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Otherwise the lantern of Diogenes, presumptuously thrust before the face,

If it never find an honest man, shall often make an angered.

Let honesty be companied by charity of heart, lest it walk unwel

come,

Or the mouthing censor of others and himself, soon shall sink to

scorn.

Let honesty be added unto innocence of life; then a man may only be its martyr:

But if openness of speech be found with secrecy of guilt, the martyr will be seen a malefactor.

THERE is a cunning scheme, to put on surface bluntness,

And cover still, deep water with the clamorous ripples of a shallow.

For a man, to gain his selfish ends, will make a stalking horse of

honesty ;

And hide his poaching limbs behind, that he may cheat the

quicker.

Such a one is loud and ostentatious, full of oaths for argument, Boastful of honor and sincerity, and not to be put down by facts: He is obstinate, and showeth it for firmness; he is rude, displaying it for truth;

And glorieth in doggedness of temper, as if it were uncompromising justice.

Be aware of such a man; his brawling covereth designs;

This specious show of honesty cometh as the herald of a thief:
His feint is made with awkward clashing on the buckler's boss,
But meanwhile doth his secret skill insure its fatal aim.

This is the hypocrite of honesty; ye may know him by an over

acted part;

Taking pains to turn and twist, where other men walk straight;
Or, walking straight, he will not step aside to let another pass,

But roughly pusheth on, provoking opposition on the way;

He is full of disquietude for calmness, full of intriguing for simplicity,

Valorous with those who cannot fight, and humble to the brave: Where brotherly advice were good, this man rudely blameth, And on some small occasion, flattereth with coarse praise.

The craven in a lion's skin hath conquered by his character for courage;

Sheep's clothing helped the wolf, till he slew by his character

for kindness.

FOR honesty hath many gains, and well the wise have known
This will prosper to the end, and fill their house with gold.
The phosphorus of cheatery will fade, and all its profit perish,
While honesty with growing light endureth as the moon.

Yea, it would be wise in a world of thieves, where cheating were a virtue,

To dare the vice of honesty, if any would be rich.

For that which by the laws of God is heightened into duty,

Ever, in the practice of a man, will be seen both policy and

privilege.

Thank God, ye toilers for your bread, in that, daily laboring,

He hath suffered the bubbles of self-interest to float upon the stream

of duty:

For honesty, of every kind, approved by God and man,

Of wealth and better weal is found the richest cornucopia.

Tempered by humbleness and charity, honesty of speech hath

honor;

And mingled well with prudence, honesty of purpose hath its

praise.

Trust payeth homage unto truth, rewarding honesty of action;
And all men love to lean on him, who never failed nor fainted.
Freedom gloweth in his eyes, and nobleness of nature at his heart,
And Independence took a crown and fixed it on his head:
So he stood in his integrity, just and firm of purpose,

Aiding many, fearing none, a spectacle to angels, and to men:
Yea,

when the shattered globe shall rock in the throes of dissolution,

Still will he stand in his integrity, sublime-an honest man.

OF SOCIETY.

BETTER is the mass of men, Suspicion, than thy fears,
Kinder than thy thoughts, O chilling heart of Prudence,
Purer than thy judgments, ascetic tongue of Censure,
In all things worthier to love, if not also wiser to esteem.

Yea, let the moralist condemn, there be large extenuations of his verdict,

Let the misanthrope shun men and abjure, the most are rather lovable than hateful.

How many pleasant faces shed their light on every side!
How many angels unawares have crossed thy casual way!

How often, in thy journeyings, hast thou made thee instant friends,
Found, to be loved a little while, and lost, to meet no more;
Friends of happy reminiscence, although so transient in their con-

verse,

Liberal, cheerful, and sincere, a crowd of kindly traits!

I have sped by land and sea, and mingled with much people,
But never yet could find a spot unsunned by human kindness:
Some more, and some less,-but, truly, all can claim a little;
And a man may travel through the world, and sow it thick with
friendships.

