The wise old philosopher, Pythagoras, before he admitted any one into his school, always inquired into the character of his associates; and from this circumstance, doubtless, arose the modern proverb, that a man may be known by the company which he keeps. There are some kinds of society whose influence is like an infectious disease, corrupting all who come within reach of it. In fact, all society either lifts up or drags down, according to its character and quality. Bad boys have ruined many a lad who would otherwise have grown up to be a useful and honorable man, while bad women have slain their victims by thousands. In ancient fable there was a creature whose name was Circe. She was represented as living in a beautiful palace on an island, where were flowers, music, and many other attractions. Whoever came to see her, as a guest, she first feasted with delicacies and wine, then touched them with a wand and transformed them into lions, tigers, wolves, swine, or some other kind of animal, and set them adrift to roam through her grounds. Not very dissimilar to this is the effect of bad female society, or bad companions of either sex, upon those who would be virtuous, noble, and true.

AVOID EXCESS.

In order to have social pleasures contribute to happiness, they must not be pursued to excess. Many people become so infatuated with society and social intercourse, that they are perfectly unhappy when alone, or even when about their daily business. In fact, when this delusion gets fast hold of the mind

all work is turned into drudgery, and the person be comes a miserable loiterer, or a dissatisfied grumbler and complainer, instead of an active, cheerful, healthy, and useful worker in the world's great hive of industry. This is a wretched perversion of a noble gift, and a pleasurable privilege. We urge, therefore, that all young people should guard themselves in this direction, and not allow the love of society, and especially what is called fashionable society, to run away with them. Whenever a person finds himself or herself wishing to be in gay company all the time, and are really unhappy when not in it; whenever the thought of being alone, or of being obliged to work, strikes a dread in the mind, it is then high time to order "down brakes" on the indulgence of the social propensity.

There is hardly any form of dissipation more debilitating or more injurious to body, mind, and heart, than a continual round of parties, balls, and evening entertainments. Whenever persons get into such a condition of mind that they must be "on the go" all the time in order to enjoy anything, such persons will soon find themselves "on the go" toward general ruin, or, at best, toward practical good-for-nothingness.

While society is good by way of spice or variety, while it has many noble and useful functions to perform in the development and refinement of human nature, yet, perverted from its true intent, it is changed into a source of great evil. It encourages and necessitates extravagance in dress; it includes late hours at night, which should be given up to "tired nature's sweet restorer," healthful sleep; it furnishes an occasion for calling out much heart

bitterness in the line of envy and jealousy between rivals and opponents, and serves to evoke much hypocritical dissembling and pretense in the way of friendship. As Cowper says.

"She who invites

Her dear five hundred friends, but contemns them all,
And dreads their coming-what can they less
Than shrug and grimace to hide their hate of her?"

Such society as this is a curse, and the less one has of it, the better. Sincerity and truthfulness and unaffected naturalness and ease, are the only social qualities which shine with steady luster, or benefit by their attractive light.

FRIENDSHIP.

"O the tender ties,

Close twisted with the fibers of the heart,
Which broken, drain the soul of human joy,
And make it pain to live."

-EDWARD YOUNG.

RIENDSHIP is the very beginning of happiness in the heart. It is a rare and precious plant, and is found in its purity and power, only here and there among the hosts of men and women who dot the earth's surface by their moving forms and faces. Friendship is not love, but something finer and more divine. It does not co-exist with passion

in

any form, while love always contains more or less of the passion element. Friendship is never purely selfish, as love frequently is, although a measure of selfishness, perhaps, is inseparable from all things human. But the nearest thing to the loves and joys of the angels above, is the earthly friendship of two human spirits.

KINDS OF FRIENDSHIP.

True friendship may exist between two persons, or between persons and pet animals. Very often two young girls become attached to each other in the

ties of a friendship that is as sweet and charming as their own pure and fresh natures. Such an instance of girlish friendship is admirably portrayed in Dickens' novel called "Bleak House," and if any one wishes to follow out this idea of girlish friendship, they cannot find a richer development of the theme, than in that splendid work of fiction. Such a friendship also exists between brothers and sisters in the same family. There has frequently been the sweetest and purest friendship in the world between the hunter and his dog, between the rider and his horse, and between children and pet animals at home. For example, there is hardly anything more beautiful in the way of friendship than the feeling which grows up between the Bedouin Arab of the desert and his splendid steed who shares the same tent with his master, and is his constant companion by night and by day. Of course they do not belong to the same grade of being, although, if the horse could speak the same language as his master, there might not be such a wonderful discrepancy of intelligence as one would at first imagine. But each is "all the world" to the other, and they learn to depend upon each other, and look to each other for support and sympathy, until their lives become practically blended and inseparable. To a like extent is the degree of friendship which sometimes exists between the lone hunter of the forest and his faithful dog, who shares his joys and his sorrows, and who sustains a relation of companionship to his master, almost as close and vital as any which is found among persons.

But, after all, the primary idea and import of friendship can only be realized between two human