Salt-Cellars

A Collection of Proverbs, Together with Homely Notes Thereon

“These three things go to the making of a proverb shortness, sense and salt.”

A bad dog sees not the thief.

We have plenty of bad dogs nowadays. Ministers will not see the error which abounds; statesmen wink hard at vice; and religious people sleep while satan plunders the church.

A bad dog may get a good bone.

Often very unworthy men gain fortunes, offices and honors. This world is not the place of rewards and punishments, and so it happens that satan’s bullocks often feed in the fatte’st pastures.

A bad motive makes a good action bad.

What appears good enough in itself has often- been polluted by the motive. It might be well to kiss the Lord Jesus, but the motive of Judas made a kiss a crime.

A bad padlock invites a picklock.

Carelessness on the part of owners may prove a temptation to servants and others. We should not put theft into their minds by want of proper care.

A bird that cannot be shot may be snared.

Dispositions vary, and satan knows how to fit his temptations to our temperament. He who will not fall into open sin may be seduced into secret unbelief and pride.

A bitten child is afraid of a stuffed dog.

The same as “a burnt child dreads the fire,” or “a scalded cat dreads cold water.” It were well if more who have suffered from sin would have a solemn fear of it, and henceforth shun it.

A blustering fellow is always a coward.

This observation has come down through long ages of observers. It is a rule to which there are very few exceptions. ]Ir. Bluster is soon in a fluster.

A braying donkey may spoil a grazing donkey’s business.

A noisy person may prevent a neighbor from following his work with success, and may even cause a prejudice against others in the same line who are quiet and unassuming.

A cat must not always keep her back up.

If now and then a man has to assert himself, and be on the warpath, let him come to his usual level as soon as possible.

A cat on hot bricks is all in a hurry.

And so is a person when he is out of his element. Many a man at church, or in court, or at a prayer-meeting, or by a dying bed, is very much in this unp happy condition.

A clever head is all the better for a close mouth.

Then the man will «<:/ rather than gossip; and be will not disclose his plans before the proper time fo;’ carrying them out.

A cloudy morning brings a clear day.

We may begin a work with trouble, and yet the business may bring us great joy as it proceeds.

A cow’s tail droops down, but never drops o£f.

Many institutions look as if they would fall, but they have not done so yet, and they will not do so for many a year.

A cracked bell should not be rung.

It would be well if we could keep foolish people quiet, but who can? If they were not cracked you might quiet them, but they have not wit enough to hold their tongues.

A creaking door hangs long on its hinges.

Persons who are usually ill often live on for many years, while robust persons die suddenly. This may comfort the invalid, and be a warning to the strong.

A donkey may grow, but he will never be an

’ elephant.

It is not in some men, advance as they may, to grow out of their natural folly, and arrive at any measure of sagacity.

A drowning man will catch at razors,

A man who is losing money will gamble, or speculate, or try the most shameful trick to save himself. Thus he hurts himself still more, and makes his ruin and wretchedness sure.

A fair face may be a foul bargain.

Young men should not be carried away with mere beauty, but look to character and disposition. One who marries a woman for her beauty alone is as foolish as the man who ate a bird because it sang so sweetly.

A fog cannot be driven away by a fan.

Trifling acts cannot accomplish great results.

A fool calls others fools.

He ought to be a judge of fools since he is in that line himself. Perhaps he unconsciously hopes that he may turn upon others the contempt which he half suspects is due to himself.

A fool is a man who is wise too late.

This is a sententious and instructive definition. Alas, how many are in that condition on a dying bed!

A fool in his own house will not be wise in mine.

If he does not know his own business he will not be likely to know mine one-half so well. It is idle to seek or accept counsel from one who has already failed in the management of his own concerns.

A fool’s gun is soon fired.

He has little to say, but he is in a desperate hurry to say it. In olden times they said “a fool’s bolt is soon shot.”

A foolish man diligently advertises his own folly.

He will talk, and talk most upon that which he should never mention for his credit’s sake.

A good book is the best companion.

It wall speak or be quiet, and it neither talks nonsense nor perpetrates folly.

A good cat should have a good rat.

And so she will if she catches it herself. God helps those who help themselves. We will wish well to him who works well. “May the best man win!”

A good head will save the feet.

A sensible person takes a practical view of things, uses a little foresight, and does two or three things at the same time, thus saving future journeys.

A good horse never lacks a saddle.

Somebody or other will employ the man of ability, character, and tact. The man needs his place, but the place also needs the man.

A good layer up should be a good layer out.

Hoarding is a vulgar thing which any fool rtiay accomplish; but it needs a wise man to expend judiciously what has been saved carefully.

A good worker should have good wages.

He deserves them, and it will be to his employer’s interest to see that he has them. Never lose a good servant through bad pay.

A grateful man is a rare bird.

Yes, he is almost as rare as a phoenix. How often does charity receive an ungrateful return! But we must not be discouraged, for we are bound to give our alms for Christ’s sake, and not to purchase thanks.

A great cage does not make a bird sing.

Large possessions bring great cares, and these too often silence songs of praise.

