her husband into a contention for it, and at last into a lawsuit with a dogged neighbour who was as rich as he, and had a wife as peevish and purse-proud as the other:  and this lawsuit begot higher oppositions, and actionable words, and more vexations and lawsuits; for you must remember that both were rich, and must therefore have their wills.  Well! this wilful, purse-proud lawsuit lasted during the life of the first husband; after which his wife vext and chid, and chid and vext, till she also chid and vext herself into her grave:  and so the wealth of these poor rich people was curst into a punishment, because they wanted meek and thankful hearts; for those only can make us happy.  I knew a man that had health and riches; and several houses, all beautiful, and ready furnished; and would often trouble himself and family to be removing from one house to another:  and being asked by a friend why he removed so often from one house to another, replied, “It was to find content in some one of them.”  But his friend, knowing his temper, told him, “If he would find content in any of his houses, he must leave himself behind him; for content will never dwell but in a meek and quiet soul.”  And this may appear, if we read and consider what our Saviour says in St. Matthew’s Gospel; for He there says:  “Blessed be the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed be the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  And, “Blessed be the meek, for they shall possess the earth.”  Not that the meek shall not also obtain mercy, and see God, and be comforted, and at last come to the kingdom of heaven:  but in the meantime, he, and he only, possesses the earth, as he goes towards that kingdom of heaven, by being humble and cheerful, and content with what his good God has allotted him.  He has no turbulent, repining, vexatious thoughts that he deserves better; nor is vext when he sees others possest of more honour or more riches than his wise God has allotted for his share; but he possesses what he has with a meek and contented quietness, such a quietness as makes his very dreams pleasing, both to God and himself.

APPLES
[Sidenote:  Byron]

  When Newton saw an apple fall, he found
    In that slight startle from his contemplation—­
  ’Tis said (for I’ll not answer above ground
    For any sage’s creed or calculation)—­
  A mode of proving that the earth turn’d round
    In a most natural whirl, call’d “gravitation”;
  And this is the sole mortal who could grapple,
  Since Adam, with a fall, or with an apple.

A LITTLE MORAL ADVICE
[Sidenote:  Sydney Smith]