The  hearty  pressure  of  a  friendly  hand,  the  kindly
glance  of  a  gentle  eye,  the  soft  and  thrilling  tone  of
a  pleasant  voice,  have  oftentimes  power  to  nerve  the
soul  about  to  sink  into  the  yawning  abyss  of  despair,
for  another  struggle,  perhaps  for  a  victorious  one,  with
fate.  "Who  has  not,  in  some  lonely  and  critical  hour
of  his  existence,  about  to  faint  and  perish  beneath  the
crushing  load  of  pain  and  trouble,  seen  what  gracious
power,  wliat  majestic  strength,  there  is  in  human
sympathy  ?

A  prime  and  irrevocable  law  of  our  nature  is  that
man  cannot  enjoy  the  unshared  possession  ot  any
good.  The  moment  he  attempts  exclusive  selfish
appropriation  of  it,  its  virtue  departs ;  it  ceases  to  be
a  benefit.  As  riches  increase,  they  that  shall  be  fed
will  also  increase;  and  if  the  owner  deny  their  claim,
either  his  wealth  will  vanish  from  him,  or  its  power
to  cheer  and  animate  him  will  depart.  Countless
illustrations  of  the  truth  of  the  proposition  might  be
derived  from  every  department  of  our  activity  ;  I
however,  propose  to  confine  my  vindication  to  the
statement  of  the  provinces  of  intellectual  and  moral
culture  ;  for  it  is  upon  obedience  to  this  law  that  these
will  mainly  depend.  If  your  reading  and  observa-
tion furnish  you  with  a  new  fact ;  if  by  laborious
study  you  have  gained   insight  into  a   new  truth,  if


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jour  eye  has  been  gladdened  by  the  vision  of  an
unusually  magnilicent  sunset,  and  your  heart  has
responded  to  the  gladness,  if  your  soul  has  come  into  a
more  profound  acquaintance  with  beauty  and  good-
ness, these,  one  and  all,  are  to  be  communicated  to
your  fellows,  or  they  will  cease  to  be  a  part  of  you.
