such impression is ever forgotten. These, and other considerations, and there are many others, should lead one to indulge but little in this kind of reading. The time now devoted to them by the young, and those especially just entering the period of manhood, such as generally compose our literary societies, should rather be given to the pursuit of useful knowledge of wisdom.

The years of life have been compared to the pages of the Sybil, and wisdom to their contents. The price of knowledge, of wisdom, is patient and persevering study. If we refuse to give the price at first, and the Sybil again presents herself before us, we find she comes with fewer pages, but still the same price; if we refuse still, when she again comes, it is yet with fewer pages, but nevertheless their contents can only be obtained at the same cost; if we this time accept the conditions, how much do we find we have lost from not complying with them at first, when the leaves, or years of life, were many!

INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER.

How often in moments of despondency, has the thought been sighed - who am I, that I should live?—why was I formed? I have no influence over the world's affairs-why was I created? I do not mean to say that one person has as great an influence as another in this world, for persons in different situations, or pursuing different objects, will exercise a different amount of influence; but that no one is without his influence that there are none who have no control over this world's history, its secret, if not, indeed, its written history. No one lives but to some purpose, and to accomplish this purpose he must have some influence.

The mind is ever alive to impressions, to the action of mind; and while we are animated with passions, with the power of feeling and acting, so long must we not only be alive to the influence of others, and surrounding objects and circumstances, but so long must we continue to influence. While love can breathe around its endearing charms, lighting the eye with its smile of pleasure, kindling our hearts with warm affec

tions, and implanting within us the desire, as we have the power to please, while fierce, unholy passions can dwell within our breast, inspiring us with hate and fury, throwing around all their own poisons, so long have we the power of influencing. As long as we have the power of reasoning, and of persuading a single person to follow our designs, or desist from pursuing some object of his own, so long we exert an influence, nay, a great, important influence in this world. Men generally give to the world the color of their own minds; but that mind is often colored by the lightest tints, the most trifling things; and if by means of a word acting upon it, which has cost us neither trouble nor thought, we have persuaded its possessor from a course of action, or led him to pursue one, we have exercised an influence which, though it may seem so slight as to pass unnoted by us, even when sighing for it, yet may control the destinies of a life; and as mind and soul are eternal, of an eternity. A few words spoken by us, perhaps in jest, may contain a principle which another may adopt as the ruling motive of his life. Our careless remark of to-day, may be another's watchword to-morrow. Have we then no influence?

We cannot mingle constantly in a certain society without exercising some control over it, which

may be seen, in some degree, in the respect given to our ideas and suggestions, or in the passions stirred against us. Our greatest influence is, perhaps, over our intimate personal friends. One cannot be intimate with another, without either strengthening or changing in some degree his habits of thinking and acting; for the deference paid to opinions and persuasions is, in many cases, a test of friendship. One is continually suggesting to a friend new ideas, and guiding his thoughts in a new direction; and as, often, impressions which are once made on the mind are never afterwards obliterated therefrom, so there they ever remain, to influence it and the conduct. The character of a person can often be told (as a certain proverb indicates) by that of his companions; for he will either lead them, or they will carry him with them. Who does not feel the influence of his intimate friend? How often do we yield to the persuasions of that friend! How does the eye receive an additional gleam, emit a brighter glance, the heart beat with a quicker pulse, and a smile illumine the countenance, as he is seen approaching, telling in the strongest language his power and influence over us!

We are ready to yield to him in almost all things; we scarce form an opinion, or determine upon any act without consulting him. As his

influence over us, so ours over him, or those to whom we stand in a position similar with his to us. Nor is this a transitory influence, passing away with the view of the person, but it extends through all after life; and as the character formed from these influences is good or bad, so will be the result of its action on others. If we change the course of a single life, or confirm one in following the path he has marked out for himself, we have exercised an influence greater than can be estimated; we may have brought to light, or crushed, a spirit whose name ages may, or might have pronounced with gratitude and love, or the bitter accents of hate and disgust. How then can we have no influence?

Shakspeare, lolling in some cool grot on the banks of Avon, idling away in silent revery the sunny hours, may have sighed, "I have no influence," and wondered while he just breathed the sigh, for what he was created, or why he lingered on earth uselessly. But how many minds have, notwithstanding, been moulded by him, who was, perchance, first led to write by some intimate friend, or the chance remark of some random acquaintance, whose name` no page of history records, though so great a benefactor of the human race. Such may have been the sad, silent thought of some young man, as he contemplated