ther's wishes, she has shown great want of gratitude and respect for the friend who has been catering for her amusement, and has probably fussed and hurried herself into a fever ; perhaps, too, she has forfeited any renewal of this same kind friend's offer. And why? Because she chose to put off a positive duty, and to waste the time of others as well as her own.

This last evil, arising from want of punctuality, is too serious to be overlooked in our discussion on the value of time. I remember being much struck with the reproof given by a lady of the Society of Friends to one of the members of a charitable committee, who entered the meeting-room a quarter of an hour after the time appointed. “Dost thou know how much time thou hast lost? " asked the Friend. “I am but a few minutes behindhand-not a quarter of an hour,” said the delinquent, looking at her watch. “I beg thy pardon,” replied the other ; “ thou hast not only lost thine own quarter of an hour, which is an affair between thee and thy God,--but thou hast robbed each of us twelve of the same time. And what right

hadst thou to take from us what thou canst not restore? It is indeed true, that the unpunctual person not only squanders the time intrusted to herself, but wastes that of others also.

If you would really improve your time, be very careful to be always doing something. It is not enough to be intending to do. “The fool,” it is said, “talks of what he is going to do.” The wise man will hardly mention what he has done. It is astonishing what a number of hours may be daily wasted in dreaming of setting about something. The only plan that will insure no waste of time is to assign a certain hour for every employment, and to go directly from one to another at that hour, without one moment's hesitation, taking, however, into that new occupation, all our thoughts, and energies, and heart.

But when we speak of putting all our heart and energies into our employment, let us also be sure that the occupation itself is one which is worthy of our destinies as responsible and immortal beings Whatever can contribute

the happiness of others, or to our own improvement or pleasure, is an occupation in which we may safely engage; but there are some restless and ill-regulated minds that seek diversion in occupation, without the slightest thought as to its ultimate utility ; that begin a number of things without finishing one; that exist in a perpetual state of weariness and excitement, without one wish or thought beyond that of

getting through the day.” Noble ambition, truly, for a being to whom that day may be the last of her life! Such occupation as this does not deserve the name of industry. Such people have no idea of the value of Time.

To economise TIME, then, is to employ every moment judiciously, for some good and useful purpose; to be always actively employed in some pursuit worthy of us.

What our engagements may be is nothing to the purpose. That which may be a waste of time in one girl, may be a duty in another who is differently circumstanced; but the truest wisdom is first to ascertain what our duties are, and then diligently and heartily to endeavour to perform them.

Nor should we retire to rest without a careful examination of ourselves and our actions, as compared with the resolutions of the morning. Without knowing our errors, how can we hope to correct them ? without examining our hearts, how shall we see wherein we have done, or thought, or acted wrong, or in what we have accomplished our wishes ? To know ourselves, with all our weaknesses and faults, is so essential, that it must be a part of our daily study; and this knowledge cannot fail to fill us with gratitude to our heavenly Father, and feelings of kindness and charity to our fellow-creatures.

It would be wrong to close this chapter on the importance of Time, and the use to be made of it, without adverting more particularly to the large amount that is daily wasted by late risers. Perhaps the great majority of young women rise an hour or two later than they ought to do, and than they would do if they studied even that which was most beneficial to their health; and the time thus lost amounts in a few years to a period of which they would indeed be frightened to think they had voluntarily robbed themselves. Like all other habits, that of lying in bed late is one which it is difficult to overcome, especially in after life; it is therefore very unwise to acquire it on leaving school.

Indeed, the propensity to indulge in lying in bed late in the morning probably arises more from the contrast it affords to the discipline of school, than from any genuine love for bed. The remembrance that she has been obliged to rise at a certain hour, and the knowledge that she is now so far her own mistress that she can get up when she likes, induces a young girl to give way to this indolent habit. Perhaps, had she been taught to regard it as a privilege to be permitted to rise, she would not now enjoy this exercise of independence; but whatever the reason may be, it is truly to be lamented; for as the hours of sleep before midnight do more to restore the energies of the frame than any amount of rest after that time, so the period spent in study before noon is much more valuable than the same time at a later hour of the day.

All our greatest men and women have been