The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-04-25
Our Young People
BY REV. R. H. RIVERS, D. D.
Habit Continued.
LESSON TENTH,

it day after day I inquired of his
owner why the mule went those
rounds. He said that for months he
had been in the habit of treading
mortar for bricks; that he was very
regular and usually put him to work
about ten O'clock each day. "And
now," said he, ''that l am done, he
commences regularly as though he
were in the mortar bed, and con-
tinues it for an hour or two daily.
The truth was, that the mule had
gotten in the habit of treading NOR
tar until he was at his business on
dry land where no mortar was. You
have often heard it said that "you
cannot teach an old dog new tricks.
The elephant learns to dance thus
A large piece of ground is heated
by burning logs upon it. The ele-
plant is placed upon this heated
spot and at the same time a fiddle
begins to play. The elephant be-
gins to dance because the earth is
SO hot that he cannot stand still.
This is repeated daily for long
time. When at last the elephant is
brought out and the music begins.
the earth has not been heated, and
yet the elephant dances. He has
formed the habit of associafing the
fiddle with the dance, and he dances
from habit. So human being can
learn to associate certain sounds
with the dance, and will feel like
dancing whenever such sounds are
heard. When 1 was a boy | saw a
man drink gill of laudanum. 1t
would have killed an ordinary man.
He did not appear to feel it, because
he had been in the habit of drink
ing laudanum for a long time.
A great many years ago there was
a man in one of our large cities who
wrote poetry and essays of different
kinds. He used the most beautiful
language and employed the finest
imagery. He was much admired by
the young. He became fond of
drinking whisky. He loved it. He
thirsted for it. 1t made him drunk;
he fell on the streets. He lay
senseless on the side walks. He
took the pledge to drink no more,
and still he drank. At last he put
himself in Jail, where no brandy
could be obtained, and his thirst
became so great for it that he said,
"If a loaded cannon were between
me and whisky l would go before
its open mouth and run the risk of
being killed just to drink one glass
of brandy" Such was the force of
habit with that wonderful genius.
Twill give you another example.
There is old Jim Topper. He and l
were boys together. He was as
bright and happy a boy as you ever
knew. He was full of fun. He
was generous. He was noble. He
loved play and delighted to enjoy
him self with his playmates. He
stood at the head of his class. His
father was rich man, and lived on
the fat of the land. He had a dis
tillery; he took his dram in the
his grog at noon and egg
nog every Christmas. Jim drank
with his father. The old man would
leave a little in the bottom of the
tumbler every morning and Jim
would drink. Then he would say,
''Pa, leave a little more, it is 80
good;" and thus he went on, until
his father died and left him his still
house and farm. He was rich. He
drank more and more, until he be-
came a drunkard. He married.
He had children. He spent his
his wife died of a broken
heart; his children were sent to the
poor house, and he went down lower
and lower. Everybody knows old
Jim Topper. He is in rags. He is
miserable, and yet if
you were to give him dime to day
ne would spend it for whisky. He
formed a habit, and now the habit
rules him. He Is gonel He will
soon die and be buried in the pot
5er's field. 1t is terrible for a man
20 form such habit. 1t is as
though he had an iron collar around
ais neck, and iron chains on his
'eet. How you would pity a man
hat was so burdened; that day and |
light had to wear his collar and his
,hain. You ask, "Who put that |
collar on him?" 1 tell you he put |
t on himself. "Who7fastened those
chains around his feet2" He did it !
himself. "Why does he not take
hem off?'' He has no power. He
,annot break his manacles. Day |
md night he wears them. They |
.hafe him; they COW him; they |
make him feel ashamed, and he
wants to get rid OF them, but he has
10 power. Such is the condition
# the man that has formed a bad
labit. He wears that habit as a
nan wears a chain which he cannot
freak.
l once heard a pupil of mine
wear, and | went up to him and
aid, "My dear boy, l am sorry to
ear you take the name of God in
ain" "0h,p said he, Il cannot
reak off the habit. My father
aught me to swear when / was a
title boy, and now that 1 see how
yrong it is, cannot help it" Poor
10Y! he was slave to a habit as
polish as it was wicked. 1t is no
Reuse for sin that you have gotten
nto the habit of SHINING. Suppose
murderer or a roboer were to
lead he had formed the habit of
numbering or robbing, so that he
ould not avoid committing the
rhine, would not the judge and jury
ang such a man. You know he
Tould be hanged or be sent to the
enitentiary for life, or he ought to
e. Seeing then what a terrible
hing an evil habit is, / desire to
i've you certain rules which you
aust be sure to follow, and then
on will never De slaves to bad
abits:
1. Never do a wrong thing. New
r begin a downward course. Keep
II the commandments. Shun the
rst step in sin. Drink no liquor.
ell no falsehoods. Speak no BIAS
henry. Keep no bad company.
ay no vulgar words. Read no bad
ooks. Go not in the ways OF sin
nd death.