TO THE HEADER

Gentle Reader,

In preparing this Volume, containing a rather peculiar mixture of Lectures and Stories, I have done my best to provide you with a pleasant book, which I hope will repay you for the time devoted to its perusal.

The Lectures contain not a little of the experience I have acquired in fighting the “battle of life,” the aim having been to give an agreeable mixture of both head and heart, which will be wholesome and useful, especially^ to the young.

In writing the Stories the chief aim was amusement. If they contain a few morals, it is because true pictures of everyday life must of necessity be full of moral lessons to all who can look at them aright.

The arrangement of the Volume was suggested by the fact, that almost every night when I have lectured I have been called upon to tell a story.

It will give me great pleasure to hear of “good readers” reading these Lectures and Stories at social gatherings. Wishing you all good,

I am,

Yours truly,

GEORGE ROY.
Glasgow, December, 1863.

CONTENTS

NIGHT THE FIRST.

Lecture — The Affections
Friendship: its Development and Influence—Love in all its Stages and Phases—The Tender Flame very minutely Described—Pa rental Love: its High and Holy Influence—Selection and Treatment of Friends—Courtship—Counsel given to Lovers—Parental Duties—The Prodigal’s Return—Love of Home and Country— The Upward and Onward Tendency of all true Affection.

Story—Mrs. Macnab

NIGHT THE SECOND

Lecture—The Dignity of Labour
The First Great Worker—Adam and Eve’s First Work—Adam’s First House—Labour and Idleness Contrasted—Illustrations of the true Dignity of Work—The Russian Peasant—The Sea-side—The Storm—The Lawyer—The Surgeon—The Mechanic—A Noble City, Edinburgh—The Requirements of a Dignified Life, Truth, Honesty, Temperance, and Activity—Whittington—Men from the Ranks—Glasgow Men—Edinburgh Men—The Workman’s Joys— Woman’s Work—False Education—Margaret Hail— Charlotte— Marguerite—Florence Nightingale—Distributive Labourers—The Children of Genius—Noble Workers, Russell, Argyle, and Shaftesbury—The Humble Carpenter.

Story—Mrs. Gallagher

NIGHT THE THIRD

Lecture — Heart’s Ease
Material War contrasted with Warrings of the Human Heart—The Character of Physician assumed, and Heart Troubles prescribed for —Heart-sore Friends—Disappointed Lovers—Lonely Maidens— Money Hunters—Aspirants for Fame, Power, &c.—The various Troubles of the different Classes of Society treated—Our Real Ills —The Afflictions that reach us through our Purses, our Persons, and our Friends—The True Source of Genuine Heart’s Ease.

Story—The Stair-Head Battle

NIGHT THE FOURTH.

Lecture — Money
The Comedian’s Desire to play Tragedy—The Workshop—Donald’s Half-crowns—The Landlady—The Country Servant—The First Engineer—Freedom—The Night before the Wedding—Saving Easy to the Young—Children are Blessings—A Mother’s Life—Middle-class Efforts at Money-making—Nine Lives—The Three Georges, the Three Jameses, and the Three Johns—Lessons from their Lives —The Rich Man—The Cultivation of our entire Natures—Retirement—The True Value of Money.

Story—Ordination in Marriage

NIGHT THE FIFTH

Lecture — The Way of Life
Emerson’s Book—The various Travellers—Children, their first Lessons —Activity, &c.—Youth—Attention to Work—The proper Spending of Leisure Hours—The Debating Club—Music and Flowers— Manhood—Experience—Good Books—Burns’s Advice—Shakespeare’s Counsels—The Great Teacher—The Lord’s Prayer—Life, a Harmony—Incomes and Matrimony—Kindness in the Workshop —Domestic Joys—Speculation—A Happy Old Age.

Story—Non-Intervention

NIGHT THE SIXTH

Lecture — Words in Season
Lecture in Five Acts—To the various Glasses attending a Hiring Fair —To the Employes of a large Shipping Firm—To Four Thousand Children—To the Patients of a Lunatic Asylum—To the Citizens of Glasgow, assembled in the City Hall, on March 10, 1863, to celebrate the Marriage of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alexandra.

Story—Looking for a House

A Little Bit to the Bargain for the Children