_Stock._ In our last night's talk, Will, I endeavored to prove to you that religion was to be brought into our _business_. I wish now to let you see that it is to be brought into our _pleasure_ also. And that he who is really a Christian, must be a Christian in his very diversions. _Will._ Now you are too strict again, master; as you last night declared, that in our business you would not have us always praying, so I hope that in our pleasure you would not have us always psalm-singing. I hope you would not have all one's singing to be about good things. _Stock._ Not so, Will; but I would not have any part either of our business or our pleasure to be about evil things. It is one thing to be singing _about_ religion, it is another thing to be singing _against_ it. Saint Peter, I fancy, would not much have approved your favorite song. He, at least seemed to have another view of the matter, when he said, _The end of all things is at hand_. Now this text teaches much the same awful truth with the first line of your song. But let us see to what different purposes the apostle and the poet turn the very same thought. Your song says, because life is so short, let us make it merry. Let us divert ourselves so much on the road, that we may forget the end. Now what says the apostle, _Because the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer_. _Will._ Why, master, I like to be sober too, and have left off drinking. But still I never thought that we were obliged to carry texts out of the Bible to try the soundness of a song; and to enable us to judge if we might be both merry and wise in singing it. _Stock._ Providence has not so stinted our enjoyments, Will, but he has left us many subjects of harmless merriment; but, for my own part, I am never certain that any one is quite harmless till I have tried it by this rule that you seem to think so strict. There is another favorite catch which I heard you and some of the workmen humming yesterday. _Will._ I will prove to you that there is not a word of harm in _that_; pray listen now. (_sings._) "Which is the best day to drink--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday?"