me fairly estimate their disposition and characters, and if I feel a special pleasure in their society, I may fairly infer that there must be something in me corresponding to their peculiar characteristics. An answer to this question will throw some light on the important question, what am I? A wise heathen said that the maxim, "Know thyself," came from heaven. Ask yourself the questions: "What sort of companions you should select? What should be your conduct toward them? How may you turn their society to good account? These are all important questions. A brief word or two in each question I venture to offer. The remarks made above will show that uncle Joseph deems it matter of great importance that you should be cautious in the choice of your companions. For the sake of securing the good opinion of the wise and good, as well as for your own sakes, caution is very necessary in the choice of your companions. Our companions should be such as can contribute to our mental and moral improvement. They should have some tolerable amount of knowledge, or their conversation can never be instructive to us. They should have an amiable disposition, or they will annoy and injure us by the influence of their spirit and conduct. They should be such as we can confide in, or the pleasures of friendship can never be secured: they should be pious. The words of the poet king, David, I commend to your thoughts; I am a companion of all that fear Thee." But as we are not perfect ourselves, we ought not to expect that our companions will be so. As to the second question: the words of Soloman at once suggest themselves: "He that will have friends must show himself friendly." Having a sacred regard to the feelings of our companions, treating them with courtesy, kindness, and confidence; and ever bearing in mind the golden rule of Jesus: "Whatever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them." As to the third question. Let it be a rule that you have no time to waste in useless trifling-" small talk." The books that you are reading, or have just read, the lectures or sermons you have lately heard-the fresh materials of knowledge you have recently collected should be the prominent

topics of your conversation. Acting thus, and seeking your own and your companions' highest welfare, you may hope to live useful and happy lives, and join hereafter in the company of the holy in heaven. My next letter will be about "A Wonderful Book."

UNCLE JOSEPH.

SEED, SEED-TIME, AND THE HARVEST.

WHAT would a young working-man think of the farmer who, in the middle of summer, and when the corn fields of his neighbours were coming into ear, should be only just putting in his wheat? Would not that farmer be looked upon as a madman by his more sensible workmen? Should you not think something after this fashion :-" What can that |man have been about all seed-time, to let his land lie fallow till now, when he ought to be looking forward to harvesttime, instead of sowing? And when does he think his corn will come up? When does he expect to reap it? And what sort of crop does he fancy he shall have? Why, before it is half grown, winter will come, and cold frosts will cut off every ear of wheat; it will never ripen." Such thoughts as these would be very natural and just. The man would be a laughing-stock, and his midsummer wheat sowing would be a continual joke all the country round for many a year after he had ruined himself by his own ignorance and folly. But no farmer surely would ever be guilty of folly like this. Even the youngest labourer on a farm knows well enough that there is a time to sow, and a time to reap; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted," Eccles. iii. 2.

66

Youth is like the seed-time of life. If you, young man, would enjoy a summer time, or a middle age of true pleasure and prosperity; and an autumn and winter, or an old age of wisdom and peace, you must sow the seeds of pleasure, prosperity, peace, and wisdom, in the spring-time of your life, in your young days. If you neglect to do this, no wonder if your crop should fail, so that when you begin to "look for much, it should come to little."

How often are we reminded of this, when we see men in the middle age of life, and grey-haired men, who tell us that their days are full of trouble; that they do not know what happiness is; that they have no peace in themselves, nor their families, nor in the world around them. Especially do we think of it, when it is very plain, from the actions of such men, that theirs is an age of sin and folly. In such cases, assuredly the seed-time of youth was not put to good account. Let it, then, be fixed in the mind of every reader, that if he would be wise, cheerful, prosperous, and hopeful in his future years, he must make good use of his youthful days.

