cigar, and calling for his "glass of bitter." Now it is not at all needful to discuss whether these habits are good or bad; THEY COST MONEY, and, to use an old proverb, "you can't eat your cake and have it too." Indulgence in these two habits, takes away the only chance by which thousands of happy homes might be secured.

To all young men and women we earnestly commend the importance of resolving early in life to do all you can to

improve your position. Do not be content with a bare existence. Resolve to mount the ladder of social improvement. Remember that :

"All things must yield to industry and time,

None cease to rise but those who cease to climb."

You will be astonished how much a little effort constantly made will accomplish. "Little strokes fell great oaks,"

and little savings, little habits of thrift, perseverance, and forethought, must sooner or later be crowned with success. Of one thing you may be quite certain-that it is the best as well as the cheapest, to live a virtuous and a godly life. Benjamin Franklin never uttered a greater truth than when he said, "What maintains one vice will bring up two children." Yes, you will find that it is better to save the price of two pints of ale, to help you to buy some addition to the comforts of your home, than to go on day after day swallowing an article, which experience has abundantly proved you can do a great deal better without. You will also discover that it is wiser to abandon the costly habit of smoking tobacco and cigars, in order to purchase something which will not end in smoke, but will help to decorate your walls with some pictures, or your bookshelves with some books. How many trips to the seaside, where you can enlarge your ideas and improve your health, may also be secured in the same way! Many young people waste in these foolish habits, as much money as would enable them to attend a night school, where they could add to their store of knowledge things which would be helpful in their trade or calling, and bring many additions to the comforts of their home!

Suppose a young man about seventeen or eighteen years of age, instead of smoking and drinking, resolves to begin saving and thinking. If he only saves the price of a pint of beer a day and a screw of tobacco, it will come to from 1s. to 2s. a week. Now slow and steady gains is the road to wealth; or, as the proverb says, "Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves." More depends upon saving than getting. Many make mistakes by saying, "If I only could get 10s. or 20s. I would start." The result is, they never start at all. What is wanted is the resolution to say, "If a young fellow can afford to smoke and drink, I can afford to think and save." If 3d. a day is thus regularly saved and put by in a savings-bank, it will make 1s. 9d. per week, 7s. in four weeks, £4 11s. 3d. in the

year. So that with a few odd sixpences from overtime and other causes, and interest, £5 a year could be saved. Now if a young man starts, say at seventeen, to do this,

And

by the time he is twenty-one he will be worth from £20 to £25. Is not that a result worthy of the effort? besides this, suppose a young fellow had such a sum in the

bank to call his own, do you think he would say "Good morning" to any young woman who chooses to give him a special look? Not he. He would begin to reason after this style: "I have £20 to £25 to risk besides myself. I wonder what she has got ?" But if a young fellow is conscious that he has nothing in the bank, and that there is no prospect of his having anything there, the result is that he is glad of any girl who will have him. Nor need we be surprised to hear, that she finds him dear at the price when she has secured him. That such is the case can be easily proved in all directions. Yes, we live in times of great show. Large numbers seem to be constantly doing all they can to appear something more than they really are. Every young man must appear to be a gentleman! Thousands are willing to deny themselves the ordinary necessaries of life during the week-days, in order to purchase some article of finery to turn out with on a Sunday. Yes, if it cannot be obtained in this way, rather than appear what they call shabby, they will obtain such things on credit. Better by far to wear a fustian jacket which has been paid for, than the finest broadcloth which has been obtained on credit in order to be thought a gentleman. Such make-believes can generally be detected by their get-up in spite of all attempts to conceal it. Remember what Maclagan says:

"When life is full of health and glee,
Work thou as busy as a bee!

And take the gentle hint from me-
Be careful of your money, boys-
Be careful of your money;

You'll find it true that friends are few
When you are short of money!"

There is another advantage connected with this habit of saving which it is important every young woman should be ready to recognise, and it is—to be able to save it is needful to get, and to get it is needful to work. It will thus be seen that if a young man can produce a bank-book for your inspection in which you can see that he has saved a certain

sum over four or five years, it also of necessity tells you that he must have been industrious when there was work to do, and prudent with his money when he had earned it, and like a wise man he had also been trying to provide for the future with a little forethought. In these three thingsindustry, prudence, and forethought-you have the only basis upon which you can hope to build a successful life.

If, on the other hand, there is no bank-book forthcoming when you ask for it, and there is no evidence of any saving having marked the young man's conduct in the past, what guarantee have you against idleness, carelessness, and improvidence? If these are the marks which characterise his conduct, then you may rest assured there is little hope of his rising in the world himself, or of helping you to realise the happiness of a home of your own. Woe betide the woman who finds herself tied up for life to a man who is lazy, improvident, and shiftless! She will discover, to her cost, that she has a burden to carry of no ordinary weight.

It is just the same with our young women. What a change for the better would soon take place if they also would seek to save a little of their hard earnings instead of spending every penny, not only as soon as they get it, but often before they earn it! Suppose a girl opened an account also at the Post Office Savings Bank and resolved to save a certain sum out of either the weekly, monthly, or quarterly wages she received. True, she might not be able to save much at a time, but the main point to settle is this—you must be content to save a little regularly, spread over a long period, rather than wait for the opportunity of saving a larger sum at longer intervals. Thousands miss their way by "going to do it," instead of "doing it." If 6d. a week is sacredly laid aside and put into the bank it is out of the way of danger. Many an imaginary want will go without being attended to, if you have to fetch the money out of the bank. In the course of time sixpences will grow to shillings, and shillings to pounds. A shilling a week is £2 12s.