When you go out into the world you may drift into the ways of each household you are with for the time being; whereas I want you to have your own definite religious life, an inner life of rules and duties:  dress like other people, but keep a hair shirt underneath, as the Saints did.

And when I talk about this and that piece of advice (advice which is often worldly wisdom; for goodness and worldly wisdom are closely allied),—­always remember that I pre-suppose the life of prayer and rule about which I so often speak—­only there can you gain strength to follow such advice.

But now (pre-supposing the inner religious life—­the effort after the Practice of the Presence of God)—­what shall I pick out as practical advice for a closing lesson to those who are going into the world?

I.—­Always vote on the right side in conversation.

Very often the lower side, or the unreligious side in talk (or in doings, such as not going to Church) is the easier side to take.  It seems obtrusive to show what you feel to be right; and very often the one who takes the religious side is narrow-minded and tiresome compared to the others.  Goodness is very often tiresome, and non-religion broad-minded and amusing. (Gallio is often a most attractive person!) It takes courage then to side with the tiresome one, instead of saying something rather clever.  In youth one has a great horror of belonging to the tiresome side.  Cleverness counts for so much, and it is hard in early life to put goodness first!  One does not realize the beauty of the strength and principle shown by the tiresome people, and it takes real principle to show one’s colours in ordinary talk.

I once heard of an earnest religious girl who was asked to a pleasant country house, and who thought she might lawfully take a holiday, as it were, and be like other people while away from home; so she laughed and talked with the rest and kept her real life to herself.  On the last night, a girl she had taken a fancy to came into her room, and, after a little time, said, “It has been so nice meeting you, but I rather wish your sister had come too.”  “But I have no sister.”  “Why, I have heard so much of her, and of how good she is, and though you wouldn’t think it, I have been bothered about things lately, and when I heard your name, I thought it was she who was coming here, and I planned to have a talk with her:—­you’re awfully nice, but of course one wouldn’t talk about those things to you any more than to any of the rest of us.”

I leave you to fancy the resolutions that girl made, to show her colours for the future!

And then it does not seem to matter—­no harm is being said or done, Gallio is generally an excellent person, and really “So-and-so” was unnecessarily tiresome in raising the point; and then, again, one’s indolence bids one be quiet and vote neither way.

But every vote on the right side counts; it alters the balance of the general feeling, and probably helps some one looking on,—­some one who never let out that they needed or cared for any help.  “Right!” has a big battle to fight, and you and I are soldiers, and must stand to our guns.