expanse of heaven. His soul sympathized with the scene, and peace and joy filled his bosom.

THE POWER OF HABIT.

WILLIAM was, one day, reading in a book of travels, to his father, when he came to the following relation :

The Andes, in South America, is the highest ridge of mountains in the known world.* There is a road over them, on which, about half-way between the summit and the foot, is a house of entertainment, where it is common for travellers, in their ascent and descent, to meet. The differ

ence in their feelings, upon the same spot, is very remarkable. Those, who are descending the mountains, are melting with heat, so that they can scarcely bear any clothes upon them; while those, who are ascending, shiver with cold, and wrap themselves up, in the warmest garments they have." "How strange this is!" cried William. "What can be the reason of it ?"

"It is," replied his father, "a striking instance of the power of habit over the body. The cold

* This was supposed to be true, when Dr. Aikin wrote; but it is now known that the Himmaleh Mountains, in Africa, are higher. For a map of the heights of the principal mountains in the world, see a little volume, entitled, 'Scenes in Nature, or Conversations for Children, on Land and Water,' being Vol. vii. of the Juvenile Series of THE SCHOOL

LIBRARY.'

is so intense, on the tops of these mountains, that it is as much as travellers can do, to keep themselves from being frozen to death. Their bodies, therefore, become so habituated to the sensation of cold, that every diminution of it, as they descend, seems to them a degree of actual heat; and, when they are half-way down, they feel as if they were quite in a sultry climate. On the other hand, the valleys, at the foot of the mountains, are so excessively hot, that the body becomes relaxed, and sensible to the slightest degree of cold; so that, when a traveller ascends from them, towards the hills, the middle regions appear quite inclement, from their coldness."

"And does the same thing," inquired William, "always happen, in crossing high mountains ?"

"It does," answered his father, "in a degree proportioned to their height, and the time taken in crossing them. Indeed, a short time is sufficient to produce similar effects. Let one boy have been playing at rolling snowballs, and another have been roasting himself before a great fire; and let them meet in the porch of the house. If you ask them how they feel, I will answer for it, you will find them as different in their accounts, as the travellers on the Andes. But this is only one example of the operations of a universal principle, belonging to human nature; for the power of habit is the same thing, whatever be the circumstance which calls it forth, whether relating to the mind or the body.

"You may consider the story you have been

reading, as a sort of simile, or parable. The central station, on the mountain, may be compared to middle life. With what different feelings is this regarded, by those who bask in the sunshine of opulence, and those who shrink under the cold blasts of penury!

"Suppose our wealthy neighbor were suddenly obliged to descend to our level, and live as we do; to part with all his carriages, sell his coachhorses and hunters, quit his noble seat, with its fine park and gardens, dismiss all his train of servants, excepting two or three, and take a house like ours. What a dreadful fall would it seem to him! how wretched would it probably make him, and how much would he be pitied by the world!

"On the other hand, suppose the laborer who lives in the next cottage, were unexpectedly to become heir to an estate, of a few hundreds a year, and, in consequence, to get around him all the comforts and conveniences that we possess; a commodious house to inhabit, good clothes to wear, plenty of wholesome food and firing, servants, to do all the drudgery of the family, and the like. How all his acquaintance would congratulate him, and what a paradise would he seem to himself to be in! Yet he, and our rich neighbor, and ourselves, are equally men, made liable, by Nature, to the same desires and necessities, and, perhaps, all equally strong in constitution, and capable of supporting hardships. Is not this fully as wonderful a difference in feeling, as that on crossing the Andes ?"

"Indeed, it is," said William.

"And the cause of it must be exactly the same, -the influence of habit."

"I think so.'

"Of what importance, then, must it be, towards a happy life, to regulate our habits, so that, in the possible changes of this world, we may be more likely to be gainers than losers ?"

"But how can this be done?

Would it be right for the rich man to live like us, or for us to live like the laborer ?"

"Certainly not. But to apply the case to persons, of our middle condition: I would that we should use our advantages in such a frugal manner, as to make them essential to our happiness, as little as possible, should fortune sink us to a lower station. For, as to the chance of rising to a higher, there is no need to prepare our habits for that; we should readily enough accommodate our feelings to such a change. To be pleased and satisfied with simple food, to accustom ourselves not to shrink from the inclemencies of the season, to avoid indolence, and take delight in some useful employment of the mind or body, to do as much as we can, for ourselves, and not expect to be waited upon, on every small occasion; these are the habits which will make us, in some measure, independent of fortune, and secure us a moderate degree of enjoyment, under every change, short of absolute want. I will tell you a story to this pur

pose.

"A merchant had two sons, James and Rich

ard. James, from a boy, accustomed himself to every indulgence in his power, and, when he grew up, was quite a fine gentleman. He dressed expensively, frequented public diversions, kept his hunter at a livery stable, and was a member of several convivial clubs. At home, it was almost a footman's sole business to wait on him. He would have thought it greatly beneath him, to buckle his own shoes; and, if he wanted any thing at the other end of the room, he would ring the bell, and make a servant come up two flights of stairs, rather than rise from his chair, to get it. He did a little business in the counting-house, during forenoons, but devoted all his time, after dinner, to indolence and amusement.

He

"Richard was a very different character. was plain in his appearance, and domestic in his ways of life. He gave as little trouble, as possible, and would have been ashamed to ask assistance, in doing what he could easily do for himself. He was assiduous in business, and employed his leisure hours, chiefly, in reading, and acquiring useful knowledge.

"Both were still young and unsettled, when their father died, leaving behind him a very trifling property. As the young men had not a capital, sufficient to follow the same line of mercantile business, in which he had been engaged, they were obliged to look out for a new plan of maintenance; and a great reduction of expense was the first thing requisite. This was a severe stroke to James, who found himself, at once, cut off from