fountain that is open for all uncleanness. Every one of these thoughts may be made profitable in conversation."

"I wish I could see things as you do, uncle."

"The cause of humanity may be greatly served by conversing kindly about the lower creatures of creation. Some young people are as cruel to poor animals as if they supposed cockchaffers were made to be spun with crooked pins stuck through them; flies to be crushed; toads and frogs to be pelted with stones; cats to be worried, and dogs to have tin kettles, or canisters, tied to their tails."

"Yes, I know some boys who delight in such cruelties; but how will conversation teach them better? Would you tell them they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and threaten to beat them?"

"Oh no! threatening to beat them would be wrong and useless. It would be a good thing to point out all that could be said in favour of the creatures which are so often tormented, for very few of them ever intentionally do injury or mischief to mankind. Even the very wasp will not sting us unless we in some way annoy him."

"I never thought of that before."

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They are all God's creatures, and he gave them life and feeling, and it is wicked to treat them cruelly; but young people, I believe, do this more frequently from thoughtlessness

than from any other cause. There is a little book called The Juvenile Culprits,' which has done some good by putting words into the mouths of the fly, butterfly, cockchaffer, cat, dog, and other creatures, to enable them to plead their own cause. This they do so pathetically, that the reader resolves to be their friend, and not their enemy."

"I must see that book."

"If ever you do, and read it carefully, you will perceive how much the cause of humanity may be served by proper and well-timed conversation. Read also Kindness to Animals,' by Charlotte Elizabeth, and on 'The Sin of Cruelty;' two little works published by the Religious Tract Society.

Who wantonly calls forth a needless groan

From beating hearts, (no heart is made of stone,)
Deserves a throe of anguish in his own."

Necessity of good judgment in learning to converse wellThe talented infidel-Argument about the Bible-The victory and defeat-The prize-fighter-A fondness for disputation is a folly-Advice how to deal with an infidel.

"I HAVE told you more than once, Edmund, the necessity of having good knowledge, good affections, and good principles, in conversing well, and I will now give you an example of the necessity of good judgment."

"Thank you, uncle; I shall like to hear it." "Some time ago, a clever infidel gave a challenge to all the bishops, clergy, and other learned people, to dispute with him about the Bible, which he undertook to prove was not true. A friend of mine was tempted to go to the place of meeting, not to hear an argument,

for he did not expect that any controversy would take place, but simply to witness the self-conceit of the infidel, and to hear in what sort of language he poured forth his infidelity." "I dare say that some one soon put the infidel to silence."

"In that opinion you are wrong, Edmund. People of judgment knew very well that the infidel cared nothing at all about the Bible, whether it were true or not; he only wanted to get as much money as he could, and to ridicule his opponent should he have one. For a long time no one spoke at the meeting but the infidel himself, and he talked a great deal of his love of truth, and of the cowardice of those who, believing the Bible, dared not venture to meet him. At last, an elderly man, who, if he had not good knowledge, had at least good affections and good principles, rose up to argue with the infidel."

"And did he conquer the infidel?"

"So far from it that he cut a very lamentable figure. His knowledge was but little, and his judgment much less, or he never would have been juggled in the way in which he was."

"But how was he juggled, uncle?"

"You shall hear. There are in the Holy Scriptures a few texts which appear not to agree with each other, and more knowledge of God's word and will is necessary to understand and explain them than careless readers

possess. There are, also, many points on which good men differ. Now, in all these opposing texts and difficult points, the infidel was exceedingly shrewd and clever; and he thought, or pretended to think, poor man, when he gained the advantage in an argument about them, that he was overturning the everlasting truths of God's holy word."

"He was foolish, then, with all his cleverness. But how did he juggle the elderly

man?"

"In this way. A skilful general often falls back, in order to draw his opponent into an ambuscade which he has prepared to receive him, and then he comes upon him without mercy. This mode is often resorted to in argument with great success. The infidel, at first, pretended that he was in a degree overcome by the power of his opponent, and gradually drew him on to argue about the seeming contradictions and difficult points of Holy Scripture. Here he had it all his own way, for his opponent, in his fear of being supposed to be ignorant, and his zeal in so good a cause, attempted to explain what he did not understand. He floundered about from one difficulty into another, the infidel still leading him on, till he was quite bewildered, in which state he uttered a great deal of nonsense which the infidel took care to repeat, putting it in the most ridiculous light imaginable, and drawing down peals of