Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-10-04
How to Keep a Journal.

Autumn is as good time as any for a
boy or girl to begin to keep a journal. Too
many have the idea that it is hard and un-
profitable task TO keep journal, and especial
ly is this the case with those who have begun,
but soon gave up the experiment. They
think it is a waste of time, and that no good
results from it, But that depends upon the
kind of journal that you keep. Everybody
has heard of the boy who thought he would
try to keep diary. He bought book and
wrote in it the first day, Decided to keep a
journal" The next day he wrote, Got up,
washed, and went to bed" The day after, he
wrote the same thing, and no wonder that at
the end of a week he wrote, Decided not TO
keep a journal" and gave up the experiment.
1t is such an attempt as this by persons who
have no idea of what n journal is, or how to
keep it, that discOurages others from begin
ming. But it is not hard 10 keep a journal if
you begin the right way, and will use a little
perseverance, and patience The time spent
in writing in a journal is not wasted, by any
means 1t may be the best employed hour
of any in the day and a well-kept journal is a
source of pleasure and advantage which more
than repays the writer for the time and troub-
le spent upon it.
The first thing to do in beginning a journal,
is to resolve to stick to it. Don't begin and
let the poor Journal die in n week. A journal,
or diary should be written in eUery day, if
possible Now, don't be frightened at ;his,
for you do great many things every day,
and this isn't a very awful condition. The
time spent may be longer or shorter accord
ing to the matter to be written up; but try
and write mt least a little, every day. "Nuild
dies sine ined'-no day without a line-is a
good motto. 1t is a great deal easier to write
little every day than to write up several
days i'm one
Do not get for journal a book with the
dates already printed in it. That kind will
do very well for II merchants notebook, but
not for the young man or woman who wants
10 keep live. cheerful account of a happy
and pleasant life. Sometimes you will have a
picnic or excursion to write about, and will
want to fill more space than the printed page
allows. Buy a substantially bound blank
book, made of good paper; write your name
and address plainly on the fly-leaf, and, if you
choose, paste a calendar inside the cover.
Set down the date at the head of the first
page, thus: Tuesday, October l, 1878.
Then begin the record of the day, endeavor-
ing as far as possible TO mention the events in
the correct order of time, morning, after
noon and evening. When this is done, write
in the middle of the page, "Wednesday, DC
tober p" and you are ready for the record of
| the next day. 1t is well to set down the yeal
at the top of each page.
But what are You to write about? First,
the weather Don't forget this Write, Gold
and windy" or Warm and bright, "as the case
may be. II takes but moment, and in a few
years you will have complete record of the
weather, which will be found not only curl
Gus, but useful.
Then put down the letters you have reoeiv.
ed or written, and, if you wish, any money
paid or received. The day of beginning OF
leaving school the studies you pursue Wis,
its from or to your friends pienics or sleigh,
rides the books you have read and all
such items of interest should be noted. Write
anything that you want to remember. After
trying this plan short time. you will be sur.
prised at the many things constantly occur
ring which you used TO overlook. but which
now form pleasant paragraphs in your book