But mere negative evils, so to speak, are not the worst that beset a young man who unwisely chooses a public hotel as a place for boarding.  He is much more exposed to temptations there than in a private boarding-house, or at home.  Men of licentious habits, in most cases, select hotels as boarding-places; and such rarely scruple to offer to the ardent minds of young men, with whom they happen to fall in company, those allurements that are most likely to lead them away from virtue.  And, besides this, there being no evening home-circle in a hotel, a young man who is not engaged earnestly in some pursuit that occupies his hours of leisure from business has nothing to keep him there, but is forced to seek for something to interest his mind elsewhere, and is, in consequence, more open to temptation.

Home is man’s true place.  Every man should have a home.  Here his first duties lie, and here he finds the strength by which he is able successfully to combat in life’s temptations.  Happy is that young man who is still blessed with a home—­who has his mother’s counsel and the pure love of sisters to strengthen and cheer him amid life’s opening combats.

A GLEAM OF SUNSHINE ON THE PATH OF A MONEY-LENDER.

Mr. Edgar was a money-lender, and scrupled not in exacting the highest “street rates” of interest that could be obtained.  If good paper were offered, and he could buy it from the needy seeker of cash at two or even three per cent. a month, he did not hesitate about the transaction on any scruples of justice between man and man.  Below one per cent. a month, he rarely made loans.  He had nothing to do with the question, as to whether the holder of bills could afford the sacrifice.  The circle of his thoughts went not beyond gain to himself.

Few days closed with Mr. Edgar that he was not able to count up gains as high as from thirty to one hundred dollars:  not acquired in trade—­not coming back to him as the reward of productive industry—­but the simple accumulation of large clippings from the anticipated reward of others’ industry.  Always with a good balance in bank, he had but to sign his name to a check, and the slight effort was repaid by a gain of from ten to fifty dollars, according to the size and time of the note he had agreed to discount.  A shrewd man, and well acquainted with the business standing of all around him, Mr. Edgar rarely made mistakes in money transactions.  There was always plenty of good paper offering, and he never touched any thing regarded as doubtful.

Was Mr. Edgar a happy man?  Ah! that is a home question.  But we answer frankly, no.  During his office hours, while his love of gain was active—­while good customers were coming and going, and good operations being effected—­his mind was in a pleasurable glow.  But, at other times, he suffered greatly from a pressure on his feelings, the cause of which he did not clearly understand.  Wealth he had always regarded as the greatest good in life.  And now he not only had wealth, but the income therefrom was a great deal more than he had any desire to spend.  And yet he was not happy—­no, not even in the thought of his large possessions.  Only in the mental activity through which more was obtained, did he really find satisfaction; but this state was only of short duration.