Notes

NOTES. The man who wants to find fault needn't, as a rule, climb over his own fence, "The best way to bear your own sorrows is to take up some one else's sorrows!" It is with narrow-souled people as* it is with narrow-necked bottles—the less they have in them the more noise they make in pouring it out. Look on the bright side of all things. Believe that the best offering that you can make God is to enjoy to the full what he sends of good, and bear what he al- lows of evil, like a child who believes in all his father's dealings with it, whether he understands them or not. The only responsibility that a man can not evade in this life is the one he thinks of least—his personal influence. Man's conscious influence, when he is on dress parade, when he is posing to impress those around him—is,woefully small. But his unconscious influence, the silent, subtle radiation of his personality, the effect of his words and acts, the trifles he never considers—is tremendous. Every moment of his life he is changing to a degree the life of the whole world. Every man has an atmosphere which is affecting every other. So silent and unconscious- ly is this influence working that man may forget that it exists. Two shipwrights, one day, busy in the yard, came across a piece of timber with a flaw in it. A worm had begun to eat into it, and one of the men said, "Don't use it; it is not sound." "Oh, yes," replied the other, "that does not matter." And so the piece was duly placed in position on the ship's side. Years after, the ship struck on a small reef of rock, and soon sprang a leak. Despite every effort the craft became a wreck. Upon an examination it was found that the faulty piece not rejected long ago, was the cause of the rot spreading to other parts of the vessel. How like the little flaw in character that causes the wreck of life!—Ram's Horn. During her travels through Persia, Mrs. Phoebe Hearst visited an English mission. After inspecting the building, she came to the contribution box. Here were stationed two typical English missionary officers. Mrs. Hearst turned to them and said: "Gentlemen, what do you teach the heathen here?" One of the officers stiffened up and said with great dignity: "Madame, we teach them the fear of God. ' Mrs. Hearst commenced to put gold piece after gold piece into the contribu- tion box, until the officials' eyes fairly bulged. Then she turned to them again, saying quietly, "Now, gentlemen, please teach them the love of God. " Woman's Rome Companion.