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THE YOUTHS CABINET.

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was commanded by those who knew more
than he in the case, he whined out, “ It’s
of no use.” But the sequel proved he
was mistaken.

Suppose, now, it were to happen, occa-
sionally, that a parent, master or teacher,
should order a child to do that which was
of no use; for parents, masters and teach-
ers are fallible. Whatthen? Should the
young be in the habit of replying, and
above all, in a whining, complaining man-
ner? Should they not just go forward
and do as they are bid, even though, in
their own judgment, it should be of no
use? What though it should happen,
once in ten times, that there should be a
mistake on the part of the person in
authority, and a command should be
given which was really of no use? The
child, in obeying cheerfully, does his duty.
He is not at fault. He strengthens and
confirms a good habit.

The great business of mankind, in this
world, is. to learn to obey ; and the sooner
the lesson is learned, the better. There
is, at the head of the universe, in which
we live, one mighty Lawgiver. As soon
as we are born, we come under his laws.
They are in operation above us and below
us; around us and within us; while we
are awake, and while we sleep. They are
going on from the day of our birth to the
day of our death. But as we do not
understand these laws, when we are very
young, is it not a great mercy that God
has placed: us under the care of those who
do? Wedo not understand, for example,
that fire will burn us; how convenient is
it to have those about us who know the
danger of fire, and will keep us away from
it? Until we know what the laws of God
are, as we find them on the broad pages
of Nature and Revelation, our duty is to

look up to our parents ‘for laws. They
stand in the place of God to us, at least
for a time. So do those to whom they
may entrust us, as our teachers. So do
our masters and mistresses, when, owing
to death or other circumstances, our pa-
rents are taken away from us.

In order, then, to be obedient to God,
we must first learn obedience to those
whom he has set over us. And if we
would obey Aim cheerfully, without mur-
muring or complaining, we must first
form the habit of obeying them cheerfully.
There must be no hesitating, or answer-
ing again, or grumbling, or whining.

Ce ee

The Idiot's Death.

LLOw me, my young friends, to

relate to you a sad tale of suffering
is death: In the county of

Greene, in the state of New York,
several years ago, lived an idiot boy, by
the name of J——. He would wander
often from home into the woods and fields,
but had not sense enough to get home
again without the assistance of his friends.
At length, one hot summer day, he left
the house as usual, but at the proper hour
he was nowhere to be found. Night
came, and, for the first time in his life,
probably, the poor lad knew what it was
to want food, a bed, and all the number-
less attentions of a mother. Morning came,
the search became more thorough, but
fruitless as ever. The boy had taken off
some of his garments, on account of the
heat of the day, and these were found ; but
where was the suffering, starving, dying
boy? Ten days passed. No more tidings
or traces of him were found. Then, sad