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superscription writ about it, "Mine by right of experience and labor."

It is the comfort and encouragement of this pride which guide and dictate the amusements of the people. Who go to prize-fights? Those who have something of the fighting ambition. Who read poetry? Those who are, in some sort, poets themselves. Who go to concerts? Those who go home humming the airs they have heard. We feel an encouragement in the successful performance of others, from a faith in our common humanity,—pride at the success of any man, since we are men ourselves.

And just here you will observe that the pleasure taken in the performances we have mentioned is one the capacity for whose enjoyment was acquired by experience, labor, or suffering in the past;—and it is consoling to think, when we are annoyed, suffering, or driven against our wills, that just so surely are we fitting ourselves for enjoyment hereafter,—acquiring latent happiness for future time to draw out. Who that can read, and has been charmed with the beauties of literature, ever remembered with pain the birch that assisted his urchin ambition? How well do we remember the heaven-attested oaths which predicated the broken bones of our venerable pedagogue when we should have attained ability for the task,—that pedagogue whose bones shall not be broken while ours can ward off the blow! Oh that we might not cease to remember that this is God training us to thank him.

A man takes no pride in any thing beyond his own experience. Increase his experience, and you increase