Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-12-08
.:Cultivatinglvirtucs by system.

4
For the benefit of some of our COR
respondents who wish TO know how
they may attain symmetry of char.
acter aud whiteness of soul we give
the method pursued by Franklin, oi
which hc remarks In his 10th year :
1T may he well my posterity should
be Informed, that to this little arti.
flee, with the blessing of God, their
ancestor owed the constant felicity ol
his life down to the 10Th year, i'm
which this Is written. What reverses
may attend the remainder IL In the
hand of Providence: but If they ar
rive, the reflection on past happiness
ought TO l,elp his bearing them with
more resignation. TO temperance he
ascribes his long-continued health,
and what Is still left to him of o good
constitution. To industry and tru-
gdtity, the early easiness of his cir.
cumstances .aad acquisition Of his
fortune, with all that knowledge that
enabled him to be useful citizen,
and obtained for him some degree of
reputation among the learned. TO
sincerity and justice, the confidence of
his country, and the honorable em-
pigments IL conferred upon him !;
and to the joint influence of the whole
macs OF the virtues, even In the im>
perfect state he was able to acquire
them, all that evenness of temper
and that chserfulness In converse.
ton which makes his company still
sought for, and agreeable even to his
young acquaintance"
Concerning the project of becom-
ing morally perfect he set himself
diligently to the task. He made a
list of the virtues-'Temperan ST.
lence, Order, Resolution, Frugality.
Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Modera.
tion, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chas~
tity, Humility. To each of these he
allotted page In little book so
ruled with red and black ink that he
could easily record his daily delin-
queEcies. He gave one weeks par.
ticalar attention to each virtue, and
40 they were thirteen In number, he
was able to 60 through his book four
times year. ~ was surprised" he
says, ito find myself so much fuller
Of faults than had imagined; but
had the satisfaction of seeing them
diminish. After q while / went
through one course only I'm year !;
and afterward only one in several
years; till at length omitted them
entirely; but L always carried my
little book with me-" Those who
wish TO become intimately acquaint-
ed with tho methods by which
franklin attained his position will
consult Parton's Life of Franklin
Schroeder, In his Life and Times of
Washington, dwells on the assiduity
with which the youthful patriot cpl-
tivated the virtues and strove to form
himself into the pattern of all excel.
lence.
We always conceive of John Mil
ton as a glorious poet, with his sing-
ing Iobes around him, but study Of
his life shows that his splen lid at
tainments and mastery of all the
knowledge Of his age were the result
of the most exact aud conscientious
employment of time. He was as
careful that no spot or smirch should
sully his moral nature. He lived
ever
AS In the great Taskmaser's eye"
and when the mellow seduotions of
Italy and Paris were woven around
him he perpetually remembered that
though he might evade the observa.
tion of men, he could not elude the
inspection of God. .n-NeW York 7ri.
bune. "."