142. STUDENT.

The light in the world comes chiefly from two

Sources:

1. The Sun. 2. The Student's lamp.

HINTS IN RELATION TO STUDY.

1. The number of hours of daily study. This must vary with the constitution of each individual.

The attention must all be absorbed; the thoughts must all be brought in, and turned upon the object of study, as you would turn the collected rays of the sun into the focus of the glass, when you would get fire from those rays.

Do not call miscellaneous reading, or anything which you do by way of relief, or amusement, study it is not study. Be sure to get as much of your study in the morning as possible. The mind is then in good order.

2. Have regard to the positions of the body while engaged in study.

Some men, from early life, habituate themselves to study, sitting at a low flat table; this ought to be avoided; for, as you advance in life, that part of the body which is between the shoulders and hips. becomes more and more feeble, and consequently the stooping habit is acquired. Few literary men walk or sit perfectly erect. Standing is undoubtedly the best method of study, if you will only begin in this way. In writing, in the study of languages, and most kinds of mathematics, you must be confined to one spot. If you can change positions, and stand a part, and sit a part of the time, it will be well;

but the former should preponderate. As you advance in life you will naturally sit more and more; till the habit becomes fixed. Few men are seen standing at their books after forty years of age. The late talented and lamented Grimke (Judge of the Supreme Court of S. Carolina) informs us that he uniformly stood, and did most of his studying while walking in his room. If you are composing, or reading, or committing to memory, this position is a desirable one. Be sure you have your table high enough, and keep clear of the rocking chair, with a writing-leaf on the arm of it. Sitting in such a chair gives the body a twisting position, which is almost sare to lead to poor health, and not unfrequently to the grave. If possible, place your table, the top of which should so slope a little, that the light may fall upon you from behind. This will be a kindness to the eyes. In the evening, it is well to have the lamp shaded, or to have a shade drawn over the eyes. I would hope, however, that you keep your lessons so much in advance, that the necessity of putting your eyes to a severe trial will be avoided. If your eyes are weak, be careful that a glare of light does not fall upon them; and be sure to wash them in cold water the last thing at night, and the first in the morning. The great desideratum in the choice of positions is to keep the body as straight as possible. A bending at the chest is by all means to be avoided. Your dress, even to the slipper, should sit as loosely as possible; and the house which is now to stand still, and in which the mind is to labour, should be as easy as it can be, without assuming a position,

which, by long habit, will court the embrace of sleep.

3. Let there be no conversation in the hours of

study.

4. Be thorough in every study.

5. Expect to become familiar with hard study.
6. Remember that the great secret of being suc-
cessful and accurate as a student, next to perse-
verance, is the constant habit of reviewing.

7. Be faithful in fulfilling your appointed exercises.
8. Learn to rest the mind, by variety in your
studies, rather than by entire cessation from

study.*

Read as little as possible by artificial light, nor before or after sun-down, nor with the light immediately in front, but let it fall at an angle on the page, over the left shoulder.†

-DR. W. W. HALL.

The man who works so moderately as to be able to work contantly not only preserves his health the longest, but in the course of the year executes the greatest quantity of work. The saying is "every man does more work in ten months than twelve."

-ADAM SMITH.

The boy who's always wishing

That this or that might be,

But never tries his mettle,

Is the boy that's bound to see

• From The Studer t's Manual, by Rev. John Todd.
From How to Live Long.

His plans all come to failure,
His hopes end in defeat,

For that's what comes when wishing
And working fail to meet.

The boy who wishes this thing,

Or that thing with a will,

That spurs him on to action,

And keeps him trying still
When efforts meet with failure,
Will some day surely win;

For he works out what he wishes,
And that's where "luck" comes in!

The "luck" that I believe in
Is that which comes with work,
And no one ever finds it

Who's content to wish and shirk.
The men the world calls "lucky"

Will tell you, every one,

That success comes not by wishing,

But hard work, bravely done.

--EBEN E. REXFORD

"Little by little," said a thoughtful boy, "Moment by moment, I'll well employ, Learning a little every day,

And not spending all my time in play;
And still this rule in my mind shall dwell,
'Whatever I do, I will do it well!'

Little by little I'll learn to know
The treasured wisdom of long ago;

And one of these days, perhaps, we'll see
That the world will be the better for me."

And do not you think that this simple plan
Made him a wise and a useful man? *

Till you are of sixteen years of age, act under the guidance of your elders;

Do not be self-willed at that age or it will go hard

with you.

At home do what your father and mother ask you to do;

In school do as the teacher says and learn with attention.

Habits good or bad that are formed in infancy

Last the whole life-time, and so form good habits. A tender plant can be easily bent as one wishes to bend it,

When once it is hard it cannot be bent, and thus it is with man's mind.

Waste not even a moment of the time that should be spent in school,

Attend school regularly and study more and more books.

'I will learn my lesson before others have done', This spirit of emulation is good, other show of vanity being improper.

'What new have I learned to-day', ask yourself this question everyday;

If you follow this practice, you will keep up your respect as a student.

Let not a day pass without adding something to your knowledge,

Acquire morals with great zeal and aspire to be a man of letters.

* From Temperance Reciter.