A great man’s blunders are great blunders.

When a whale makes a splash it is a great splash. A man of distinguished capacity and position does everything, right or wrong, upon a large scale.

A hammer of gold will not open the gates of heaven.

Money opens many of the gates of earth, for bribery is rife; but it has no power in the world to come. Money is more eloquent than ten members of Parliament, but it cannot prevail with the great judge.

A handsome woman .is soon dressed.

She does not require such careful setting off. She is “most adorned when unadorned the most.”

A hasty man is seldom out of trouble.

He is constantly offending some one or other and picking quarrels right and left. He boils over and scalds himself.

A hedge-hog is a poor bed fellow.

And so are bad-tempered people, especially Mrs. Caudle.

A hen with one chick seems mighty busy.

Some persons make as much fuss about little as others do who have ten times their work.

A hundred years hence we shall all be bald.

Our skulls will be bare as the palm of our hand when it has lain a little while in the grave. What’s the use of making much of trifles which will soon come to an end? So also we may see the folly of those who glory in their luxuriant tresses.

A hungry man is an angry man.

Never collect subscriptions before dinner, for you will get nothing.

A journey of a thousand miles is begun with a step.

Beware of despising small beginnings. Some men never arrive at usefulness because they are not satisfied to begin in a small way, and proceed a step at a time.

A kind face is a beautiful face.

Even a plain countenance is made absolutely charming when a kind disposition lights it up.

A lazy man makes himself more work by his laziness.

He adopts shifts to save himself trouble; and as these do not answer, it costs him ten times more to do the thing than if he had set about it in the right way at first.

A leaden sword in an ivory scabbard is still lead.

You cannot make a man of one who is no man, though you may make him a magistrate, or a minister, or an emperor

A liar never believes other people.

Of course he does not; he judges them by himself.

A little fore talk may save much after talk.

Let the bargain, or agreement, be clearly understood, that there may be no after contention. Let counsel be carefully taken, that there may be no need for regret. Better thrice meet for consultation than once for lamentation.

A little gall spoils a great deal of honey.

A few angry words have embittered the friendship of a life. A few bitter sentences have destroyed the usefulness of a sweet sermon, and even of a sweet life.

A little man may cast a long shadow.

Though his talents are small, his influence may be great. A holy life may tell upon a wide circle, and prove a blessing to many generations.

A little oil may save a deal of friction.

Just a kind word and a yielding manner, and anger and complaining will be avoided.

A little too late is too much too late.

Punctuality is .an important duty, and we ought to be ashamed if we are five minutes behind the promised time.

A little wanness may save great weariness.

By forethought, contrivance and arrangement, much care and labor may be saved.

A man cannot prosper till he gets his wife’s leave.

She must practice economy, or all his savings may melt away.

A man is known by the company he shuns.

Quite as much as by the company he keeps.

A man may be a fool and not know it.

Indeed it generally is the case that he is not aware of his own folly. If he did know it, he would not be a fool any longer.

A man of prayer is a man of power.

But he. must not be of the same kind as the Berkshire farmer, who said: “It was no use praying for rain as long as the wind was in the north.”

A man of silence is a man of sense.

Even if he has no other sense, he acts sensibly when he keeps quiet. He has at least sense enough to conceal his want of it.

A man who will not flee will make his foes flee.

He only will move the world who will not let the world move him. Stand against those whom you withstand, and in a short time they will not stand against you.

A man’s tongue should never be larger than his

hand.

He should not say more than he can do, nor promise more than he can perform.

A mask is an instrument of torture to a true man.

He hates all disguise. He wishes to be known and read of all men.

A mischievous dog must be tied short.

Persons who injure others must have their power limited.

A miser is like a hog — of no use till he is dead.

Many are hoping that he will cut up well. Our societies could do very well with a side of such bacon.

A nice dog can give a nasty bite.

Very sweet-spoken men can say slanderous things. You fancy that butter would not melt in their mouths; but you soon find that in proportion to the softness of their oil is the sharpness of their sword.

A nimble ninepence beats a slov shilling.

Quickness in trade is a great thing. The oftener the capital is turned over, the better. “Small profits and quick returns” is a good motto.

A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.

As he can see nothing at all, it matters not how you try to direct him. Plenty of men are equally hard to guide.

A parson should not drive a grey horse.

Because the hair comes off and shows on his black coat. Our company and our pursuits should be congruous to our calling.

A penny is a debt as true

As if ten thousand pounds were due.

Little sums are apt to be forgotten, but the principle involved in leaving them unpaid is the same as knavery in larger amounts.

A ^ound of idleness weighs twenty ounces.

That is to say, it is more heavy and burdensome than anything else. Doing nothing is hard work.

A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.

Resolution will bring the success which the believer in luck gapes for in vain.

A prejudiced man puts out his own eyes.

He refuses to see the other side of the question. His judgment is blinded by his own wilfulness, and this is the worst of blindness.

A rich man may make a poor husband.

Better to have a treasure in the man than with the man.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

This is the home-lover’s reason for stopping forever in his native village. There is some reason in it, for frequent and freakish changes hinder prosperity.

