likely to _speak_ to _you_. For instance, Bishop Wilkinson's books speak,
so do Dean Paget's and Law's "Serious Call," and "Christian Perfection."
Read a little of such a book every day, and a longer bit on Sunday. If you
only say your prayers and go to church, it is apt to become an outside
thing; you want stirring up!

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 _un_religious 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.