party of boys on a bridge, who were calling

to each other, "Look here! Look here!"

I with others went to the side of the bridge

where they were, and there I saw a pitiable

sight. A kitten had been thrown into the

water, and was mewing and struggling,

sinking and rising, as it was being carried

down the stream by the current. One boy

was looking on with apparent satisfaction,

holding in his hands other kittens destined

to the same fate. Soon a bright, blue-eyed

lad, of about ten summers, cried out, "It is

cruel! It is cruel!" Thus a division arose

among them, which led them to hold a counsel

to decide what was to be done with the

other kittens. Some said, "Give them

away;" others, "Let them run;" but the

lad that held the kittens claimed them as

his, and that he had a right to drown them

if he chose, and drown them he would. But

the blue-eyed boy was the kittens' intercessor.

Although younger than many of the

others, yet he was determined to save them

if possible. He would plead, pointing to

the struggling kitten in the water, saying,

See him, it is too bad; It is cruel, it is

cruel!"

I became deeply interested in the nobleness

of character exhibited by the blue-eyed

boy. And as I left the bridge and walked

from the spot, that noble countenance and

those earnest pleadings made a deep impression

upon my mind. Had he a Christian

mother that had taught him that to cause

suffering was cruel? And how many of the

our family, thought I to myself,

possess a noble, generous heart, that would

plead in behalf of a suffering kitten! To

cause suffering is a sin, and the more we

cultivate sympathy for the suffering, the

more we possess the spirit of Him who healed

all that came to him. 



S. N. HASKELL.



Moral Principle.


PERHAPS some of the young readers 

will think that the title of

this article indicates the discussion of some

religious subject, which will be dry, barren,

and tedious, to them. I hope that it is not so

with all; but let us see.

You have heard of the murderer, Rulloff.

who, though a man of learning, became a

cruel murderer of his own family. Now

what caused this man to become a criminal,

instead of entering upon a life of usefulness,

such as his education fitted him for?

The answer is clear: he lacked moral principle.

So you see that great learning, of itself,

does nothing for the moral character. The

Greeks of ancient history were very learned

and polished, yet they were extremely

wicked, even viewing it justifiable to neglect

the old, or to put them out of the way.

Wealth does not make men moral, nor

does skill or talent do this. Our prisons

are full of shrewd and talented men, and

Rosenwig, the murderer of infants, has just

been sentenced to a seven years' life of hard

labor, for his crimes. He was a skillful

physician, and could, had he possessed

moral principle, have been successful as a

physician, and useful as a citizen.

It is the lack of moral principle that

makes men wicked. Then do not seek for

wealth, or learning, or fame, as chief objects

in life. Let your Bible be your best

book, and most loved, most read, most

 thoroughly studied, of all books. You may, if

need be, neglect other pursuits for the study

of the Bible; but never neglect the Bible

for other pursuits.

Nothing is gained in the end by neglect

of daily moral duties; for by this neglect,

men lose moral principle. It is by a daily

walk with God, by constant watchfulness

and prayer, that moral principle and tenderness

of heart and conscience are acquired

and retained.

A soldier who had received wounds upon

the field of battle, and injuries in southern

prisons, and had served his country three

years, and was probably entitled to a small

pension (for the sake of a large bounty), 

reenlisted,

by swearing that he was a sound

man, and so deceiving the examining surgeon.

   Afterward, needing assistance, he

applied for a pension; but his re-enlistment,

and oath, taken after his injuries had been

received, stood in the way. Now what did

this man gain by his course? Certainly

he had debarred himself from a pension, by

swearing that he was a sound man at his

re-enlistment.

Here was a lack of moral principle; and

this lack, in the end, left our poor soldier

destitute in his dire necessity. So it is,

"the way of transgressors is hard," but

wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.




Jos. CLARKE.