THERE be indeed, to say it in all sorrow, bad, apostate souls, Deserted of their ministering angels, and given up to liberty of

sin,

And other some, the miserly and mean, whose eyes are keen and greedy,

With stony hearts, and iron fists, to filch, and scrape, and clutch,—
And others yet again, the coarse in mind, selfish, sensual, brutish,
Seeming as incapable of softer thoughts, and dead to better deeds.
Such, no lover of the good, no follower of the generous and gentle,
Can nearer grow to love, than may consist with pity.
Few verily are these among the mass, and cast in fouler moulds,
Few and poor in friends, and well deserving of their poverty:

Yet, or ever thou hast harshly judged, and linked their presence to

disgust,

Consider well the thousand things that made them all they are. Thou hast not thought upon the causes, ranged in consecutive necessity,

Which tended long to these effects, with sure, constraining power. For each of those unlovely ones, if thou couldst hear his story, Hath much to urge of just excuse, at least as men count justice: Foolish education, thwarted opportunities, natural propensities unchecked,

Thus were they discouraged from all good, and pampered in their evil:

And if thou wilt apprehend them well, tenderly looking on temp

tations,

Bearing the base indulgently, and liberally dealing with the fro

ward,

Thou shalt discern a few fair fruits even upon trees so withered, Thou shalt understand how some may praise, and some be found to love them.

NEVERTHELESS for these, my counsel is, Avoid them if thou canst; For the finer edges of thy virtues will be dulled by attrition with their vice.

And there is an enemy within thee; either to palliate their sin,
Until, for surface sweetness, thou too art drawn adown the vortex;
Or, even unto fatal pride, to glorify thy purity by contrast,
Until the publican and harlot stand nearer heaven than the
Pharisee;

Or daily strife against their ill, in subtleness may irritate thy soul,
And in that struggle thou shalt fail, even through infirmity of

goodness;

Or, callous by continuance of injuries, thou wilt cease to pardon, Cease to feel, and cease to care, a cold, case-hardened man. Beware of their example,

of the battle;

-

and thine own; beware the hazards

But chiefly be thou ware of this, an unforgiving spirit.

Many are the dangers and temptations compassing a bad man's

presence:

The upas hath a poisonous shade, and who would slumber there? Wherefore avoid them if thou canst; only under providence and

duty.

*

If thy lot be cast with Kedar, patiently and silently live to their

rebuke.

How beautiful thy feet, and full of grace thy coming,

O better, kind companion, that art well for either world!
There is an atmosphere of happiness floating round that man,

Love is throned upon his heart, and light is found within his dwelling;

His eyes are rayed with peacefulness, and wisdom waiteth on his tongue;

Seek him out, cherish him well, walking in the halo of his in

fluence;

For he shall be fragrance to thy soul, as a garden of sweet lilies, Hedged and apart from the outer world, an island of the blest among the seas.

THERE is an outer world, and there is an inner centre;

And many varying rings concentric round the self.

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Is found the helpmate even as himself, the wife of his vows and his

affections:

See then that ye love in faith, scorning petty jealousies,

For Satan spoileth too much love, by souring it with doubts:

See that intimacy die not to indifference, nor anxiety sink into mo

roseness,

And tend ye well the mutual minds bound in a copartnership for

life.

NEXT of those concentric circles, radiating widely in circumference, Wheel in wheel, and world in world, - come the band of children; A tender nest of soft young hearts, each to be separately studied, A curious, eager flock of minds, to be severally tamed and tutored.

And a man, blest with these, hath made his own society,

He is independent of the world, hanging on his friends more

loosely,

For the little faces around his hearth are friends enow for him.

If he seek others, it is for sake of these, and less for his own pleasure.

What companionship so sweet, yea, who can teach so well

As these pure budding intellects, and bright, unsullied hearts ? What voice so musical as theirs, what visions of elegance so comely?

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