As we began this chapter by putting you in mind of seedsowing, and have spoken of the sort of crop that it will be well for the young working-man to cultivate for himself, we will just say a few words about the kind of seed he ought to sow; for unless the seed be of the right sort, whatever pains he might take in sowing it, he will be disappointed at harvest-time. Yes, just as that ignorant man would be disappointed, who should scatter his field with thistle or dock seed, and expect to reap barley or wheat. And here I cannot help saying that too many young men do make very great mistakes. They sow in their youth the seeds of disease, want, folly, ignorance, neglect, contempt, and misery; and then in future times wonder at the woful crop that springs up, as though some strange thing had happened to them. There is nothing strange in it; but it would, indeed, be strange if it were different. But to come to the seeds that the young working-man ought to sow, I will give you a few of their names, and in the next chapter will tell you something more about them.

For a good crop of future prosperity, you must put in the seed of present industry, frugality, and honesty. For a crop of true pleasure, you must put in the good seed of right

down honourable morality. For a crop of peace in old age,

you must be careful to sow the seed of contentment and good humour in youth; and for a crop of wisdom, you must be very careful to get the right seed of thoughtfulness, observation, and reading, while young.

I must stop at this list, however. There is one kind of seed that is of more importance than all that have been mentioned. It must be mixed with every other, or your crop will not be a good one. This seed is piety, true religion, faith in Jesus Christ, love to God. Let this most precious seed be sown along with every other sort, and you will obtain a glorious crop real peace, real prosperity, real pleasure, real wisdom, for this world; and life everlasting in the world beyond the grave.

66

"And the work of

Glory, honour, and peace, "Therefore, being jus"To be spiritu

God."

Hear what the Bible says about this:-"The Lord will bless his people with peace." "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." The Lord will speak peace unto his people." "Great peace have they which love thy law." righteousness shall be peace." to every man that worketh good." tified by faith, we have peace with ally minded is life and peace." "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." "The fruit of the Spirit is peace." Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace." "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; for he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

But you may ask, "is every person who loves God in his youth sure of having prosperity, peace, pleasure, and wisdom, when he gets older?" Yes, indeed, he will have much of the best sort of each of these good things. He will have peace of conscience, prosperity of soul, pleasure in religion, and heavenly wisdom. And as to the common sort of each, those that belong to this world alone, he certainly will be more likely, much more likely, to obtain them, than if the good seed of religion were neglected, and put out of question. There may be some who read this book, who are no longer young working-men, and who yet feel that they neglected the right season for sowing good seed. Hitherto they have sadly wasted the precious time, and have lost the

spring-time of youth. Truly this is bad; but still there is hope for you, if you will in earnest try to redeem lost time. Even for this world you may yet put in seed that shall yield some fruit; and for eternity, though it is never too early to ́begin sowing good seed, it is our mercy friend, that while life lasts, it is never quite too late.-From the "Young Working Man."

"I HAVE NO INFLUENCE."

“I HAVE no influence,” I heard some one say the other day. Now he who may say or think this, is blinded to his own character and that of others. No being can live in this world without influencing one or more fellow-beings, either for good or evil. Very seldom is it, too, that one alone is affected; more frequently a whole circle is moved by a thoughtless sentence. Nay, a word from a person scarcely noticed by his fellow-mortals, may move a train of thought in the mind of another, who may be one who will "turn the world upside down." More than this; a look, one look without a word, one motion of the hand without a sound, may kindle energies for good or for evil.

And here is the great point—for good or for evil: if for good, the end gained may be heaven; if for evil, it may be everlasting despair! Not one in this wide world, however small, however obscure, who has a mind, but influences the one or the many who see or hear him. The fact gives to influence its peculiar responsibility. It is an endowment superadded to the exercise of our talents, which passes on to immortality amidst obligations increasing and unending.

Therefore, let that boy or girl at school, even though but eight or nine years old, take care! You may say some word to that thoughtless boy at your side, which will make him give up the use of wicked words, and try to grow up a useful man. Or you may, without a word, show him something that will tempt him to do an evil deed, which may end in a life of crime! Dear child, beware!

O young man, I want a voice of thunder to startle you into a reality of your influence over others! but I only