The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-02-08
From the chronological Journal
To the Boys and Girls-Habit.

10 the BOYS ana dlrS-haDlt.
i wish to speak to you about habit, for
1t is sort Of account book or register
within us that puts down every word aud
deed and thought we do, and means to
tell on US at the Judgment Day" 10 say
nothing Of the time coming when every
person will understand Phrenology, and
will be able to read all our habits in our
faces and figures, just as you
read an open book. 10 will not be pleas
ant then to have anything wicked or ug-
ly or silly in our account book; and
will tell you something about keeping
this register" straight 1t is much east
er than one would suppose. a deal easier
than getting il wrong, for when a child
does very badly, everybody dislikes him,
and he gets all in tangle. But il he is
the right sort Of a child, everybody loves
him, and his life is plain sailing.
just being accustomed to doing a
thing, whether right OF wrong. makes il
easier to do so do not be discouraged
when you try to exchange a naughty
habit for a good one; the one you give up
you will learn to dislike, the one you try
to adopt will gyow easier all the time. .un-
til you can not tell il from your nature;
il will seem a part Of you. while the
same is true Of an evil habit. II you
should to-day pick up storytelling, steal
ing, irritability, or any bad way OF acting
and persevere in il, il would soon be 50
easy to do that you could scarcely keep
from it-but how dangerous and dis
GRACEFUL
will give you some instances Of hand.
some boys and girls who spoiled their
good looks just through habits / knew
pretty little girl who had a rosebud Of
q mouth, but who formed a habit Of twis-
ting and pulling at her lower lip. The
more her mamma checked her about IL,
the more she seemed to persist in IT, She
is just grown now, and people often say.
"She would be handsome girl IL she
had not such a thick lower lip You
see there are little muscles about the
mouth that grow larger with use; IL you
continue TO use the mouth OF any other
feature-the eyes or nose, too-in a
wrong way while you are young, il will
become distorted and out OF shape.
once saw q boy Of about eleven com
ing toward me on the sidewalk, and he
had a most horrid nose. The tip Of his
nose had gone up and the bridge Of il in,
so that the entire nostrils showed As
plainly as his eyes; and though he had
good eyes and mouth, he was very ugly.
A was just nc hin nOk nANt
some habit that had ruined that nose.
While was pondering he. meaning to
wipe his nose, took n swipe-I can not
call IL anything else-right up his nose.
with such force il would have laid a re-
spectacle nose for the time being in the
same shape as his. Now, If he had had
that habit for even few years, as i have
no doubt he did, IL was enough to ac-
count for the ugliness Of that feature;
for remember, the nose is mostly Of girls
tie. or very tender bone, and can be
spoiled with q rude way Of handling H.
Many children have some ugly practices
with the nose, which thickens IL, turns
il up, or spreads the nostrils. Holding
the face habitually in a sullen, pouty,
dogged, or spiteful way will throw that
cast over the countenance, and il is de
cidedly ugly But sullen, pouty, dogged,
or spiteful habits make one that has
them show themselves in his eounte-
nance before a body knows il. and don't
know Of any way OF getting rid Of these
bad expressions in the face except by
laying aside the disagreeable ways that
make them, and taking place OF them
cheerful obedience and respect to par
ents and teachers, even IL we can not see
the good Of il. My word for il you will
see the good OF it when you are grown,
and be a happier, more pleasant-faced
boy or giI all through childhood.
We can not put on a sweet face when
there is a bad, williul heart behind IL, or
hypocrisy, a worse expression, comes
through.
In this paper want to speak Of some
habits that spoil the figure. How we all
admire boy or girl. gentleman or lady.
with a straight figure, broad chest, erect
head, graceful walk, and the health that
accompanies thesel Now, let me tell you
what will prevent you from acquiring
them, or spoil them even IL you already
have them Children in town are not 90
liable to spoil them as country children,
because their teachers remind them
about il 50 often, but wherever / have
been in the country this is more or less
what see among nine-tenths Of the
children: shoulder blades out at the
back, / was going TO say like wings; n
hollow where the chest ought TO be-
chin nearly on the breast, and TIE stom-
ach thus thrown out SO as to make bus
tie before them. This position, Of course
puts the limbs away-in fact. they are
generally carried too far apart, and their
/ toes in. Could you imagine any attitude
more uneasy and ungraceiul and vet
| they really have held it 30 long that II is
easier to them than a change. But
teacher can soon drill them into shape
by initiating it, and showing how ugly it
/ is, and then by reminding them constant
/ ly to straighten the shoulders, hold the
chin up toes out, etc, until they outgrow
/ the habit and look as nice as other chill
dren. Simply STOPPING posture, that
| is, bending forward at the shoulders,
/ throws the figure out Of shape from head
/ 10 feet and continuing the practice
makes the muscles and bones grow in
/ that shape until il is very difficult to
/ overcome it, shall have more to tell
you another time.
KATE KAVANAGH.
The Judge was very fond Of quoting