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SHORT STUDIES IN ETHICS

_AN ELEMENTARY TEXT-BOOK FOR SCHOOLS_

BY

REV. J. O. MILLER, M.A.,

_Principal of Bishop Ridley College_

TORONTO:
THE BRYANT PRESS
1895


Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the office of
the Minister of Agriculture, by REV. J. O. MILLER, M.A., St. Catharines,
Canada.




TABLE OF CONTENTS


    I. DUTY                 7

   II. OBEDIENCE           15

  III. TRUTHFULNESS        19

   IV. COURAGE             24

    V. PURITY              30

   VI. UNSELFISHNESS       35

  VII. HONESTY             40

 VIII. FAITHFULNESS        45

   IX. PROFANITY           50

    X. JUSTICE             54

   XI. BENEVOLENCE         59

  XII. AMBITION            63

 XIII. PATRIOTISM          68

  XIV. BODILY EXERCISE     72

   XV. HABIT               77

  XVI. INDUSTRY            82

 XVII. SELF-CONTROL        88

XVIII. SELF-RELIANCE       91

  XIX. FRIENDSHIP          95

   XX. GENTLEMANLINESS    100

  XXI. COURTESY           105

 XXII. REPENTANCE         110

XXIII. CHARACTER          115

 XXIV. CONSCIENCE         120




PREFACE


This little book has grown out of periodical addresses to my own pupils.
An experience of over ten years has convinced me of the necessity of
teaching systematically the fundamental principles of Morality. The
scarcity of books suitable as elementary texts is a sufficient proof
that the subject is neglected in our schools. It cannot be right that
children should be left to master so wide a subject from incidental
instruction and from example.

I should be sorry if any one thought, from glancing at the topics I have
treated, that I seemed content to put lessons in practical Morality in
place of instruction in the Scriptures and definite religious teaching.
Nothing can take the place of the Scriptures. But I feel convinced that
these two aspects of Truth must go hand in hand. The young mind requires
the truth to be presented to it from all sides, and nothing appeals to
it so strongly as a modern example.

My own idea as to the use of such a book as this is that it should
supplement Bible instruction. The lessons are short enough to be taught
in half an hour. If one topic is taken up each week, and thoroughly
explained, and enlarged on by fresh examples from current life and
history, the whole book can be easily mastered in the school year, and
leave ample time for review and examination. If it should prove helpful
to other teachers, my labour will be amply rewarded.

_Bishop Ridley College, St. Catharines,
Feb. 28th, 1895._


     [Greek: Megas gar ho agon, megas, ouch hosos dokei, to chreston e
     kakon genesthai.]
     --_Plato._




No. I.

DUTY

+Duty is something which is due, and which, therefore, ought to be paid
or performed. It is something owed by everybody, to God, to self, or to
others.+


No other word is more disliked by the slothful than the word Duty. The
mention of the word itself causes weariness to a boy or man of that
kind. We can only get to like the word and the thing itself by
accustoming ourselves to perform it regularly, a little at a time. A boy
or girl with a fine ear and a natural talent for music hates, at first,
the daily practising and the uninteresting lessons; but, as soon as the
difficulties are mastered, playing an instrument becomes a delight.
Duty, in itself, is not a distasteful thing; it is because we hate
anything which gives us trouble that it seems unbearable. We can teach
ourselves to like taking pains.

Duty is, in one sense, the great law which governs the universe. The
planets revolving about the sun, the moon enc