A sheep should not tire of carrying his own wool.

He is a lazy man who complains of the weight of his clothes, the toils of his trade, or the natural care of his own family.

A servant is best discovered by his master’s absence.

That is to say, he is found out by what he does when his master goes out and leaves him to himself. Then you see whether he is honest and industrious, or the reverse.

A slanderer is a cur that will bite to the bone.

Like a mad dog, he leaves venom in the wound, which may drive the sufferer to madness.

A soft heart needs a hard head.

Otherwise sympathy will run away with a man and lead him into foolish actions. Judgment must sway the feelings and keep them in their right place, or harm will be done where good was intended.

A sparrow may fly as high as it will,

But it must remain a sparrow still.

So a person may soar aloft in outward show, and in high pretence, but it makes no difference to the man’s real self.

A Strong will walks through a wall.

No difficulty can hinder the man of firm resolution.

A tame tongue is a rare bird.

One wishes these birds would multiply till they were as numerous as sparrows.

A tradesman must be self-made or never made.

He must stick to business, and get on by his own energy, or he will not prosper for any length of time.

A wager is a fool’s argument.

He does not pretend to prove his statements, but bawls out, “I’ll bet you a p(yund on it,” which is neither sense nor reason.

A white devil does double mischief. Beware!

Putting on the forrr. of an angel of light, the prince of darkness gets advantage over men. Error is terrible when it professes to be a purer form of Christianity.

A white glove often hides a dirty hand.

Deceitful professions are used to conceal base actions.

A wise man may often learn from a fool.

The ignorant man often blunders out absurdities which suggest new views, and on some one point he may happen to be better informed than the cultured man.

A word once out flies much about.

Words are like thistle down, and no one knows where they will go, and what will grow of them. “Keep the door of thy mouth.”

Almost” never shoots a cock-sparrow.

The half-hearted man does nothing. He is always going to do much, but it ends in mere proposing, and comes to nothing. A life which lingers on the verge of something, but never comes to anything, is most ridiculous.

“Always at it” wins the day.

Perseverance conquers every difficulty by its dogged determination. He that will not be beaten cannot be beaten. He who keeps on pegging away will do it sooner or later.

Always leave a little coal for the next day’s fire.

Don’t say all on a subject nor spend all on a feast.

All bread is not baked in one oven.

No one man, or society, or denomination, or section of the community, can do all the good work that is needed in this poor world.

All is fine that is fit.

If a thing is suitable it is admirable; but if unfit for its purpose it is often unendurable, however grand may be the look of it.

All sunshine, and nothing else, makes a desert.

If we had nothing but prosperity, we should be burnt up with worldliness. We may be thankful there is no fear of this.

All the speed is not in the spurs.

Strength is wanted as well as stimulus. Comfortable instruction is as needful as earnest exhortation.

An ape is an ape, though dressed in a cape.

No garment can long conceal character. The man comes out sooner or later. Let nine tailors do their best, a fop is not a man for all that.

An early start makes easy stages.

To begin promptly causes work to go pleasantly; whereas delay keeps one in a perpetual heat.

An ill calf may become a good cow.

We cannot depend upon parentage. Grace does not run in the blood. The best of men have the worst of children.

An obedient wife commands her husband.

By her love the good man is conquered, so that he delights to give her pleasure.

An old dog must bark in his own way.

There must be much indulgence shown to age and long-established habit.

An open rnouth shows an empty head.

When persons are so exceedingly ready to chatter, it is soon discovered that they know nothing. If there had been anything in the box, the owner would have had some kmd of fastening for it.

An owl will never teach an eagle to look at the sun.

Tutors of doubtful character and irreligious principles can never instruct young people in the ways of godliness.

Any boy or girl you see, can leap o’er a fallen tree.

As soon as a man is down, there are plenty to triumph over him. A hare can sport with the beard of a dead lion. In fact, some spirits take peculiar delight in pouring contempt upon the great in the day of their calamity.

Any time means no time.

When a work has no appointed season, it is put off from day to day, and in all probability is forgotten and neglected altogether.

As easy as an old shoe, and of as little value too.

Many are without spirit, and from that reason are very agreeable to others, but are worth nothing for practical service. As they must dig who gather ore, so they must dig who gather lore.

The notion with many is that reading and studying are mere amusement; but if they would try for themselves, they would find that headwork is more tiring than handwork.

As you give love, you will have love.

This is generally true; at least, the price of love is love. Those who love everybody will win love, or better still, they will deserve it.

As the corn is, such will the flour be.
As the corn is, such will the walk be.

This last is not corn in the field, but corn on the foot. Corns and bunions do not contribute to a pilgrim’s progress.

As you make your bed, so you must lie on it.

If young people will choose unfit partners in life, they must take the consequences. If they choose poverty or vice, they must abide their choice.

Asses carry the oats, and horses eat them.

So it comes to pass that mere labor gets little compared with the more skilled form of work. The proverb indicates a grievance, but hints at the only way of escaping it.

At the sign of the angel, beware of the Devil.

In Vanity Fair this is the tavern that Diabolus always patronizes.

