Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/168

 faithful, dutiful  son  of  this  good,  solicitous mother.

Hail Church  of  our  God,  most  holy  and  pure, On the  rock  of  St.  Peter  thou  standest  secure; Sweet Mother  of  Saints,  soon  may  it  be  told All nations  are  gathered  into  thy  fold.

VEN in  everyday  life  there  is nothing  so  distasteful  to  sensible and upright  people  as  the  duplicity  of  a man  who  says  one  thing,  while  he  means and does  another. Here he  speaks  in  one way, there  in  exactly  the  opposite;  he  desires to  offend  no  party,  but  holds  with both sides,  his  chief  object  being  to  gain money and  favor. These are  mean  fellows without any  force  of  character,  who,  when no more  use  can  be  made  of  them,  are universally despised  and  cast  aside. Therefore, even by  the  sages  of  old  this  saying held good:  Be  true  to  yourself  in  thought, deed, and  word! Whatever you  claim  to  be, that you  ought  to  be  in  all  fearlessness! Drop all  pretense! Dare to  be  true  to  your convictions. What does  Polonius  say,  in "Hamlet":

"To thine  own  self  be  true, And  it  must  follow,  as  the  night  the  day, Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man."

2. This  axiom  should  be  laid  to  heart  by many  a  Christian  man,  be  he  young  or  old,