Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-07-06
Habits.

But for bad habits there is a heavier and
sharper responsibility than most young
people seem aware of. Men talk as if when
anything they do has set itself up as hab-
it, that fact alone gave it some new rights
in the world-some higher standing and
dignity. Now the folly of Turk or an
Arab, who persists in scratching the ground
with forked stick, instead Of taking pa
tent pillow, is wisdom compared with this.
That is only stupid; this is wicked. A
young man says, if we urge him to do some
thing, or stop doing something else, Chat
is not in my line Of things" or, d" This is
my habit | have done it for years. -
What of that? Do you mean to answer,
when called to account in the Judgment for
the neglect of some matter, Lord, that was
not my fashion p Do you expect to md
the dignity and importance Of this bad
habit Of yours acknowledged there? See
what you are cOniesslng in this plea that
habit is upon you. You are coolly saving
that you have done the bad thing 50 many
times over that that ought to be considered
| in your favor. Suppose HindOo put on
his trial for murder, and, when convicted
and asked why the sentence should not be
passed, he answers, 1t is true, your Honor,
| that | am guilty But then | belong TO a
gang of the Thugs. | have been numbering
all my life long. It's habit we have; and
your Honor certainly will not be hard with
me? And will it much help your case to
plead that some darling sin has long been
your practice? Now, habits are not easily to
be changed for the better except by taking
a fixed time and from that making start
for something new They will change fol-
the worse without any trouble of this sort
you may be sure of that ! There is no need
of a perpendicular plunge downward. The
easy incline of the slope of depravitv will
soon bring you to the same level. But any
movement in the other direction must be
not by graded ascent, but straight upward
You cannot slowly estange yourself from
bad habit, as man cOols toward friend
1t is altogether too fond of you for that
You must break loose as Sampson broke
from the Philistines' cords. There must b.
an open issue joined, crisis made
a gardener goes over his grounds occa
Isionally to cut away the suckers from hi
young trees. They are nothing very bad in
themselves; but, as related to the tree, the,
are an unmitigated pest. For they drair
! off the nourishing juices that are wanted
) for better life than their own. They fec
their worthless stems on its richness anC
strength. And there are suckers that vast,
the life ofmen. There are indulgences tn
eat out the fullness. and stain the purity
and bring down the growth of any charac
ter that allows them to cling to it. With ;
young man it will be his pipe, his wine, hi
cards, the bad eompanionship that is lead
ing to all manner of license. Or it NAV b,
nameless sin, whether secret or more open
that pollutes and spreads a gangren,
through his being. With young nader
it is fashion, dress, passion for Amusement
and excitement, a hunger for admiration.
| What is wanted is, to bring back all tn,
power so wasted into the line of somethin.
nobler. Why does it strengthen threat
to wax it? Becauseit gathers in the it'll
filaments that were standing off pointin,
IN every direction, and pastes them togeth
i Ter, and makes each one contribute tn
strength it had been wasting to the genera
tenacity of the whole. The thread ofone'
life should be often waxed There are al
l ways talents turned off to one use and an
, other that ought to be gathered in, and de
I sires and habits of feelings that want clos
er discipline. And this work must be don
at stated times, with clear purpose, dis
tinct understanding of what we are doing
and an earnest prayer to God for helI
The reconstruction of all the rebel state
! was no more important to the South thai
8 reconstruction of your habits is to you.-
Ladependent.