am afraid, my young friend, that you overwork yourself. You look
thin, and pale, and unhappy. You should be careful that your passion
for study is not indulged in at the peril of your health."

The frame of the young man seemed to be suddenly agitated. His face
was flushed, and a keen, quick, flash of anger seemed to lighten
in his eyes as he looked up to the paternal counsellor and replied:--

"I thank you, sir, for your interest, but it is premature. I am
not conscious that my health suffers from this or any other cause."

"Nay, my young friend, do not deceive yourself. You perhaps underrate
your own industry. It is very difficult matter to decide how much
we can do and how much we ought to do, in the way of study. No mere
thinking can determine this matter for us. It can only be decided
by being able to see what others do and can endure. In a little
country village like this, one can not easily determine; and the
difficulty may be increased somewhat by one's own conviction, of
the immense deal that one has to learn. If you were to spend a year
in some tolerably large community. Perhaps you meditate some such
plan?".

"I do not, sir," was the cold reply.

"Indeed; and have you no desire that way?"

"None!"

"Very strange! at your time of life the natural desire is to go
into the great world. Even the student fancies he can learn better