Do Your Best

"Wlien I wasa little boy," said a sentí nai) one evening, "I pai() a visit to my grandrather, a venerable oíd man wllOM black velvet oap and tasscl, bine hneohei an-1 bHge silverknefi-buckk's, led me with i at uve. When I went to bid liim goodbye. he drew me between bis knees.and olaci.lfe iiía ....,i uu ,„ƒ ilt.ia, ;uu ¦uranu ciiim, íhaveonethingtosaytoyou; will yon reincmber it V I stared into hig face and nod,w ',, , l was lltraid to promise atoad Well, lie continued, 'whaU'vcr voii do do the best you can.' "This, iu faot, was iny grandfathei's lecacytome; and it has jiroved bette than gold. I never forgot 1 i .- words; and 1 beIieve I have tried to act upon tbem. After reaching home iny únele gave Marcus and I bobsí weeding to do in the garden. It was nednesday „ufternoon ; and we had laid our plana l'or sonietliing else. Marcus, fretted and ill-humored at his disapiiaintment ilid not more than half do his work; and I Ngán pretty much Iike liim, until grandfather s advice catne into my mind, and I determined to follow it. ín a word I ' did my best.' And when my únele carne out I shall never forget his look of apnrobation as UU ejes glanced over my beds, or the fourpence he slipped into my hands afterwaixis as he said my work was well done. Ahí I was a glad and tliankfnl boy, while poor Marcus was left to drudtfe over his beds all the afternoon. "At n I was sent to the academy, wheie I liad partly to earn my own way tlirou"h the course. The lessons carne hard at first, for 1 was not fondof study; butgnunllMti. tr's advice was my ninit - ¦ -- ¦ fea to do my best. coiisequentíe of this, though 1 was mnall of' my age, and not very Strong, my mother had three offers for me before theyear was out; and one from the best merchantof the village, 'a place' in wliose store was considered very desirable. Wlien I joinetl the church; I tried to do the I,ord's work as well as I did my own; and often, when I have been tempted to leave the Sunday school, or let a hinderance keep me from the prayer meeting, or get discouraged in any good thing, my grandfathePs last words, ' do the best vou can ' have givcn me fresh courage, and I would again try." Here, then, was the key, to this man's cliaracter. He is considerad one of the best business men, one of the best citizens, one of the best offlcers of the chureh, one of the best frlends of the poor, one of the best neighbors, fathers, husbands, friends; in a word, he is unirersally beloved and respected. And what is the seTet of t all? He ahvays tried to do the best he could. Let every boy and ffirl take this for tbeir motto. Acted upon, it will do wonders for you. It will barios out )Qvera and ttpablHtlol whicli will suriiisi and deügfat yourseives and your fricmls.