they would regard Heraldry, or the Language of Flowers; being considered an amiable, harmless, but unprofitable amusement for leisure hours. A leading barrister in one of our cities was asked for Maine's Ancient Law.' 'Maine? Maine ?' he replied, 'Do you mean the Liquor Law?' This tells its own tale. That sort of thing does not pay in our practical country, and there is the ultimate consideration.

As preparation for a money-making business, then, let the study pass. But when there is claimed for it a cultivating or ennobling influence, candour must protest. It is narrowing, deadening, and inducive of at least these mental vices,-the tendencies to exalt the letter and word over the spirit and very thing, to join hands with precedent and tradition against even moderate and rational progress, and to accept in all matters the dicta of authority without verification.

As a result, we see minds cultivated to a marvellous degree of acuteness and fairness on points of law; but in general questions utterly at sea, capable only of half-views, and holding to those with a bigoted tenacity that is seldom amenable to counterconviction. We see in many conspicuous instances how mere neglect of general culture has culminated in positive enmity to it; in a Philistinism which advanced years have rendered hopelessly irremediable, and which a frequently high and influential position in society makes an active evil. When this social influence becomes political, when with minds trained to narrowness, filled with deep-rooted love of precedent, with inalienable faith in the Statute-book as the universal panacea, and with views of the complicated and delicate social organism acquired in the restricted arena of professional practice, lawyers become our representatives and play the statesman before high Heaven, it is discouraging to contemplate the almost inevitable results.

-When a boy at school, and somewhat of an enfant terrible, a great many things in the ordering of that miniature world struck me as not right side up,'-which being interpreted, is, not in accordance with -the eternal fitness of things. One of

these anomalies, less painful personally, but more to my present purpose than some of the others, always forced itself upon my

notice on that day of days in schoolboy life, -'Speech-day.' During term and in the class-rooms, each and every master, in his views of our mental capacities and moral worth, was a desperate pessimist. Never had there been, and never would there be again, such individual and collective stupidity and remissness as he saw in the class before him. But on 'Speech-day,' when, in the decorated school-room, ladies from their eyes rained influence, and mothers, fathers, friends, and patrons were assembled, there came a sudden Millennium. In eloquent and genial speeches, each and every master expressed himself regarding the same mental capacities and moral worth, an irrestrainable optimist Never had there becn, and never would or could there be again, such individual and collective brightness and exemplariness as he saw in the school around him. I was comparatively innocent in those days; and it puzzled me.

Mutatis mutand s, the same phenomenon has struck me in the great world; as there is traceable many an analogy between school and society. In the working day routine of every special occupation, the insiders-if I may use the word--are brought face to face with its seams and ugliness rather than with its attractiveness. They are pretty well aware that it is not a path of roses, and that it is trodden roughly and with a good deal of stumbling and blundering. As a child I was convinced that the life of a confectioner or pastry-cook was one long dream of saccharine bliss; but I am sceptical about it now. In those days clergymen were saints to me; writers were geniuses; actors were heroes. But clergymen know that clerical work is not exactly saintship, and that brother ministers are not in all respects as seraphic as they appear in their pulpits; authors have their own opinions of the amenities of literature, and of one another; actors, of the high-souled carelessness and gaiety of Bohemian life. Even politicians have been known to unbosom themselves of doubts as to the monopoly of virtue and intelligence by their party.

But whenever Speech-day 'comes—and it comes very frequently in this land of cheap eloquence-on Convocations, anniversaries, society-meetings, dinners, pic-nics, and 'auspicious occasions' generally, there is a sudden and unanimous vote for the donning of rose-coloured spectacles. Pro

fessorial Latin declares this to have been an annus mirabilis in the gratifying results of industry and regularity such and such a University has beheld on the part of its students, which is generally a remarkably free rendering of the professorial English during the year. The encouraging progress that our cause has made since our last anniversary,' whatever that cause may be, is demonstrated to the sympathetic accompaniment of 'hear! hear!' though unheeded echo answers, 'where?' Untrammelled rhetoric enlarges on the conspicuous merits and advantages, the incalculable influence of the party, society, profession, or trade there and then assembled; and on the distinguished virtues and talents of the brotherhood in general and certain shining lights in particular. It is all reported,-printed in extenso or boiled down to a genial paragraph in the newspapers. Few are solfilled to overflowing with good-natured innocence as to take it all in. But silence is politely kept by all except envious and despicable rivals; and a great many good souls are vastly pleased. The question remains, does this kind of thing do good? or does it do harm?

