THE

PATH OF PEACE:

OR

A Practical Guide

TO

DUTY AND HAPPINESS.

BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT,
Author of "Mother at Home," and "Child at Home."

LONDON:

T. ALLMAN, 42, HOLBORN HILL.

1837.

NORMAN,

TRINTER, MAIDEN LANE COVENT GARDEN.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

MERRIMENT 18 NOT HAPPINESS.

PAGE

A Sabbath scene in Baltimore. Scene in Pittsburgh.

The dying child. The fashionable lady. Why affliction

is sent. The pious lady. The contrast. Sabbath

amusements. Family devotion. The design of the

book

1

CHAPTER II.

MORAL CULTURE.

Communion with God essential to happiness. The effi-
cacy of faith. The fretful Christian. Secret prayer.
A grateful spirit essential to happiness. The guilt of
ingratitude. Cheerfulness to be cultivated. A gloomy
wife and mother. Her sad influence upon her hus-
band and son. The whist party. The moral power
of cheerfulness. An affectionate spirit essential to
happiness. The heartless family. The influence of
affectionate feelings in shielding from temptation.
Avoid selfishness. The winter night's ride. Decision
of character. Stubbornness. The drowning man

CHAPTER III.

THE FAMILY.

Domestic happiness. Parental responsibilities. Family
prayer. Duty to domestics. Catholic servants. The

PAGE

diffident man. Religious instruction. The neglected

family. Sons of the wealthy. Religious toleration.

The divided family. The intolerant father. To pro-

mote temporal happiness a duty. Anecdote of New

ton. Interest in children's studies. The votary of

pleasure. Chesterfield

CHAPTER IV.

THE CHURCH.

Packet ships. The voyage. Ecclesiastical organizations.

The duty of making a profession of religion. The

church member's duty. Attending church meetings.

The duty of a pious wife, whose husband is not a

Christian. Friendly intercourse. Contention in

churches. Different stations in life. Importance of

harmony.

64

94

CHAPTER V.

YOUR NEIGHBOUR.

Anecdote. Why Christians are often hated. Duties to

our fellows. 1. Be honest. Examples of common dis-

honesty. The lady shopping. The embarrassed mer-

chant. The oppressive lawyer. Anecdote by Row-

land Hill. 2. Be generous. The miserly clergyman.

Why God asks for money. 3. Be open-hearted. The

maneuverer. The prudent man. 4. Be polite. The

uncivil clergyman. Incivility is sin. The drover.

Rules of politeness drawn from the Bible. The "plain-

spoken" man. 5. Be a good neighbour. Anecdotes.

The two neighbours. The Dutch gentleman. 6. Take

an interest in the spiritual welfare of your neighbours.

What is Eternity. The way to influence

131

CHAPTER I.

MERRIMENT IS NOT HAPPINESS.

Nor many months since I passed a sabbath in Baltimore. As I came from church, in the afternoon, I saw half a dozen young men sitting around their wine, at the table they had not left since dinner. Fumes of tobacco filled the room. Their faces were flushed with wine and mirth. With the sparkling glass in one hand, and the lighted cigar in the other, their voices were just bursting forth in the riotous song,

Old king Cole was a jolly old soul,
And a jolly old soul was he, was he:

He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.

I stood, for a moment, upon the stairs, and looked in upon this scene of revelryupon this band of precocious yet appa rently confirmed inebriates. And this, thought I, is a practical exhibition of infidelity. These are the joys which irreligion offers its votaries. In this school infidelity

B