Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-02
Oyerdone Yirtuas.

Mr.. Black has clever son John. When
he entered the boy at school he urged
upon him-as fathers should do-the ne
cessity of study, and the Importance and
value of the knowledge which he would
acquire.
John is a hard student; he pores over
his books so late into the night and neg
lects for them so constantly all exercise by
day, that he is already a sallow, lean dys-
peptic. He is, too, SO convinced of the
value of his knowledge, that he parades it
in season and out of season; quotes Horace
at the breakfast table to his mother, who
does not understand Latin, breaks into the
chatter of girl visitor with disquisition
on biology, and loftily rebukes his father,
who is a plain, uneducated farmer, for mis-
takes in grammar.
James Craig is a boy in the same village,
who was early impressed with the virtue
and advantages of economy. He has car
ried the habit of saving to such an ex-
treme that he is, at ID, miser.
He was never known to share his cake
or fruit with comrade, or to give one of
his long-hoarded pennies to hungry beg
gar. The hard, sharp lines of avarice
have already pinched and contracted his
face, and he has begun to lay up for him
self that heavy load of worldly treasure
which will not profit him in this world,
and all of which he must leave behind him
when, naked and empty-handed, he enters
the world to come.
Ethel Parker, on the contrary, is
young girl, who, from childhood, has been
praised for her generosity. The result is
that, at Is, she has no idea of the rights of
property-either her own or other peo-
pies.
Her father is not rich man, but Ethel
INDUCES herself and her schoolmates in
costly treats, gives away what money she
can get without discrimination, and denies
herself and friends no luxury. When
Christmas comes she heaps her gifts on her
friends lavishly, leaving her indulgent
father to feel the weight of bills that he
has to work hard to pay.
Now, young people would avoid all
these mistakes, and many others into
which they fall, if they would but remem-
Der that virtue pushed to the extreme
becomes vice. Indeed, if they look into
the matter they will find that the faults
and disagreeable qualities of most people
whom they know are not crimes, but ex-
aggerated merits.
Among respectable, church-going men
and women there are few murderers,
thieves or slanderers. But there is many
man whose industry in business makes
him trade his better self for gain or
whose devotion to duty has turned him
into prig; or whose rigorous faith in
his church has made him an intolerable
bigot.
There is many a woman so absorbed in
her home and children as to become ignor-
ant of and uninterested in all life outside
of them; or so anxious to be kind and
agreeable that she has degenerated into a
polite liar and hypocrite: or so intent on
telling the truth that she affronts every
friend or stranger with merciless criticism
Of themselves.
Not many of us, like Christian, find our
way in life barred 10y great vice, huge
Apollyon, with teeth and claws, belching
forth fame and smoke" whom we must
] fight. But we meet every day pleasant
little false angels, of whom we make COM
panions and who lead us astray into the
mire.- Youths Companion