On

Good it certainly does not seem to me to do. It is not encouraging. On the contrary, for (let us hope) the majority who are sensible enough to look at the facts while their orator airs his fancies, it is apt to be discouraging. They are forced to recognize that the goal is yet far ahead which he congratulates them on having touched; that there are full many errors, follies, and shortcomings in both the work and the workers he eulogizes as so near perfection. the other hand, for the few (let us hope again) who are foolish enough to forget all this in the glow of self-gratulation, the pill of reality will taste bitter when the sugaring of fine speeches has melted. Instead of being aided to cope more cheerfully and successfully with the iron facts of life,' they will go away disposed to overlook and disregard them. The banishment of the spirit of criticism may add to the festivity and enjoyment of these occasions; but it robs them of the usefulness they might have. To say things which he himself does not believe is bad for any man; to be encouraged in saying things that neither he nor his audience believe, cannot be good for him or for his audience.

If these gatherings, in all their varieties, were devoted to an honest review of actual progress, colored brightly, perhaps, but checked throughout by a remembrance of actual facts; if they gave rise to some unfaltering discussion of difficulties, and so elicited practical suggestions that would be as trusty staves in the hand instead of as rhetorical rocket sticks in the air;-'Speechdays' of every kind might be pleasant, valuable, and really auspicious occasions, ' instead of empty, useless, and often pitiable farces.

-'We praised the man of common sense,
His judgment's good,' we said,
But now they sayWell, that old plum
Has got a level head.'

Thus soliloquises an 'Old Man' in some verses which I read in the corner of a newspaper the other day. They were jocular verses, but they were well calculated to make one lament the fact that low slang, by force of its indisputable expressiveness and ludicrousness, is not only becoming the habitual language of most of our young men, but making dangerous headway in our newspapers, and gaining more permanent footing in a certain class of very popular books. I regard it-probably all the guests here doas a very serious matter if we are to remain an English-speaking people; and I have been moved in consequence to write some verses which I will now read to the company, if they will allow me;

The well of English is defiled!

Its waters turned to muddy slang! The good old English Chaucer sang, Has borne a vicious modern child.

A child of low and lawless birth,

Of ugly features, without grace, With tricks picked up from every race, In uncouth and discordant mirth.

Born here, among our hybrid throng

Of men from many lands, and nursed Amid rough scenes by them, ill-versed In how to do it right or wrong.

Small blame to them; great blame to those Who read the book and held the pen, Yet took this brat of backwoodsmen, Of miners,-emigrants,-who knows?— And for the laughter of the crowd

Set it upon the printed page, That moulds the language of the age And let its voice grow strong and loud;

Until it caught the foolish ear

Of all alert for some new thing,' And careless that the sterling ring Of mother-English grew less clear;

Until the glib and hireling scribe

Made profit of its grotesque fun;
Until the evil has been done
And now a jargon of the gibe,

The silly jest, the phrases wrung

From coarsest metaphors-a batch
Of every street and playhouse 'catch'-
Have passed into our daily tongue!

Shame on the pens that do not seek

The pages they let fall to strip
Of aught of this ;-shame on the lip
That aught of this will deign to speak!

Unworthy offspring, base-born child

Of our old sturdy, simple tongue!
Henceforward, written, spoken, sung,
Let us keep English undefiled'!