Avarice is a mad vice.

The miser is called by French wit, “the treasurer of his heir.” Poor idiot!

Avoid extremes and bubble schemes.

Avoid that which makes a void in your pocket.

Bad beef vill never make good broth.

Several meanings may be given to this proverb. You cannot get good influences out of bad doctrine. Ill-gotten money brings no blessing in its use. Bad schemes cannot lead to good results.

Bad wares are never cheap.

Yet they catch a crowd of customers. The reason for this lies in Gzr/y/^’^ remark, “That the United Kingdom contains so many millions of inhabitants, mostly fools

Bad work is never worth doing.

It will only need undoing, or if it be left as it is, it will be a perpetual abomination. Work thy best, or let it rest.

Bare-footed folk should not tread on thorns..

Those who are particularly sensitive in any direction, should keep out of the way of the evil they dread.

Be little fish if you have but a little water. Accommodate yourself to your condition.

Be a man before your mother.

Some do not seem as if they would be. The mere dandy is like his mother in this only; she will never be a man,, nor will he.

Be always valorous, but seldom venturous.

We are to be ready for all that comes, but we are not to seek conflict. Face a lion if you must, but don’t go down to the circus and get into a cage with him of your own accord.

Be always ahead of your work.

Then you will be comfortable. If you are behindhand you will be constantly whipped at the cart’s tail of hurry.

Be as neat as a pin, and as brisk as a bee.

Appearance and deportment may seem little things, but they greatly effect success in life. Employers like to have about them persons who are neat in attire and quick in their movements. Nobody wants to have a bundle of old rags rolling about his shop.

Be careful, but not full of care.

It has been well said that our anxiety does not empty to-morrow of its sorrows, but only empties to-day of its strength.

Be good, and then do good.

You cannot really do more than you are.

Be hardy, but not hard.

Endure hardship yourself; but do not become unkind to others because you are strong and can rough it. A hardy man with a tender heart is a beautiful character; but an unfeeling tyrant is a curse to his household.

Be honest, and thus outwit the rogues.

Honesty perplexes the cunning. They think you are practising some deep policy, and they are baffled.

Be low in humility and high in hope.

He who will not bend his head in humility will run against a beam; he that will not hold up his head in hopefulness will not be cheered by an early sight of the good which is waiting for him.

Be merrily wise and wisely happy.

It is to be done, though it will need prudence and prayer.

Be not ever and over touchy.

Too much sensitiveness will be avoided by a sensible man. Persons who are easily aggrieved will have a sad time of it in this rough-and-tumble world.

Be not everybody’s dog that whistles you.

Have a mind of your own, and do not follow first one leader and then another.

Be old when young, that you may be young when

old.

Prudence, sobriety and true godliness, are supposed to be appropriate to the aged; but we should possess them in our youth. So may we hope to be preserved in health and vigor when years have multiplied upon us.

Be not honey abroad and wormwood at home.

Do not spend all our good humor on strangers, and then sulk and scold in your own house. Some read it, “Be not an angel abroad and a devil at home.” Who but a hypocrite will bring himself under the censure of this proverb.

Be quiet: walls have ears.

Nobody knows who may be listening. Say nothing which you would not wish put in the daily papers.

Be sure you know your own know.

Don’t pretend to knowledge and then break down under a question or two. Also, be quite sure of what you know, and let nobody beat you from your belief.

Be your own most useful friend:
Cease on others to depend.

An ancient philosopher once said, “I am the only one of my friends that I can rely upon.” A friend may help you over a stile, but he cannot be expected to carry you on his back.

Beauty wins, but bounty holds.

The eye is charmed by an elegant appearance but the actual receipt of kindness is that which retains the heart.

Bear the hen’s cackle for the sake of the eggs.

Little annoyances must be put up with because of great advantages. The rattle of machinery and the noise of traffic must be endured for the sake of business.

Before a fool handles a whip he ought to feel it on his own back.

Not meant to be a cruel observation, but to prevent much of that cruelty which arises from ignorance of the pain which the lash is causing.

Before you decide, hear the other side.

This is sensible advice, but many persist in the neglect of it.

Before you mount look to your girth.

Applicable to many mounts besides those upon a horse’s back. Many men accept offices which they cannot fulfill, and enter upon positions which they cannot maintain.

Before you trust the cat, put the cream out of reach.

Remove temptation even from those in whom you have confidence. He who bids you pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” would not have you lead others into it.

Bend the boy’s neck, or he’ll be a stiff-necked man.

Want of training to obedience in youth is the cause of much of the disorder and love of anarchy which we see in certain classes of society. The child is getting to be the father of the man with a vengeance, and the father is coming to be the son’s slave.

Better a good groat than a bad bank book.

Sincerity makes the least man to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.

Better a salt tongue than an oily one.

Sensible persons prefer a little sharp honesty to glib conceit. We say, “Speak the truth, shame the devil,” but we know some who warp the truth, and please the devil.

Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.

‘Wit is a razor, and if it be in unwise hands it may injure men. It needs great sense to play the fool, and the man who attempts wit should have all his wits about him.

