The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-03-29
LETTER l.
81. Petersburg, Sept. 1871

g. Petersburg, Sept. 1871.
Ny DEaR Son: In your letter of the
18th Jannsry, to your mother, yon men.
TONED that YOU read 10 your aun, chap.
ter in the Bible, or n secl;nn OF Ind.
bridges Annoialions every evening. This
information gave me real pleasure; for so
grca, is nv Vrneraiion for the Bible, and
so sirnng my belief TINT, Shen duly read
and meslitale,l on. il is &c all hnnks in the
world, that which contributes most to-
make men sood, wise and happy-thal
the earlier my children begin to read IL.
the mole steadily they pursue the practice
Of reading throughout their lives. the more
lively and confident will he my hopes
that they will prove useful citizens to their
country, respectable members of society,
and real blessing to their parents. but
hope yau have nav arrived NJ all age
10 understand that reading, even i'm the l,i.
bfr. IS 4 thing IN ffsrff neither grnd nor
bad. hi, that all tho good which can he
drawn from IL is by the Use and improve.
ment Of wha, you have read. with The help
Of yonr own reflection. Young people
sometimes hoa>, of how many books and
how much they hare rfa.h when, instead
OF bnasiing. they oughiio be ashamed Of
harirg wasted so much time 10 so little
profit. advise you, my son, in whatever
you read. and most of all in reading the
bible. 10 remember, that II is Tor the pur.
pose Of making you wiser and more virin-
Gus. have myself for many years made
il IA practice 10 read through the Bible onrc
every year. have always enderarcd to
read i, with the same split and temper of.
mind which NOW recommend 10 you; thai
is, with the intention aud desire that il
may rontrihuie 10 my advancement in
wisdom and virtue. MY desire is indeed
very inpeneclly successful; for, like you,
aud like The Apostle Paul. i" I find law in /
my members, warning agains, the law nf
my mind" But as know that i, is ms
nature TO be imperfect. 50 know that il
is my iniy;o aim at perfection: and feeling
and ,leploring nv own fraihics. can only
pray Almighty Cad for the aid IF HIS
Spirit to strengthen my gnnd desires. and
Ia suhdue my propensliies to evil; for il is
from Him tina, every good and every per.
c.gift descends. Nv cu<tom is. 10 read
four ar five chapters every morning, i'm
ncdiatelv after rising from my bed. I,
employs ahout an hour Of my time, and
seems To me the mos. suitahle manner of
the day. But. as other cares,
duties and orcupa,ians engage the remain.
tier "f it. have perhaps never sufficient
partition Of my time in meditation upon
what have read. Even meditation itself
is OFTEN frutlcss, unless il has snme special
inject in view useful thoughts often arise
in the mind, and pass away without hcing
remembered or applied to any good pnr-
pnse-ike the seed scattered upor the
surface Of the ground, which the birds
levonr. or The wind blow away, or which
rot without taking root. however gnod the
soil may be upon whirh they are cast.
We are all, my dear George. unwilling to
'onsess our own faults, even to ourselves;
and when our own cnnsc:ences are too
honest 10 conccl them from us, our self ,
ove is always busy, either in attempting ,
10 disguise them To us under false and de. {
usise cnlors, or in seeking ont excuses I
md apologies to reconcile them TO our .
minds. Thus, although am sensible that :
| have no, derived from my as'iduons :
pcrusal Of The Bible, land I might apply +;
he same .remark TO almost everything else ;
hat ! ,io, all the benefit that might and
might, ! IN rs rnns,anily en,ieavorine 10.
persuade myself ,ha: j, is not my own
iaull. Sometimes say 10 myself, I do
not understand what have read; I canno.
help il; I did nos nuke my own under.