-Are we sufficiently impressed with the importance and benefits of education? I

feel that the answer cannot be other than no; and therefore since we have not a right conception of the need and advantage of cultivating the mind, we must be wanting in that desire, determination, and love for learning, which have characterized all the great minds of the past and present ages. Once looking in upon the social circles of the wealthier classes, all doubt as to the accuracy of the above assertion is dispelled; for, speaking in general of these social gatherings, it would be impossible for a person holding education at any value to enter one of them without having strongly impressed upon his mind the idea, that there is but little attention shown to the necessity or need of intellectual advancement; and not only is this the case with the larger social gatherings, but there is altogether too little thought within the home circle, of mental improvement. Since there is nothing like sufficient attention, within the walls of our houses, paid to the intellectual acquirements of those advancing around us into life and activity, cannot a deeper interest be diffused in some way throughout these homes? I by no means consider it advisable to dispense altogether with the many happy means of recreation and amusement generally participated in at parties and social gatherings. But why allow such entertainments to take away from us so much valuable time as they usually do? We may, and certainly it is quite

necessary to have these meetings, but instead of allowing frivolity to prevail, let us introduce something that will be improving and enlightening to our minds, though we may at the same time make them a means of enjoyment and recreation. Too many of us are possessed with the idea that our education is finished as soon as we leave school; and thus those young minds around us are neglected through our not showing them a good example, or inspiring them with diligence and a love of study, by neglect of interest on our part in their progress. A beautiful writer remarks: Talk of your education as being completed in the dawn of manhood—it is a process which is never completed this side the grave! It is never completed so long as there is anything to learn! No; when the doors of the school-house or the university shut upon you, you have only just entered the outer portals of education.'

Of course any change within these social circles could not be expected, unless there were created a greater desire than at present prevails, for intellectual advancement; and, undoubtedly, the home is the place where the desire and the love for learning should originate. But all are not acquainted with the heavenly advantages of such a place, therefore it falls upon the teachers of our high and common schoolsindeed it is one of their greatest duties-to put forth strenuous efforts to create and increase that desire and love for learning among their pupils. Frequently our atten

tion has been drawn to the fact that there is altogether too little heed taken by teachers, generally, of the necessity of impressing upon the pupils the value and importance of increasing the sphere of their mind's activity. Indeed, very few pupils attending school, study with the earnestness necessary to make a marked success at all probable; nor can we altogether find fault with them on account of this, for the reason that few of them are sufficiently conscious, if at all, of the value a thorough education would be to them, since they think only of the present, and do not realize the momentous necessity of penetrating into the future, and viewing themselves as they then would be. Could they all look back from the life they are yet to enter upon, and glance over their present, their intellectual activity would be greatly

success. With it, a field wide in its brightness and splendour spreads out before us. No one undertaking a project can make so marked or distinct an advance in it without a love for his plan, without a love for the work itself, as can the one who is inspired with that love. Nor can he who exerts himself for his own interest compete with one who has some greater aim than self-advancement. There is always an interest created within the person who puts forth an effort, the direct benefit of which is felt outside of himself, that is alone confined to those who unselfishly work for others. A love for the learning and the study themselves must glow within the breast of him who desires success in any great mental object. Undoubtedly there are a great many, who, immediately after their minds commence to act, and after the mist which has hidden from their gaze the mountains of thought, lifts its foggy darkness, naturally have springing up within them an unquenchable desire and determination to know. These are sure to clamber high up upon the rugged mountain top, and there to find kindred minds with which to associate. But all are not thus blessed; some have the desire without the determination or the love; others the desire and the love without the determination; others again the desire and the determination but not the love. We can easily understand the last of these three as being the only one really sure of success; and since he has the determination and the desire, the love will not be found long wanting. The majority of us are in need of these qualities, which alone secure the attainment of any proposed object; and if something could only be done within the home circle to stimulate these desires, instead of wasting time by carrying social amusements to an unhealthy excess, greatly should we be surprised and pleased with the rapid intellectual growth of our country. 'There is gold and a multi tude of rubies but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.'

