16 THE MONTHLY
conscientious in those which immediately relate to
man? Is it to him that you would look for a
pattern of every social and domestic virtue, of ho-
nour, benevolence, and integrity, as a man of pro-
perty or professional engagement; ----of rectitude,
veracity, and assiduity as a tradesman, -—of industry
and conscientiousness as a workman,---of fidelity as
a servant--of sobriety and diligence as the head or
subordinate member of a family, of kindness as a
husband, of affection and prndence as a parent, or
of dutifulness and obedience as a child? To look
for such qualities in combination with gross sab-
bath-profanation, and with habitual neglect and con-
tempt of the appointed ordinances of the sanctuary,
would obviously be to seek for light in darkness,
virtue in vice, life in death.
---------
THE SEASON, IN THE COUNTRY.
SHEEP-SHEARING.
Sheep-shearing, one of the great rural labours of
this delightful month, if not so full of variety as
the hay-harvest, and so creative of matter for those
"in search of the picturesque" (though it is scarce-
ly less so), is still more lively, animated, and
spirit-stirring: and it besides retains something of
the character of a rural holiday, which rural
matters need, in this age and in this country, more
than ever they did, since it became a civilized and
happy one. The sheep-shearings are the only
stated periods of the year at which we hear of
festivities, and gatherings together of the lovers
and practisers of English husbandry; for even the
harvest-home itself is fast sinking into disuse, as a