.Better be a lean bird in the wood than a fat one in a cage.

The sweets of liberty are worth paying for. The Creoles say that “fat has no feeling,” hence the fat bird does not fret about the cage.

Better be half an hour too soon than a minute too late.

Then you only lose your own time, but in the other case you are wasting the time of others. If you keep four persons waiting a quarter of an hour, you have stolen an hour of their time.

Better bread in the lap, than feather in the cap.

A supply for necessities is better than mere honor or the pretence of it. “Rag and famish” is a poor motto.

Better dove without serpent, than serpent without dove.

■Simplicity without prudence is better than subtlety without sincerity. Yet when a fellow will not do right when softly persuaded by your dove, it may be wise to set your serpent at him.

Better eat humble pie than no pie at all.

Some throw themselves out of a situation sooner than apologize for a fault or put up with a rebuke. This is extreme folly.

Better half a loaf than no bread at all.

If wages be not so high as we could wish, yet if we are out of work for a single week it will take months to recover the loss. Strikes hurt the striker, even if they win.

Better keep peace than make peace.

What are small gains compared with the pearl of peace.

Better leave undone than have to undo.

When a case is doubtful, it is best to do nothing till you see what to do, for if we do the wrong thing it may make bad worse.

Better live on a little than outlive a great deal.

Economy must be strictly practiced when a business is in peril, for the greatest pinching will be better than losing the chance of a livelihood. Cultivate forethought upon a little oatmeal. Do not by extravagance kill the goose which lays the golden ^zz-Better out of fashion than out of credit.

Some spend 50 much to be fashionable that they get into debt, and loose credit with their neighbors. “You must be in fashion,” is the utterance of weak-headed mortals.

Better ‘serve God in a city than a cell.

Because there is more opportunity for doing good among the masses. Lonely service may be good for me, but what is to become of perishing millions.

Better wear out shoes than sheets.

Industry is much to be preferred to indolent self-indulgence. Better trudge along the road to success than doze one’s self into failure.

Better work for nothing than become lazy.

It is really so. Gentlemen who have retired from business often take up an unpaid occupation to keep them from absolute weariness of life.

Between said ‘d.wd. done a race may be run.

It is generally desired that they may very nearly keep pace with each other. SaidwWX be a little ahead,, but done should follow at his heel.

Beware of having more notion than motion.

We see everywhere persons who know more than they practice, and have more conceit than industry, more doctrine in the head than holiness in life. Let such men serve us as beacons.

Beware of men made of molasses.

Persons who are very plausible and exceedingly polite have generally some design upon you, as also religionists who call you “dear” the first time they see you, and are forever prating of a love which lies only on their lips, and lies even there.

Beware of mettle in a blind horse.

He is apt to dash into danger. He must go, and he does not see where. Many zealots are so ignorant that they come under this proverb’; they are dangerous when they are not well guided.

Beware of the stone thou stumblest at before.

We shall be doubly guilty if we do not learn to avoid in future that which has already proved an occasion of sin to us.

Beware of two black eyes.

Whether in your own head, or in the lovely face of a doubtful woman.

Bitter truth should be sweetly spoken.

We should be anxious to cause no more offence than naturally goes with the truth itself. Coat your pills with sugar.

Borrowing may be tried once, but only once.

Sudden need may come to any one, but the habit of running to others should not be formed, much less continued.

1 66 WIT A A ‘/; / l^ISn OM OF SP UR GE OA ‘.

Bought wit lasts longest.

It makes a deep impression on the memory and usually remains for life. Its serious price helps its preservation.

Blue is blue, but there may be better blue.

True and faithful, good and generous as a man may be, there may be others quite as good, if not better.

Both folly and wisdom grow with our years.

Too often they seem to grow side by side. Some know better and do worse. Time makes some mellow and others rotten.

Bread baked must be eaten.

Either by ourselves or somebody. Our conduct has results and very sad ones, too, in some cases,

Brevity is a fine thing in a speech.

Want of study, and want of really knowing what one is driving at, must bear the blame of many a long and weary talk. Hence a short speech is usually of better quality than a long one; and if it is not, it is all the better that it is short.

Bring up your boy to nothing, and he’ll be a rogue.

He will ha-ve nothing to do, and he will do it diligently. Of course he will run into bad company, and wicked men and the devil together will soon make a tool of him.

Buttons all right are husbands’ delight.

What vexation may be caused by neglect of such a little thing as a button! Let wives think nothing trivial which tends to peace.

* ‘Candidly but cautiously,” said the wise man.

So should we always speak the truth by all means, but that truth with caution; for there are so many lying upon the catch that one has need to look at his words twice before he speaks them.

Carry your eyes in your own head.

Judge for yourself; don’t make another your guide.

Cast not dirt into the well which gives you water.

Find not fault with those who feed you, nor with the trade which supports you, nor with the Lord who gives you all things.

Cats in mittens catch no r:”ce.

Persons who are fastidious in dress seldom accomplish much. A minister who preaches in gloves is usually too fine a gentleman to move men’s consciences.

Cats know the ways of cats.

