XVII.
THE TWO STANDARD MEASURES.
[Illustration]
"MAMMA, how tall was that great giant of whom papa was telling us?" said Harry, who, after standing with his back to the door, a pencil in one hand, and a ruler in the other, was busily engaged in examining some marks which he had made on the panel.
"He was nearly seven feet high, I believe," replied Mrs. Prince, without raising her eyes from her work.
"And how tall do you think that I am?" said the little boy, with a look of conscious pride.
"You? I should say about four feet, my dear."
"I am 'eight' feet high!" cried Harry, with exultation.
"Impossible!"
"I have just measured myself, mamma."
"You must have measured wrong."
"Oh I have been very careful; see, here is the mark for each foot up the door—one, two, four, six, eight."
"But what is your standard measure, Harry?" said his mother with a smile.
"This pretty little ruler, 'that I made for myself,'" cried the child, exhibiting his pasteboard measure, neatly marked with divisions for the inches, "but only half the proper length!" "You see, dear mamma, that I am taller than the giant!"
"Foolish child!" you say, and I should say so too, did I not fear that half the world act exactly as he did. We are all too apt to make our standard measures for ourselves, laying aside "the only true one," which we find in the Bible; and thus we often deem ourselves sensible and good, when our wisdom is folly, our actions full of sin.
The Bible tells us that "holiness" is absolutely necessary. "There is no need to be so very particular," cries the world. The Bible declares that we shall be judged for "every idle word." "My words are my own!" says the trifler.
It is clear that there are "two standard measures" before us: one short and easy, the other long and trying; one that makes us seem like giants, the other like dwarfs. Thus we are too ready to choose the standard "of our own making," and wilfully to deceive our own hearts. But oh! Let us ask ourselves one solemn question—"By which standard shall we be measured at the last day?"