Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-10-23

young man to show that he possesses a
steady and tractable spirit, deserving ad-
vancemeut and encouragement, than by
regular attendance at church. Nor do [
know anything which tells more justly,
against young mans prospect in bust.
ness than neglect of the ordinances of re-
ligion. :.. .. -
ENTERTAINMENT.
I have said that I cultivated silence in
company, yet I took care not to be mo-
rosely taciturn I listened with defer
ence and interest to the conversation of
my elders and social superiors, and was
always ready to laugh at joke. provided
it was proper and harmless. And when
my age and position became such as to
call on me to lead the conversation, |
could amuse the young fellows, too, with
harmless tale and anecdote. What have
always avoided, both as junior and senior,
was the delivery Of views and opinions
| never, in my recollection, said word
to the prejudice of any one, or ever said a
word which could hurt the feelings or pre-
judice of any respectable member of socie-
Ity. MY aim was always to impress those
" hom [ met with feeling that was a
sound. cautious. good-tempered man of
business, and of business aims.
HORSES. 20 g..
If have a taste for anything besides
business, it is what believe no man ever
suspected. l am fond Of. horses; and
what is more. am good judge of a
horse But no man ever heard me talk
of horses. Even since my success in bu-
siness became decided, I have not indulg-
ed myself in keepinga horse. The young
man who wants to succeed will do we'll to
follow my example If he allows himself
even to talk about any amusement for
which he may tavea taste, it is astonish-
ing how soon be may have reputation
fixed upon him for being knowing in it.
He will have pleutyof rivals eager to talk
of him as good shot, good fisher.
knowing in horses being well aware that
such reputation is certain to be most in
furious, probably htal, to his business
prospects.
+ -t5-. DRINKING AND SMOKING.
When young nan, was member
Of debating socify 10 our town. ]
never spoke except yhen the business Of
the sociaty wAs4ssss54!a reason
for being member was that a good many
men ofinfuence belonged to it, with whom
| had thus an opportunity Of becoming ac-
quainted. My frietd Sam was distin-
guisbed member; ard recollect going to
his lodgings one night out of curiosity,
when he had a meeting of his choicest
friends. They were drinking toddy-a
composition which I hate indeed, hate
all spirits; and as to smoking, it is me-
thod of employing time which has always
seemed to me suitable only for those of
weak intellect. [ was prevailed on, I re-
member. to try pipe--faugh! 1t was
the first time and the last. They tried to
encourage me to ''persevere, by holding
out the prospect that by SO doing should
become smoker ip time. - Dare say l
might have succeeded in making myself
slave to an expensive and idiotic habit
had | chosen; but Ishould by learning to
smoke, be putting down the smallest item
to the credit Of my account with Fortune,
was what | could not see; much less did
| see that any balance was thereby likely
to accrue to Profit. thought it as we'll
to reserve my perseverance, for somewhat
different objects. So much. 1 suppose,
for not being smart. But the talk was
the wonderful thing. What was love?"
-"Did men act from free will or from
necessity ?''-and l fancy that they drank
whiskey -and-water, smoked their vile to-
bacco, and muddled the small modicum
of brains which God bad given them; two
or three nights a week in this way. If
there is anything for which, from my boy
hood, l have found it difficult to hide my
contempt, it is man occupying himself
with poetry. metaphysics, and such stuff,
instead of giving himself to the honest
and obvious work of life, and poeketing
the honest payment for it. Iwell remem-
Der bow my clothes smelt of tobacco next
morning, and what a frightsI was in lest
our master should notice. this. was,
however. at the office as usual half an
hour before regulation time. and [ can re-
member that got job to do which would
have fallen to Sam had he been there in
time It put halfa sovereign in my .pock-
eta SUN not to be despised in those
days. =. -.t.s5 - -.as...;,s.,.g
s... f.. y. FINALE. - -eti1 f5---si
Now l do not mean to say, in giving
the above sketch of my own animus, that
men have not arrived at fortune whose
mental machinery would, if dissected,
show a very different arrangement of
wheels and pivots. Sheer audacity will
sometimes do wonders, especially in life :
Yet [ think my own plan has been about
as sure and easy one as can be followed.
If Iwere to name one advantage of mind
which | have had over other men, Ishould
say it is this-I was sensible fellow as
a young man. By reason of pride, con-
ceit or being oyer-ambitious, you will of
ten. see man between his twentieth and
twenty-ffth year commit an error which
he never has chance of retrieving. OPP
portunity gone is gone forever He is
thrown off the line-shunned--soz to
speak. and the rest of life is embittered