Certain classes of people know one another’s ways, which cannot be comprehended by strangers.

Cease play when it ceases to be play.

When bad temper creeps in because the weaker does not like to be beaten, drop the game. It is meant for pleasure; end it when it comes to pain.

Censure from the bad is true praise.

When Agesliaus heard any persons praised or censured, he remarked that it was as necessary to know the characters of the critics as the character of the person of whom they spoke. Slander is the homage which vice pays to virtue. If the wicked praised us, we should have to ask with the stoic, “What have I done wrong, that these fellows should speak well of me?”

Character is a man’s best capital.

It is the backbone of success, especially with those employed by others. Young men see that you do not impoverish yourself by wasting this precious stock in trade of life.

Charity is the salt of riches.

Sprinkle a good deal of it over your income. Be not one of those of whom Sidney Smith said, that they were “ready to act the good Samaritan, without the oil and the twopence.”

Charity should be warmest when the season is coldest.

Then is the time for coals and blankets, and the more the merrier. It will warm your hearts to warm poor people’s bodies.

Cheerfulness smoothes the road of life.

It either gathers out the stones, or else trips so lightly over them that they are not noticed.

Chide thy friend in private, praise him in public.

The first will prove that thy faithfulness is full of love, and the second that thy love is not ashamed to own itself. This is what thou wouldst expect of him, therefore so act towards him.

Children never tell what they don’t know.

They are best sent out of the way when things are talked of which you do not wish reported.

Chins without beards are better than heads without brains.

Young men, when wise, are to be preferred to those without sense, who have not even youth to excuse their folly. When Queen Elizabeth had sent a somewhat young ambassador to a foreign court, and the king complained of it, the ambassador replied, “If Her Majesty had known that you measure wisdom by beards, she would have sent you a goat.”

Choose a kit from a good cat.

Daughters will probably be like their mothers; therefore the mother is a good guide for a young man in selecting a wife.

Clean hands are better than clever hands.

Much is made of cleverness nowadays but the devil is the cleverest of all, and yet he is most wicked.

Clean your tongue as well as your teeth.

This is easier said than done.

Compassion will do more than passion.

The kindly warmth of the sun made the traveller take off his cloak, while the cutting wind could not tear it off, but made him bind it closer about him; so love does more than wrath.

Constant occupation removes temptation.

In a great measure it does so. David sinned with Bathsheba when he stayed at home from battle, and was resting on his bed in day time.

Cool head and warm heart: these should never be apart.

Lest we should be carried away by excitement, and lose our balance of mind.

“Couldn’t help it” doesn’t mend it.

Frequent is the excuse, *T couldn’t help it.” It does not comfort the injured party, and it is seldom true. The Creoles very wisely say, “Asking my pardon does not cure the bumps you made on my forehead.”

Count money after your own kin.

In trade transactions deal with relatives as you would with strangers, so far as methods of business are concerned. This rule is a wise one and promotes love.

Courage needs eyes as well as arms.

We must not blindly rush into danger. Fearless need not be heedless. True courage is not cousin to rashness.

Cows forget that they were calves.

Elderly persons fail to remember that they were once young themselves, and so they do not make allowance for juveniles around them.

Credit won by lying is quick in dying.

For very soon the falsehood is found out. Truth is like a cuckoo; you cannot hedge it in, nor prevent its voice being heard.

Crowbars swallowed strengthen the back.

Hard things, when patiently endured, tend to increase our rnental and spiritual strength. An old friend of mine told me in my youth that I should have to swallow many bush-fagots cross-ways. I have done so, and have found the process of great service in clearing the throat.

Cursing men are cursed men.

For curses are like processions, which go their round and come home again.

‘Cutting off a mule’s ears won’t make him a horse.

Mere change of appearance is of little value. So taking away some one glaring folly will not change a man’s nature; the proverb is Creole. The Italians say, “Cut off a dog’s tail and he remains a dog.”

Daylight will peep through a very small hole.

Secrets are made known by very simple circumstances. Truth is disseminated by the weakest means.

Dirty linen should be washed at home.

Family quarrels should not be made public. Almost any degree of suffering is better than public exposure of private wrongs and personal bickerings.

Do not growl, lest on be taken for a clog.

Certain persons can never be pleased. They are cynics, and prove their right to the name by their dogged complaints.

Do the duty that lies nearest thee.

‘’Whatsoever thy hand findeth,” said Solomon, “do with thy might.” Carlisle says: “Our grand business is not to. see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.’’ Do the next thing.

Do to others as you would that they should do to you.

The golden rule, but not the rule by which to get gold. It is much admired in church, but if it were to wander into the exchange or the market, it would be locked up by the beadle. The world’s golden rule is, “Do others, or others will do you.”

Don’t accuse the times to excuse yourself.

The times are good enough for men who are good enough. If times are hard we must work harder.

Don’t be above your business, nor below it.

To be too proud to attend to your work, or too uneducated to do it thoroughly, will be equally injurious. There is an honor in hard work. The French rule is “Respect the burden,” and every burden of

labor is respectable.

Don’t bet even a farthing cake.

