Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-09-23

HABITS

cy to produce active efforts in unison
with their spirit. Anger asserts itself
in the bitter word or hasty blow, pity
in the attempt to relieve suffering,
love In the warm embrace or glad
self-sacriice. As thought expresses
itself in language, so emotion express
ses itself In action. There is, however,
the singular difference between the
inner impression andits Outward man
Hesitation that the former Is weakened
by frequent repetition, while the lat
ter Is strengthened by every fresh re-
currence. The presence Of continual
danger diminishes fear, the sight of
constant suffering lessons pity, a pro-
tracted round Of excitement at length
fails to excite and leaves US wearied
and insipid. But actions on the other
hand, repeatedly performed, strength
en- into habits and acquire a tirmer
and flrmer hold upon US. Any course
of action, resulting at first from certain
motives or impressions, will gradually
develop and acquire strength If perse-
vered In, ever while the motives and
excitements which gave 1t birth fade
away. Thus 1t happens that many
who have outlived the keen excite
ments and fiery passions that once led
them into sensual and vicious indulg-
ences, yet continue welded to their
iniquity, while ceaslng to derive even
the low pleasures once enjoyed.
There are those on the other hand,
who, living noble, virtuous and self
denying lives, yet mourn a lack Of
feeling and censure themselves be-
cause their emotions are less strong,
and their impressions less vivid than
in former years. Did they but recog-
nize the laws which govern these emo
tions. they would cease to lament Its
Inevitable operation. In them the
great purpose Of all pure emotions
has been accomplished and is shining
forth In their worthy lives. As the
frequent repetition Of voluntary acts
forms habits, so those habits firmly
fixed and taken together form char
acter. The impressions which precede
actions arc involuntary-we have no
direct control over them ; but the &C
tions themselves car only be performed
by an immediate exercise Of the will.
We may thus be said to have the max
ing of our characters In our own
hands, for they are but the accumulated
results Of reiterated deeds. Good
habits, when thoroughly woven into
the nature, do not demand the repeated
recognition Of the principles from
which they first emanated. We do
not always pause to consider the right
Of certain actions ; We have done them
so often that we do them without
thinking. But they are none the less
c~ommendable on this account, for they
indicate past effort and uniform on
tiuuance In we'll doing. So habits Of
vice or neglect, or misdoing Of any
kind, are perpetuated without any
acute consciousness Of wrong. We
have committed the sin so often that
we now do it also without thinking.
But we are not, therefore, the less
guilty, for we thus show how often
and how perslstently we have sllenced
the voice of conscience. One person
acquires habits Of justice, t~ruthfnlness,
fidelity, beuevolence and industry so
thoroughly and firmly that they are
breathed out into his life as naturally
as air from his lungs. He Is conscious
Of no special effort-he merely acts out
himself as he has become. Another
sinks into habits Of Incidence, self
indulgence, deceit and frivolity 80
deeply that he loses the pangs Of con-
science once endured. He has no con-
iict-he merely acts his own character
as lie has formed it. Hence the i'm
portance, In youth especially, of sedu-
lousy guarding every voluntary action
and every train Of thought. We car
never measure the influence of a single
choice upon the character and destiny,
but we know that the results of all
our spontaneous actions become thor
oughly incorporated into our being,
and unite to build up our character
into beauty or deformity. Let none,
however, suppose that the power Of
habit IA so strong that 1t Is beyond
their ability to control or to change 1t.
Habit alone Is simply conservative,
but man never arrives at a point where
his conservatism precludes progress.
Even where he has been brought into
bondage to evil habits, he can break
his letters and assert his rational will,
II he but desire freedom. When once
convinced Of the injurious nature Of
any habit, we should carefully direct
our attention to 1t, forcing ourselves
to perform one by one those actions
which are opposed to 1t. The new de-
sire thus kindled will intensity with
every effort, and the new course of
action, II persevered In with unceasing
watchfulness, will at length overcome
the old habit, and take Its place. Only
by firm resolution and strenuous ex-
ertion IAN we break up and displace
bad habits, but the achievement Is pos
sible for all.
FROM WADswoRTH, NEv.-We are
furnished, says the Sacramento Union
of yesterday, with the annexed local
intelligence BY a correspondent, who