SATAN'S CHAIN.
WHILE coming from our Sabbath-school room, I heard two boys before me, talking.
"Wasn't it strange what our teacher told us this morning about Satan's chain?" said Charlie.
"Yes," replied Jimmie, "but I know it is all true; and I tell you I don't want him to get too strong or too long a chain around me."
"Nor do I," said Charlie, "but I never thought Satan could slip such little things into his chain for links. How can a boy help getting mad when others tease him, as some of those chaps at school do me!"
"Miss Seymour said, 'getting mad' is one of Satan's best links, and that he is glad to have us use it; for then he is sure we will soon want others."
"That is true; for when I am mad, the bad words slip from my tongue before I know it, and I often feel just like hitting somebody, too. The other day I hurt little John Miller just because I lost my temper, but he was so provoking! There were three links slipped into the chain for me that day."
"I believe we boys have more links added to our chains on account of our tempers than from any other cause. I know my temper has led me into many troubles." Idleness, deceitfulness, forgetfulness of God, neglect of prayer, and running with the wicked, are other links in Satan's chains. Of all of these, beware!
Little Star.
DON'T BRAG..
"IF you think it so easy to do, try it," said a lad in our hearing to one who had sneered at the weight he was lifting; and with his words, down upon the sidewalk went the bundle in question.
Nothing daunted, the boaster took hold, but found to his dismay that the weight the other had carried, he could only lift a few inches from the ground.
"I didn't know it was 'so very heavy," said the lad sheepishly.
"Better not talk of what you don't know about," said the other, gathering up the unwieldy bundle in his arms, and trudging off with it.
And just so we thought. And yet all over the world we hear folks talking of what they do not know anything about. It is a bad practice, and one it is foolish to indulge in. And of all things, we should look out before bragging.