Life and Literature Part 53

742

We never teach men to be gentlemen, but we teach them everything else; and they never pique themselves so much on all the rest, as on knowing how to be gentlemen. They pique themselves only on knowing the one thing they have not learnt.

743

The true gentleman is he who does not plume himself on anything.

--_Rochefoucauld._

744

Let him speak who received; let the giver hold his peace.

745

Give freely to him that deserveth well and asketh nothing; and that is a way of giving to thyself.

--_Fuller._

746

Better a penny given with a smile than a pound given with a frown.

747

To give so as to bestow a favor and not create an obligation, is a delicate art.

748

He gives twice who gives quickly, according to the proverb; but a gift not only given quickly but unexpectedly, is the most welcome of all.

749

He who sedulously attends, pointedly asks, calmly speaks, coolly answers, and ceases when he has no more to say, is in possession of some of the best mental gifts of mankind.

750

THE BEST GIFTS.

The best of gifts to mortal man is health; The next, the bloom of beauty's matchless flower; The third is blameless and unfraudful wealth; The fourth with friends to use youth's joyous hour.

--_Millman._

751

THE DYING GIRL TO HER LOVER.

Fare thee well, love, fare thee well, From the world I pa.s.s away, Where the brightest things that dwell All deceive and all decay; Cheerfully I fall asleep As by some mysterious spell, Yet I weep to see thee weep-- Fare thee well, love, fare thee well!

Tell of me, love, tell of me, Not amid the heartless throng, Not when pa.s.sion bends the knee, Not where pleasure trills the song.

But when some most cherish'd one By your side at 'eve shall be, Ere your twilight tales are done, Tell of me, love, tell of me!

Leave me now, love, leave me now, Not with sorrow, not with sighs, Not with clouds, love, on thy brow, Not with tears, love, in thine eyes.

We shall meet, we know not where, And be blest, we dream not how, With a kiss and with a prayer Leave me now, love, leave me now!

--_By Winthrop M. Praed._

752

ADVICE TO A GIRL.

Never love unless you can Bear with all the faults of man!

Men sometimes will jealous be Though but little cause they see, And hang the head as discontent, And speak what straight they will repent.

Men, when their affairs require, Must awhile themselves retire; Sometimes hunt, and sometimes hawk, And not ever sit and talk:---- If these and such-like you can bear, Then like, and love, and never fear!

--_Thomas Campion._

753

THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS.

The Princess of Wales has decided views on the education of children.

Her Royal Highness, it appears, strongly objects to "cramming" children with useless learning, which she declares is a mere waste of time.

The Princess considers it harmful to force a child in studies which are distasteful to it, and that the child should be allowed to abandon that study, and take up one it likes better.

Similarly, she disapproves of advanced arithmetic for girls. She considers that all that most girls need ever know about arithmetic, is addition and subtraction, "enough to know how to do their housekeeping and pay their debts," she says.

--_London Paper._

754

No one can give what he has not.

--_Latin._