This was the very largest wager of an old friend of ours, and then he always stipulated that he should himself have the first bite, whether he won or not. We don’t recommend even this.

Don’t blow the broth which does not burn you.

If there’s no real fault, don’t blame a man. Never grumble without cause. If it’s no concern of yours, let it alone.

Don’t burn your candle at both ends.

It will go fast enough at one. Don’t lose your wages in holidays, and at the same time spend your money in your frolics.

Don’t carve another man’s leo; of mutton.

Some are very pleased when they are eating and drinking at other people’s expense; but it never pays with men of honor, for they feel bound to make a return, and they will be called on to do it.

Don’t crawl all day over one cabbage leaf.

The movements of some parties are so slow that this admonition might be fairly addressed to them. A master once asked his gardener, “John, did you ever see a snail?” “Yes, sir.” “Then,” said the master, “I am sure you met it, for you would never have over- - taken it.”

Don’t cut down an oak to plant a thistle.

To destroy an old institution for some new nonsense is not wise.

Don’t fight for the shell and lose the kernel.

This is done when mere words are the ground of contention, and essential doctrine is overlooked.

Don’t give a good pail of milk, and then put your foot in it.

Cows sometimes do this; but it is by no means a pleasure to the farmer. Don’t do a good action and spoil it by your after conduct; nor preach a good sermon and contradict it. As a rule do not “put your foot in it,” in any sense. An Irishman observed that whenever he opened his mouth he put his foot in it. Don’t imitate him.

Don’t go out woolly and come home shorn.

Plenty do this who would have been more sensible had they staid at home; they leave the old faith for something more attractive and lose their comfort, if not their character.

Don’t hold with the hare and run with the hounds.

Jack-o-both-sides generally catches it from both parties before long. Don’t play the game of double-shuffle.

Don’t let your feet run faster than your shoes.

It is unwise to go faster than you can do with safety and comfort. Many have brought their bare feet to the ground by spending more than their income could provide.

Don’t let your heart sink into your hose.

Fear makes the heart go down into the stocking. But heart in hose is out of place. Why fear if you are right.

Don’t meddle, or you’ll muddle.

Is it not generally the case, that those who interfere do more harm than good? These amateur cooks spoil the broth.

Don’t pick a man up before he is down.

Don’t correct him before he has made a mistake.

Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.

It is unwise to risk all that you have in any one concern. If you have any savings, put them in several places. The marines’ form -of this saying is, “Don’t ship all your goods in one vessel.”

Don’t put on so much coal as to put out the fire.

You can lay so many books on the brain as to bury it, and teach children so much that they learn nothing, and preach so long that the people forget all that is said.

Don’t roll m the mire to please the pigs.

Do nothing wrong to please those who take delight in evil-Don’t shiver with last winter’s cold.

Let not past sorrows be remembered. If the memory of them awakens gratitude, well and good; but if they renew your pain it is foolish to raise them from the grave of the past

Don’t sow your wild oats; they are bad reaping.

Many talk as if young people ought to be vicious for a times or as if it was a very excusable thing for a young man to be impure in his behavior. This is very pernicious. Alas! throughout life men have had to feel in their bones the sins of their youth.

Don’t spend other peoples’ money.

This is too often done. Expenditure upon credit, tampering with trusts, and many other matters come under the last of this sentence.

Don’t throw good money after bad.

It is useless to spend your money in going to law with a person who will not or cannot pay. If you sue a beggar you know what you will get, and that fact should make you forbear.

Don’t trust a rickety chair or a tricky man.

For if you do, you may get an ugly fall, or find yourself deceived. It is risky to ride broken kneed horses, or to trust men who have already failed, and fellows who have once deceived you.

Drink like a fish — water only.

Drinking water neither makes a man sick, nor in debt, nor his wife a widow. But some men are like the drunken Parisian, who declared that in his childhood he had been bitten by a mad-dog, and consequently had a horror of water.

Drive one plow at a time.

Turn all your strength in one direction. Divided energies threaten failure. “One thing I do,” is a good motto.

Dry bread at home is better than roast meat abroad.

That is to say, as a general rule. One does not turn up his nose at a roast or boiled when one is at a friend’s house, or sojourning by the sea, or wandering among the alps. Still there’s no table, no bed, no fireside, no home, no wife like our own.

Ducks lay eggs; geese lay wagers.

Such geese are very common near our common, especially towards Derby Day. Where is the sense of this mania for gambling? We need not ask where is the morality of it?

Early up and never the nearer.

A man might as well keep in bed if he does not rightly use his time after he has risen. The main matter is not rising early, but well spending the day.

East or West, home is best.

Foreign travel pleases for a season, but the heart turns to home as the needle to the pole. He has no home who does not love it dearly.

Empty tubs are easily rolled.

When there is nothing in a man he has no stability but is easily persuaded and deluded. A drunkard said he was sure the world was round, for he rolled about so; and certain others have a sort of mental reeling which can only come of emptiness.

Even a plowman can see who is a true gentleman.

An indescribable something in tone, manner and spirit, will cause the most uncultured mind to see who is the true gentleman, and who the mere pretender.