increased; they would enter upon their studies with redoubled energy. But, although knowing that this is impossible, knowing that they are prevented from viewing their present life from a future standpoint, it should not be a hindrance to their marking out for themselves a line of action in that life yet before them; and in spite of all the powerful influence which circumstance sways over a man's intended line of action, if they but lay out their course and keep the ship's head continually pointing towards that haven into which they have determined upon entering, reach it they will, though their vessel may be worn and weatherbeaten. If all displayed as much uninterestedness and apathy on reaching their manhood, in relation to the accumulation of the necessaries of life, as the average schoolboy does in reference to his studies, we should never advance in civilization. There are so many attractions for a young mind, drawing it by a powerful magnetic influence to pleasing allurement, but away from thoughtful study, that it loses sight of the importance and necessity of a deep earnestness, or anything but a passive endeavour in accumulating mental wealth. It is impossible to arrest the young mind on its course towards something of little importance, but pleasing and attractive, or substitute interest for apathy, unless there can be created within that mind concern for intellectual advancement, which would be as fascininating as the allurements which are unprofitable. But a person ever wishing to occupy a high standing in any branch of learning must have more than a longing and unsatisfied desire to know; he must feel determined to penetrate far into the unexplored fields and mountains of knowledge; nay, it will not suffice to have created within him a desire to acquire what great minds have taken years of study to simplify for his use and benefit; he must possess determination and application, which always go hand in hand with the accomplishment of any true and good purpose; without persistence none need expect

TH

HE moral deducible from the canvass in Quebec East should be obvious enough; yet we doubt whether those who need the lesson most, will read it aright. Both the militant parties affect a horror of invoking selfish prejudices or appealing to selfish interests; nevertheless both do, each in its own fashion, what they pretend to condemn. The Hon. Mr. Laurier is ostensibly a man of principle. His Address last summer was avowedly a reconstruction of his party 'platform.' He, and those who act with him, had agreed to abandon the excesses of the Rouges of L'Avenir, and to assume the position of a constitutional party, conscious of its responsibilities and proud of its position as the organized exponent of Liberal principles. Notwithstanding this, however, it can hardly be contended that the struggle in Quebec turns upon aught that deserves the name of a principle. So little have our factions to do with anything of that sort, that it may be laid down as the established strategy of both, to keep in the foreground local needs, real or imaginary, and to conceal any honest and substantial difference of opinion between them. There are two Governments at war in the constituencythe Local, battling for M. Tourangeau, and the Ottawa Administration for Mr. Laurier. Each strives to outbid the other in its corrupt offers. Do the people of Quebec desire a graving-dock, a military school, a repeal of French differential duties, or anything else up to a new citadel, they must support the new Minister. On the other hand, if they wish for any of the good things Messrs. Chapleau and Angers have in their gift, they will vote for Tourangeau, with the additional guarantee of having everything made smooth for them in another world. Experience has taught the clerical party to be more wary in exposing the cloven foot, than they used to be, and the recent hint from Rome seems to have led them not indeed to leave undone,' but to keep unknown.' Here it must be admitted that a principle is at stake; but it is not the fashion now-a-days to parade principles

where the pocket can be confidently appealed to. The so-called 'Liberty of the Church,' set up as a rival to the liberty of the people, would be worth encountering in an electoral contest even if it were sure to win. It is probable that in Quebec East, where the number of Protestant voters is insignificant, the hierarchy is certain of its ground, and does not care to provoke another struggle with the Supreme Court of the Dominion. At the same time, it must be remembered that urban constituencies are not so easily kept in line by the 'drum ecclesiastic' as their rural brethren of the orthodox faith. The struggle for existence is too keen in our cities to make the merchant or artizan unheedful of the main chance, and thus it sometimes happens, even where the sacerdotalists have the best machinery at hand, that the Church is lost sight of in the zeal of worshippers at the shrine of mammon.

Whichever view may be the correct one, it is certain that ecclesiasticism does not play so prominent a part in the city of Laval as might have been expected. There is a national appeal to the Irish Catholics regarding O'Donoghue, which is certainly the feeblest clap-trap. Into the disputed facts of this case it is unnecessary to enter, but it seems quite clear that Ministers, cognizant of the real circumstances, are the best judges of the degree of indulgence to be extended to the exile. If it be true, as they allege, that O'Donohue was guilty of two separate and distinct acts of rebellion; if, not content with aiding the abortive movement of Riel and Lepine, he also incited invaders from a foreign land to repeat the experiment which cost us so much expense and so much of our best blood, there seems valid reason for the distinction made by the Government. Riel and Lepine, however misguided they may have been, distinctly refused any countenance to the Fenian marauders. That they were highly culpable in resisting a government whose purposes and intentions they miscon strued, is unquestionable, and they were