others　is　useful　also　in　strengthening　the　character；　and　in
  enabling　us；　while　we　never　lose　sight　of　our　main　object；　to
  thread　our　way　wisely　and　well。〃　（2）
  An　entirely　new　direction　may　be　given　to　the　life　of　a　young　man
  by　a　happy　suggestion；　a　timely　hint；　or　the　kindly　advice　of　an
  honest　friend。　　Thus　the　life　of　Henry　Martyn　　the　Indian
  missionary；　seems　to　have　been　singularly　influenced　by　a
  friendship　which　he　formed；　when　a　boy；　at　Truro　Grammar　School。
  Martyn　himself　was　of　feeble　frame；　and　of　a　delicate　nervous
  temperament。　　Wanting　in　animal　spirits；　he　took　but　little
  pleasure　in　school　sports；　and　being　of　a　somewhat　petulant
  temper；　the　bigger　boys　took　pleasure　in　provoking　him；　and　some
  of　them　in　bullying　him。　　One　of　the　bigger　boys；　however；
  conceiving　a　friendship　for　Martyn；　took　him　under　his　protection；
  stood　between　him　and　his　persecutors；　and　not　only　fought　his
  battles　for　him；　but　helped　him　with　his　lessons。　　Though　Martyn
  was　rather　a　backward　pupil；　his　father　was　desirous　that　he
  should　have　the　advantage　of　a　college　education；　and　at　the　age
  of　about　fifteen　he　sent　him　to　Oxford　to　try　for　a　Corpus
  scholarship；　in　which　he　failed。　　He　remained　for　two　years　more
  at　the　Truro　Grammar　School；　and　then　went　to　Cambridge；　where　he
  was　entered　at　St。　John's　College。　　Who　should　he　find　already
  settled　there　as　a　student　but　his　old　champion　of　the　Truro
  Grammar　School？　　Their　friendship　was　renewed；　and　the　elder
  student　from　that　time　forward　acted　as　the　Mentor；　of　the　younger
  one。　　Martyn　was　fitful　in　his　studies；　excitable　and　petulant；
  and　occasionally　subject　to　fits　of　almost　uncontrollable　rage。
  His　big　friend；　on　the　other　hand；　was　a　steady；　patient；
  hardworking　fellow；　and　he　never　ceased　to　watch　over；　to　guide；
  and　to　advise　for　good　his　irritable　fellow…student。　　He　kept
  Martyn　out　of　the　way　of　evil　company；　advised　him　to　work　hard；
  〃not　for　the　praise　of　men；　but　for　the　glory　of　God；〃　and　so
  successfully　assisted　him　in　his　studies；　that　at　the　following
  Christmas　examination　he　was　the　first　of　his　year。　　Yet　Martyn's
  kind　friend　and　Mentor　never　achieved　any　distinction　himself；　he
  passed　away　into　obscurity；　leading；　most　probably；　a　useful
  though　an　unknown　career；　his　greatest　wish　in　life　having　been　to
  shape　the　character　of　his　friend；　to　inspire　his　soul　with　the
  love　of　truth；　and　to　prepare　him　for　the　noble　work；　on　which　he
  shortly　after　entered；　of　an　Indian　missionary。
  A　somewhat　similar　incident　is　said　to　have　occurred　in　the
  college　career　of　Dr。　Paley。　　When　a　student　at　Christ's　College
  Cambridge；　he　was　distinguished　for　his　shrewdness　as　well　as　his
  clumsiness；　and　he　was　at　the　same　time　the　favourite　and　the　butt
  of　his　companions。　　Though　his　natural　abilities　were　great；　he
  was　thoughtless；　idle；　and　a　spendthrift；　and　at　the　commencement
  of　his　third　year　be　had　made　comparatively　little　progress。
  After　one　of　his　usual　night…dissipations；　a　friend　stood　by　his
  bedside　on　the　following　morning。　　〃Paley；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　not
  been　able　to　sleep　for　thinking　about　you。　　I　have　been　thinking
  what　a　fool　you　are！　I　have　the　means　of　dissipation；　and　can
  afford　to　be　idle：　YOU　are　poor；　and　cannot　afford　it。　　I　could　do
  nothing；　probably；　even　were　I　to　try：　　YOU　are　capable　of　doing
  anything。　　I　have　lain　awake　all　night　thinking　about　your　folly；
  and　I　have　now　come　solemnly　to　warn　you。　　Indeed；　if　you　persist
  in　your　indolence；　and　go　on　in　this　way；　I　must　renounce　your
  society　altogether！
  It　is　said　that　Paley　was　so　powerfully　affected　by　this
  admonition；　that　from　that　moment　he　became　an　altered　man。　　He
  formed　an　entirely　new　plan　of　life；　and　diligently　persevered　in
  it。　　He　became　one　of　the　most　industrious　of　students。　　One　by
  one　he　distanced　his　competitors；　and　at　the　end　of　the　year　be
  came　out　Senior　Wrangler。　　What　he　afterwards　accomplished　as　an
  author　and　a　divine　is　sufficiently　well　known。
  No　one　recognised　more　fully　the　influence　of　personal　example　on
  the　young　than　did　Dr。　Arnold。　　It　was　the　great　lever　with　which
  he　worked　in　striving　to　elevate　the　character　of　his　school。　　He
  made　it　his　principal　object；　first　to　put　a　right　spirit　into　the
  leading　boys；　by　attracting　their　good　and　noble　feelings；　and
  then　to　make　them　instrumental　in　propagating　the　same　spirit
  among　the　rest；　by　the　influence　of　imitation；　example；　and
