The forgiving school boy.
In a school in Ireland, one boy struck another; and when he was about to be punished, the injured boy earnestly begged for his pardon. The master inquired why he wished to prevent so deserved a punishment; to which he replied, that he had read in the New-Testament that Jesus Christ said we should forgive our enemies; “and I forgive him, and beg he may not be punished for my sake.”
Section VI.—Use of the Tongue.
advantages of speaking the truth.
IT is a great advantage to any one to have the confidence of others, so far that his word will always be taken for the exact truth. This confidence is to be acquired only by always speaking the truth; and especially, by adhering so closely to the fact that people will not only believe that we mean to speak the truth, but that they will feel confident that we have neither mistaken the facts, nor added any coloring, nor kept back any thing, to make it appear different from the reality. The following story shows how great an advantage one may derive from having this confidence in his strict veracity established:
Petrarch, the celebrated Italian poet, by his strict regard for truth, secured the unbounded confidence of Cardinal Colonna, in whose family he resided. A violent quarrel broke out among the Cardinal’s numerous family of servants, which ended in a fight. The Cardinal, in order to investigate the affair, and punish the offenders, assembled all his people and put them under oath to tell the whole truth. Everyone took the oath, not excepting the bishop of Luna, the Cardinal’s own brother. Petrarch, in his turn, presented himself, but the Cardinal closed the book, saying, “As to you, Petrarch, your word is sufficient.” Our readers will perceive how great an advantage it will be to them to have always such a strict regard to the exact truth, that their word will be considered as good as an oath.
Remember the bright side.
When Peter the Great heard any one speaking ill of another, he would inquire, “Is there not a fair side, also, to the character of the person of whom you are speaking? Come, tell me what good qualities you have remarked about him.” If, in speaking of others, we should look always at the fair side, and see what good things we can say of them, it would make us feel better towards them; it would be doing them a service instead of an injury; it would tend to make peace, rather than foment strife.
Section VII.—Punctuality.
example of washington.