Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-03-13
HOME INTERESTS.-HABIT.

cline upon line, precept upon precept
here Il little and there a" great deal tC
keep in our minds the importance OF
forming in our children and strenth-
ing in ourselves good habits. 1t is Sc
difficult to break up long established
modes of action, and turn the channels
of ones activities in new directions,
that it is not surprising the manure in
life, who have suffered from not being
started right in the first place, should
lay, as they are inclined to. great stress
on the Importance making in all things
Il good beginning.
There are few habits which form
IA pretty good foundation for success
/ in life and insure the friendship of the
discerning and virtuous. First among
these We would place the habit of self
help. This may and should be form
ed in a child, before it can walk or
talk, by providing resources for Its
amusement and leaving it, within due
bounds, depend those resources.
Then as it grows older it should be
taught and gently compelled to per-
. form in its own behalf all that it can
do. Few Of us but know young men
and young women perfectly helpless
for all the ordinary uses of life. II
they alone were the sufferers it wouldn,t
matter much. but they are social leech-
es. ALWAYS demanding service ard new
.errenderjngit. Good husbands, wives,
good parents rarely, if ever, are found
IN this class of people.
Next In Importance 10 the habit ot
self-hrlp We would place that of per-
sonal tldiness. We do not care to
guess how many American men and
women set down to breakfast every
morning with their toilets half made,
the men without collar and cravat, the
women with unkcmpt hair. and the
children resembling the parents III
dress as much as in feature. But
YOU see there are So nany things To do
IN the morning stock to feed. COWS
to milk, fires to make, milk IN skim,
children 10 dress, breakfast 10 get
that one can't spend much time fixing
themselves up. All very true; but
one doesn't 20 round barcfooted III the
morning. or without washing face and
hands, because a habit the reverse OF
Iall that has been formed. "Mv hair
is combed in the morning for all day
before | leave my chamber said an
elegant housckeeper the other day. and
she keeps no girl, and we couldn't
help thinking the happiness her hus-
band must have had just in the one
particular of seeing her every morn
Ing for twenty Years with smoothly
coined hair, and neat linen collar, OPP
posjte him at the breakfast table, and
OF the order and cleanliness in the
household Of which that one little item
was an index That 'cleanliness Is
next to godlincss, should be early
and deeply impressed on every child
and j; should be taught To shrink from
unclcauliness and untidiness rs ii
shrinks from vice.
Another habit of great value is that
Of courtesy. If child is properly
trained to ask for what he wants and
make meet acknowledgements for IA
vors received, to recognize the rights
and respect the feelings of others, he
will be able 10 win friends no matter
what other faults he may have. This
habit he will acquire, or absorb, rath-
cr, from those around him. Courte-
/ Gus children are but the reflection OF
courteous parents. Genuine courte-
sy flows out from the heart and can
never be put on rs an outside garment.
! Another excellent habit is that OF
/ helping others. In fact We are in the
world for the express purpose Of doing
! that very thing, and if We fail III this,
it matters little to any but ourselves
how long We remain here. 1t is natu-
raj for the loving parent to do every
thing for his child and require moth
idg in return. but the sooner the child
is taught to deny himself in order to
serve others, his parents. his brothers
and sisters, the more certainly will
whatever is noble in him be developed.
We are all selfish enough, and there
are very few who are not improved by
having their impulses of benevolence
stimulated.
| The habit of improving ones time
/ is of Importance that can hardly be
over-estimated. Not that children
should work all the time, but that they
should spend very few hours in mere
idlencss and time-killing. One occu-
patton should succeed another, so as
to give due variety and exercise the
mental and bodily powers in harmony.
| Idle children are apt to make idle
grown folks, and there are too many
drones in society for its good, as we all
know.
The last habit we will mention is
that of perseverance. Life, from be-
ginning to end, is full of obstacles to
/ be solved, of mountains to be tunnel
ed and valleys to be filled up, and we
can hardly begin too soon our endeav-
ors to master destinity. He that over
comes in little will overcome in much.
A child should not be given task be-
vond his powers, but within that limit
! he should be required to do what is as
! signed him. The stimulus of praise OF
reward will often be sufficient to Sc.
cure the performance of given labor
though the pain of censure may some
times be necessary.