  admiration。　　He　endeavoured　to　make　all　feel　that　they　were
  fellow…workers　with　himself；　and　sharers　with　him　in　the　moral
  responsibility　for　the　good　government　of　the　place。　　One　of　the
  first　effects　of　this　highminded　system　of　management　was；　that　it
  inspired　the　boys　with　strength　and　self…respect。　　They　felt　that
  they　were　trusted。　　There　were；　of　course；　MAUVAIS　SUJETS　at
  Rugby；　as　there　are　at　all　schools；　and　these　it　was　the　master's
  duty　to　watch；　to　prevent　their　bad　example　contaminating　others。
  On　one　occasion　he　said　to　an　assistant…master：　〃Do　you　see　those
  two　boys　walking　together？　　I　never　saw　them　together　before。　　You
  should　make　an　especial　point　of　observing　the　company　they　keep：
  nothing　so　tells　the　changes　in　a　boy's　character。〃
  Dr。　Arnold's　own　example　was　an　inspiration；　as　is　that　of　every
  great　teacher。　　In　his　presence；　young　men　learned　to　respect
  themselves；　and　out　of　the　root　of　self…respect　there　grew　up　the
  manly　virtues。　　〃His　very　presence；〃　says　his　biographer；　〃seemed
  to　create　a　new　spring　of　health　and　vigour　within　them；　and　to
  give　to　life　an　interest　and　elevation　which　remained　with　them
  long　after　they　had　left　him；　and　dwelt　so　habitually　in　their
  thoughts　as　a　living　image；　that；　when　death　had　taken　him　away；
  the　bond　appeared　to　be　still　unbroken；　and　the　sense　of
  separation　almost　lost　in　the　still　deeper　sense　of　a　life　and　a
  Union　indestructible。〃　（3）　　And　thus　it　was　that　Dr。　Arnold
  trained　a　host　of　manly　and　noble　characters；　who　spread　the
  influence　of　his　example　in　all　parts　of　the　world。
  So　also　was　it　said　of　Dugald　Stewart；　that　he　breathed　the　love
  of　virtue　into　whole　generations　of　pupils。　　〃To　me；〃　says　the
  late　Lord　Cockburn；　〃his　lectures　were　like　the　opening　of　the
  heavens。　　I　felt　that　I　had　a　soul。　　His　noble　views；　unfolded　in
  glorious　sentences；　elevated　me　into　a　higher　world。。。　　They
  changed　my　whole　nature。〃　（4）
  Character　tells　in　all　conditions　of　life。　　The　man　of　good
  character　in　a　workshop　will　give　the　tone　to　his　fellows；　and
  elevate　their　entire　aspirations。　　Thus　Franklin；　while　a　workman
  in　London；　is　said　to　have　reformed　the　manners　of　an　entire
  workshop。　　So　the　man　of　bad　character　and　debased　energy　will
  unconsciously　lower　and　degrade　his　fellows。　　Captain　John　Brown
  the　〃marching…on　Brown〃once　said　to　Emerson；　that　〃for　a
  settler　in　a　new　country；　one　good　believing　man　is　worth　a
  hundred；　nay；　worth　a　thousand　men　without　character。〃　　His
  example　is　so　contagious；　that　all　other　men　are　directly　and
  beneficially　influenced　by　him；　and　he　insensibly　elevates　and
  lifts　them　up　to　his　own　standard　of　energetic　activity。
  Communication　with　the　good　is　invariably　productive　of　good。　　The
  good　character　is　diffusive　in　his　influence。　　〃I　was　common　clay
  till　roses　were　planted　in　me；〃　says　some　aromatic　earth　in　the
  Eastern　fable。　　Like　begets　like；　and　good　makes　good。　　〃It　is
  astonishing；〃　says　Canon　Moseley；　〃how　much　good　goodness　makes。
  Nothing　that　is　good　is　alone；　nor　anything　bad；　it　makes　others
  good　or　others　badand　that　other；　and　so　on：　like　a　stone
  thrown　into　a　pond；　which　makes　circles　that　make　other　wider
  ones；　and　then　others；　till　the　last　reaches　the　shore。。。。　Almost
  all　the　good　that　is　in　the　world　has；　I　suppose；　thus　come　down
  to　us　traditionally　from　remote　times；　and　often　unknown　centres
  of　good。〃　（5）　　So　Mr。　Ruskin　says；　〃That　which　is　born　of　evil
  begets　evil；　and　that　which　is　born　of　valour　and　honour；　teaches
  valour　and　honour。〃
  Hence　it　is　that　the　life　of　every　man　is　a　daily　inculcation　of
  good　or　bad　example　to　others。　　The　life　of　a　good　man　is　at　the
  same　time　the　most　eloquent　lesson　of　virtue　and　the　most　severe
  reproof　of　vice。　　Dr。　Hooker　described　the　life　of　a　pious
  clergyman　of　his　acquaintance　as　〃visible　rhetoric；〃　convincing
  even　the　most　godless　of　the　beauty　of　goodness。　　And　so　the　good
  George　Herbert　said；　on　entering　upon　the　duties　of　his　parish：
  〃Above　all；　I　will　be　sure　to　live　well；　because　the　virtuous　life
  of　a　clergyman　is　the　most　powerful　eloquence；　to　persuade　all　who
  see　it　to　reverence　and　love；　andat　least　to　desire　to　live
  like　him。　　And　this　I　will　do；〃　he　added；　〃because　I　know　we　live
  in　an　age　that　hath　more　need　of　good　examples　than　precepts。〃　　It
  was　a　fine　saying　of　the　same　good　priest；　when　reproached　with
  doing　an　act　of　kindness　to　a　poor　man；　considered　beneath　the
  dignity　of　his　office