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 SlluBtrntti /crtjiiiig fouh. 
 
 EYERY-DAY HEROISM. 
 
HVERY-DAY HEROISM, 
 
 ** I WILL not try any more. Everything 
 goes wrong to-day," exclaimed Charlie 
 Morris, tiuowing down his slate in a pet. 
 
EYERY-DAY HEROISM. 3 
 
 ** Nothing succeeds that I try to do. 
 Everything turiis out just the wrong 
 way." 
 
 *' I want you to run and get me the 
 book," said his mother, ** which I left on 
 the seat at the farther end of the gaide \ ; 
 then afterwards we will see if anvhi ig 
 can be done to qoax events i^to a belter 
 humour.*' 
 
 Charley returned with his face a little 
 brighter from a moment's exercise in the 
 fresh air, and seated himself at his 
 mother's feet. 
 
 ** Do you beheve in unlucky days, 
 mother ?" said he. 
 
 **I do not believe they come very 
 often,'* said Mrs. Morris. 
 
 ** But how can you help their comings 
 mother ?" 
 
 *' Treat them in such a way when they 
 occur that they will not return very soon. 
 But now I want you to tell me what has 
 made this day ' unlucky,' and then per- 
 haps I can tell you what to do about it." 
 
 *' Well, you see, mother, 1 overslept 
 my self this morning, and was late at 
 
EVERY-DAY HEROISM. 
 
 breakfast. That put me out. Tlien Agne^ 
 laughed at me for being so late, and that 
 made me cross." 
 
 ** Stop a moment, my dear, and notice 
 where your * unlucky day' began. The 
 triiluig error in being late in rismg cannot 
 
EVERY-r>AY HEROISM. 5 
 
 excuse the greater fault of ill-temper. A 
 single act of sejf control might have 
 altered the course of the whole day.'* 
 
 ** Then, mother, I went to school 
 feeling just as cross ; I thought I had all 
 my lessons perfectly ; but when I got to 
 school, I found I had learned the wrong 
 spelhng-lesson, and that provoked me a 
 little more, but I set to work to learn the 
 right one. While in the midst of that, 
 the arithmetic class was called. I had 
 studied the lesson thoroughly last night, 
 but somehov/ the spelling, or being pro- 
 voked, or something else, had put it all 
 out of my head, so that I missed ever so 
 many questions : and, to end it all, I 
 have got twelve extra examples to work 
 out at home. I cannot do them ; it is no 
 use trying to do anything on such days.'* 
 
 There was a pause of a lew moments, 
 and then his mother said : 
 
 *' Charley, you like to read the histo- 
 ries of great soldiers and heroes of old 
 times, such as Alexander, and Ceesar^ and 
 I^'apoleon?" 
 
 ** Yes, mother, very much." 
 
EVEaY-PAY HEROISM. 
 
 *'Well, tell me, when do you like 
 Alexander best — feasting at Babylon — or 
 in action, commanding his army, attack- 
 ing the enemy, and gaining victories?*' 
 
 ^' I like him best in action, mother, of 
 
 course.^' 
 
 *'True, we like bravery better than 
 cowardice. When do you like best to 
 read of Napoleon — imprisoned at Ste 
 Helena, or at the beginning of his course 
 with difficulties around him, but rising 
 above them all by his strength of will?" 
 
 ** Oh, I like him best in the beginning, 
 mother," said Charley, with kindled en- 
 thusiasm. 
 
 *' But,'' said Mrs. Morris, '' suppose he 
 could have marched by a smooth road, 
 straight from France to Italy." 
 
 *' Why, he would not have been a hero 
 at all, if he had not something to con« 
 
 quer.'' 
 
 **And the will to conquer it,*' added 
 Mrs. Morris with a smile. " That is just 
 what I want you to notice. We cannot 
 imitate, if we would, the precise actions 
 of these great conquerors; but we can 
 
EVEEY-DAY HEROISM. ¥ 
 
 copy their energy and strength of purpose, 
 and our daily life furnishes opportunities 
 to cultivate these qualities.*' 
 *' I do not see how, mother.'* 
 ** The life of a little school-boy pre- 
 sents some difficulties— does it not, Char- 
 ley r 
 
 ^^Yes, mother," he replied, glancing 
 
 ruefully at his Arithmetic. 
 
 <* Then there is something to conquer, 
 and in the conquest you can grow strong 
 and brave. Like Napoleon you can never 
 be a hero, unless you have some obstacles 
 
 to overcome." 
 
 ** I wish the difficulties would not 
 always come when I feel so cross." 
 
 ** The crossness is the very first thing 
 you need to conquer. There is a proverb 
 on that subject: -He that is slov/ to 
 anger, is better than the mighty ; and he 
 that ruleth his spirit, than he that ta^eth 
 
 a city. 
 
 "That is an impoiiaut thing to re- 
 member," said Mrs. Morns. "It we 
 are ever to attain anything great or good 
 in life, our career of con(iuest must begin 
 
EVERY-DAY HEROISM. 
 
 in our own hearts. Until all unruly 
 feelings and passions are under control, our 
 efforts toward knowledge, or anything else 
 that is worth the winning, will be of little 
 avail. What people call adverse fate, is 
 the result of their own faults and failings.'* 
 
 '* Do you think one can always help 
 feeling unpleasantly, mother V 
 
 ** I think one can learn either to put 
 down all disagreeable feelings, or to work 
 bravely on and never mind them. But 
 what lessons do you most frequently have 
 trouble with, Charley ?" 
 
 *' Oh ! this arithmetic, mother, it is the 
 only thing that troubles me." 
 
 ** I will write on your book, two motto$ 
 which I wish you to look at, whenever 
 you are fretted, or discouraged by diflficuk 
 ties. The first is : — ' Every boy may be 
 a hero.' And that you may remember 
 what sort of heroism is to be sought, I 
 will add this verse: '' He that ruleth his 
 spirit, is greater than he that taketh a 
 city 
 
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