Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-11
king Habit.

81 won't write this letter. / can't do
i'll This hateful old paperi" and Frank
Ray took up the sheet and tore it in
pieces, and threw it down with jerk
which brought to his mother lips a
smile though saddened one, at the
quick-coming thought of her boy having
gained so little self-control
"Why, Frank, my boy, what troubles
you so much2" she said, rising and
stroking back the long, wavy hair from
his white forehead. "What is it disturbs
you SO to draw out tbisldisplay of wrong
temper2'
"This ugly paper, with not line in
It'll can't write a straight word; it's
enough to try an earthly saint, ike you,
mother, let alone an impatient school
boy, who wants to be off to play. / wish
there was not sheet of unruled paper
in the world.
"What should l do, then, Frank, and
many others who never write upon ru ed
paper2 Why, when was little girl
you need not look 50 incred ulous, for /
was little girl once, and as uneasy and,
restless as any little gifl could he-but
what was going to say was, then it was
not considered very creditabe to depend
upon lines. If we had them to slip an
der our paper, we we're very apt to hide.
them if our teacher or parents came
near"
'Why, what's the harm in lines or
ruled paper, mother2 ] CAM see it.
1t is better to accustom the eye to
form its own line; it gives it habit of
precision and correctness which is in
valuable; but the most important thing
is that we should never allow ourselves
to become dependent upon anything; we
should strive to be free of every shackle
but those of right and duty. Now, in
the matter of writing--if / may Judge
by your effervescence of temper--you
are perfect slave to lines l have often
seen you give up a letter which you
should have completed, or growl over
composition, because you could not
write straight line across the paper.
Now are you willing to have King Lines
rule all over your writing you expect to
do in your day.
/ don't see but you are just as much
of q slave, mother, to no lines, for you
don I like to write Oh ruled paper any
more than l do on unruled."
Yes, my boy, but | can write with
lines; though | must confess, am more
apt tc write between them, from the
force of early teaching; but / am not
dependent upon lnruled paper, there
fore have no King Lines to contfol
me. But want You to think how many
masters you will have if you allow your
self to feel you cannot do this, and that
you must have things so and so, or you
can do nothing. If / was Frank Ray,
would say would be King over my
self, and that no little impertinent habit
should rule over me. l would not let
the young Fox in, which, when it gets
old, would gnaw out all the vitality and
strength of my will Depend upon 1t,
Frank, it is these little things-the con-
quering your own yielding to obstacles,
the determination TO 90 straight on to
the mastery of every dificulty-whiSh
will form the only true foundation of
manly, self-relying character; one de
pendent only upon God and his own
strength, baptized into firm principle by
religious faith and trust Now try, my
boy, and write your letter. See what
you can do
sob, mother, I don't believe can do
anything with it " =
''If you begin with that idea, Frank,
:. you can't do anything; fear and doubt
beget inability. L can, Il WILL are
much better for motto than I can't i"
swell, mother, suppose take it and
say, 4 will play truant, and see the
show tomorrow; is it good motto,
them
II can't jest on such things, Frank.
You have been brought up to know
right from wrong You can tell when
the Il viii should be used, and know
that it neUer should be for, any self-in-
diligence which leads to the neglect Of
any known duty. Il won't is the word
then. But if you lay your track rightly
now, you will find you willno be obliged
to put on the brakes Of Il won't very
often; but your car of life will run
smoothly along on the track. of active
duty. 1t all depends upon your laying
the sleepers and the rails, which You
are doing now every day-aye, hour.
Christian Register.