Even Soloman was not always wise.

Indeed he was the greatest fool of his time. He was always the most knowing, but not always the wisest man.

Every fool will give advice, but few of them will take it.

Indeed it needs much good sense to be willing to be advised. The humility and self diffidence which will submit to be led by the wisdom of the really prudent are rarer than we think.

very girl can keep house better than her mother

till she tries.

This is the fault of many young folks; they know nothing about a matter, but yet feel that they could do the business in first rate style. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of the work is in the doing and the lasting.

Every man carries an enemy inside his own

waiscoat.

He had better watch that fellow, or he will be stabbing at his heart or tampering with his conscience.

Every one is wise after the business is over.

This is the special wisdom of the unwise. Yet we could all do much better if we had to do it over again; at least we think so. We are fools enough to imagine that we should not be fools again.

Every peddler sells the best pins.

At least he says so, and he ought to know.

Every tub must stand on its own bottom.

We are individually accountable, and no one can hide behind another, so as to justify himself.

Everybody’s friend is nobody’s friend.

His universal generosity lies all in talk. He is not to be depended on. He is always helping so many that he cannot come to your aid.

Everything comes to the man who can wait.

It is only a matter of time. Patience beholds great wonders. In spiritual things, if we watch and wait, we shall see glorious things.

Expect nothing from those who promise a great deal.

Their readiness to promise should make you more than a little suspicious. They would not issue so many bank notes if they had to keep enough gold in the cellar to meet them.

Expectation is a fool’s income.

He is always looking for something which has never yet occurred, and never will occur in his time. His ship is to come home, but as yet it is not launched. He has an estate somewhere, which is to come to him when we have a week all Sundays, but at present the rightful owner is depriving him of it.

Expensive wife makes pensive husband.

When the draper’s bill drains his pocket, the poor man thinks more than he dares to say. The arithmetic of a good wife is very different. She adds to his happiness, suhstracts from his cares, multiplies his joys, divides his sorrows, and practices reduction in the expenditure of his household.

Face to face clears many a case.

Quarrels are fomented by hearsay statements and reports. Bring the parties together and let the truth come out.

Faint heart never won fair lady.

Faint heart sees dangers where there are none, and so avoids attempts which might succeed. Doubtless even in the tender business of courtship this operates to the young man’s injury. If he is afraid to propose, he can hardly expect her to do so.

Feed a pig and you’ll have a hog Those who are of a swinish nature only grow worse when they receive either kindness or consideration.

Fight, but fight only with yourself.

Self conquest is the greatest of victories. Many have vanquished all others, and yet have been slaves to their own passions.

First practice at home, then preach abroad.

It is not every man that would like to preach to his neighbors from, his own doorstep.

Folly and learning may live under one hat.

Book learning may carry a man far from truth and common sense; experience is needed, and grace of God, to make true wisdom.

Fools should never set on eggs.

They will addle them or break them, but never hatch them. This saying means that designs which need patient attention must never be left to unwise people.

Frogs in a well know nothing of the high seas.

Men with narrow range of knowledge and experience cannot calculate the greatness of the divine designs, nor even understand the larger ideas of more instructed men.

Give the birds crumbs; God gives you loaves.

In the winter pay the birds for the songs of spring by feeding them. In Sweden a sheaf is always left for the birds.

Go after wisdom, or it will never come to you.

A suggestive preacher once said, ‘’Do not suppose that wisdom is so much flattered at having you for a pupil that she will set you easy lessons, and yet give you the gold medal.”

Good sees good, and foul sees foul.

This accounts for the various reports which men give concerning the moral condition of a neighborhood. Each man notices that which is after his own mind. If a vulture fly over a region he would spy out carcases, where a dove would note clean corn.

Giving is generally a kind of fishing.

They give a sprat to catch a salmon. Orientals are great at this art, and some in these Western parts are becoming proficient.

Fretting cares make grey hairs.

And this is all they make. What is the use of them?

Good wives if they were sold
Were well worth crowns of gold.

But nobody wishes to sell them; and nobody could buy them if he wished to do so.

Goose and gander are very much alike.

What is true of woman is true of man for bad or good.

Gossiping and lying are brother and sister.

Alas, for the misery which is caused by a long tongue! The quantity of the gossip could not be kept up if it were restricted to truth, and so evil inventions are added thereto. These at first are a sort of spice and flavoring, but in time they become the principal ingredient. A modern essayist defines gossip as, “the putting of two and two together, and making five of them.” S3.Y Jiffy and you are nearer the mark.

Great oaks were once little acorns.

Despise not the day of small things. Despair not because your strength is little. Who knows what you may be or do.

Great weight may hang on small wires.

On a word or even a look the history of a nation has depended. On a single act a man’s whole life may turn.

Grind no man’s name; seek other grist.

Yet some are never so pleased as when they have a gracious man between their millstones, and are reducing his character to dust.

Guilt on the conscience puts grief on the countenance.

Where it is real and deep, it is a hard matter to conceal conviction of sin. This heaviness of the heart makes a man stoop.