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CHAPTER V.

EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES BEARING ON SUCCESS IN LIFE, AND THOSE WHICH OPERATED ON HARRIS.

EXTERNAL influences from early Teachers.-The Missionary best adapted to be the Teacher of Youth.-Why, however, he is disliked in India.—His undue zeal in the propagation of his Religion. Mr. Gaster quoted. The passage between School and Manhood.-How is individual character deter. mined?-Requisites in the moulding of character.--When and where is fate or destiny determined?—The preponderance of the romantic over the sober tendency ruinous.The fate of Eugene Aram.—The critical pass in the case of Baboo Harrischander how signalised.-His "being born again."

THE external circumstances that determine the future character of any individual are those under which he receives his impressions as a boy, from the schoolmasters at school, or companions immediately after leaving the school; or between that time and the time of passing into manhood. Often the boy is idle, desultory, and mischievous; and it is by some circumstances during his passage from the school to man

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hood that he is changed; it is then, as it were, "a renewing of the mind"-" a being born again"-a transformation-a conversion from "death to life and from darkness to light"-a total change from one species of character into another, occurs. But in the case of Harris, these external circumstances of character were fortunately exerted both at the school and during his passage from youth into manhood. At school, Harris had, as a teacher, one of those remarkable men, who are often to be found in a class too much overlooked. This was a Missionary of the Church of Christ-Mr. C. Piffard, a wise, good, and kind friend-who had a deep sense of the responsibility he incurred in his endeavours to secure the happiness of his pupils, and to form their moral character --which, though not necessarily Christian, yet should be good and moral withal;—a resolute master, too, who, when his pupil was in the wrong, carried his point, and enforced obedience; a real missionary-for there are false ones also,―fully alive to the importance of his mission; and had, therefore, known nothing but integrity and honour. People think lightly of these men of love and labour: perhaps they have a right to do so-because, in their zeal

and piety, these followers of the Cross are apt to overleap the bounds of propriety in attempting to implant the principles of a Christian life on tender minds of ten and twelve, which, without working at all upon their judgment, yet lay a hold of them too powerful even for becoming respect to parental affections and social ties. These class-philanthropists have done much for India, and will do yet more; and but for their undue zeal in seeking to work strong impressions on our young boys at an age when they may as easily be enlisted under the Satanic banner, to try their puny strength against the powers of Heaven, every child of India would find himself entrusted, not through necessity, like Harris, but through choice and better instincts, to a Piffard, a Wilson, or a Mitchell. This circumstance has been well touched on by one of their own order in a recent work-by Mr. Gaster, though he also has his theory for the propagation of Christianity in India:"I don't like schools. No, I don't like them at all as a part of a missionary's work among the Mussulmans and heathen. Now, don't mistake me: I do like schools; yes, I do like schools for

*"Missions in India."

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Native Christians, both for adults and children, because I believe the sole duty of a missionary in the educational department is to raise the standard of the Native Christians. But how can a missionary be bound to prepare a number of Mussulmans and heathen for situations in Government offices? What claim is there on me, or on any other minister of the Gospel, to cram heathen boys with algebra, Euclid, botany, 'the poets,' and a dozen other matters? The reply is, By teaching the young such matters, we get them to read the Bible one hour every morning,'-i. e., you use five hours' algebra and botany as a bribe for one hour's Christianity. Depend on it, Christianity needs no bribes whatever-neither intellectual nor tangible to help it on through the world. If the heathen will not hear the Gospel, it is their fault; but pray don't bribe them," &c. But, be the case as it stands, it is not to be denied that it was a happy circumstance in the early life of Harris to be under the management of the Rev. Mr. Piffard from the age of seven: it was this, more than anything else, that shaped and moulded the future man of substantial strength, right direction, and noble aims.

But it has been remarked above, that there

had also operated an influence other than this of the school upon Harris, in which Providence seemed to take him most conspicuously by a kindly hand. At the very early age of thirteen he left school: he had made no great progress in learning, and he had no more settled purpose, when he left his form, than the very vague one of falling upon the world to procure a bare livelihood; and it was at this time that he was most perilously situated. The period, reader, between the school and manhood, is the most critical in life. In our grown-up manhood it is that we pause, and look back with interest on the world of circumstances through which life has been drawn. In our retrospective glance, we meet with a number of friends and acquaintances, who have had contact with us; a number of impressions and thoughts that we received from these, and gave to these; a number of exhibitions of virtue that fell to our notice, and excited our admiration and sympathy, as well as, at the same time, of evil, that forced themselves before the eye and awoke natural or forced disgust and abhorrence; a number of books read, or narrations heard, and contemplations and musings, that pictured to the imagination dreams and vanities, which