The record-union., 1893-03-25
HABITS OF LIFE.
Rev. Dr.. Horner Delivers an interest
ing Address.
The First Time That Jewish Pulpit
Has Been Filled With Pastor
of Another Faith.

-ANo4 NL4C dlSEOuI SC VI IAEN. L. y. IlOlIGI
on the subject of Habits" The Rev.
Mr.. Horner was invited to deliver the
address by Rabbi Levy, who several
weeks ago occupied the pulpit in the
Unitarian Church
The musical part of the programme
vast most beautifully rendered, and was
thoroughly appreciated. The programme
was under the direction of Professor
Kinross, and the choir consisted of the
Professor, Richard Cohn, Mrs. Hawley
and Mrs. Ross.
In opening his discourse the Rev. Mr..
Horner commented on the brotherly feel
ing existing between the Unitarian min
lister and the Jewish rabbi in this city, and
said II is prophesy of that happy time
yet to come in this world when sect and
race lines will be Obliterated, and all
shall come to know each other as children
of one common Father. Then the prayer
OF the peasant prophet of Galilee viii be
answered: That they all may be one; as
thou, Father, art in me, and | in thee.
That they may be one, even as
we are one."
In d few remarks Mr.. Horner spoke OF
his regret that Mr.. Levy was so soon to
leave the city, as then he would stand
alone, unrecognized by any other re-
4iBADuS lCeitltI III llle CITY ulllbSS dAOIHeT
rabbi could be secured whose mind was
as well furnished and as liberal in senti-
ment as was that of Mr.. Levy.
After speaking of the kindness shown
him by both the rabbi and his people,
kindness that had not been duplicated by
any Of the Christian denominations rep
resented in the city, the speaker
stance in history, to his knowledge,
that a minister of another denom-
lnation had been asked to speak in
synagogue at the time of the regular jew
lsh service. AS an epoch in the history
OF Judaism it is worthy taking note of,
he said. Turning then to his theme, the
speaker said, in part:
Habit is the balance wheel of life.
Were It not for the momentum given to us
by habit we would forever be standing
still, undecided which way to turn.
The basis OF this principle is found in
the laws that govern the atom, the foun-
dation Of the inorganic world.
Now it may seem far-fetched to COM
pare our modes of thought to the actions
OF atoms in the inorganic world, but we
are compelled TO do so by the facts of life
While our nervous system is plastic to a
high degree, 1t is yet composed of mate
rial atoms subject to the laws that gov
ern matter.
Now while the actions of animals are
automatic-that is, are established at
birth and work like machinery, man is
born with tendency to do more things
than he has ready-made arrangements
for doing in his nervous centers, and
hence has to educate his nerves by long
and often painful study and drill.
."Beginning with the effort to stand
erect his education stops only at death:
but as fast as he brings his body under
the control Of habit he can give his active
attention to other things. Thus habit
dIminishes the necessity of conscious at
tention and simplifies the movements
necessary to the accomplishment of
given result. II it were as difficult for US
as for a child to dress itself we would not
have time for anything else in life.
I'VE have all noticed how beginner
works at a piano lesson. Not only the
finger presses down the key, but the
whole body bends to its effort But soon
a channel is cut directly from the brain to
the finger through the atoms of the motor
nerves and the thought prompted by the
sight of the note on the page contracts
the muscles of the finger only, and after
q time sight is all that is required to play
through a cataract of notes accurately
while carrying on an animated conversa-
ton.
80 firmly do these channels become
fixed in the nervous system that when
not used for years and suddenly re-
quired they are found not to fail us. The
art of swimming once acquired is never
forgotten So with skating. and so with
almost everything in life.
Robert HOudin once learned to keen
several balls in the air and read at the
same time. He tells us that thirty years
aiterward ne tried it and found that he
could do it then.
Huxley tells a story of an old soldier.
who, having for years worked in a
factory, was walking along with his din
ner in his hand when some wag called
ont Attention. So quickly did his hands
come down to his sides that his dinner
went into the gutter.
''rhe Duke of Wellington once said:
Habit, second nature? Habit is ten
times nature
And the degree to which this is true
can be attested by every veteran soldier,
Thus you see habit is the great balance
wheel of life; the conservation of energy:
the stimulation of progress in direct lines:
the very foundation OF moral character
Habit is the great preserver of peace
among the peoples OF a nation. 1t pre-
vents the envy and jealousy of the poor
and unfortunate from breaking out in
riot and rebellion TO better their condi-
ton. 1t keeps the soldier at his post of
duty, the sailor among the shrouds of his
vessel, and the countryman on his lonely
farm through the long winter months.
1t molds the negro 10 the conditions of
the Torrid Zone, and cougeals the char
acter of the EsquimauX in the far north.
1t prevents the mixture of races and
classes and saves civilization from the
incursions of the barbarians.
SLOWLY but surely the red man fades
and shrinks away from the face of civil
ization, because his habits cannot change.
The revolutions of a century have failed
to make good republicans of Frenchmen
because the habits OF the monarchy were
bred in the bone.
over quarter of a century has failed
to make good citizens of the slaves of the
South. The habits of their previous con-
dition accounts for their condition of NOM
lnal servitude to-day. The world has not
ceased to wonder why they did not rise
and deluge the South with blood during
the rebellion; but habit accounts for ii,
The slaves OF the master were equally the
slaves of the mistress in his absence.
Habit dooms us all to fight out the battle
OF life upon the lines nature or early
training established for US.
Already, at the age of So the young
doctor or lawyer or minister is distin-
guished from other men by the manner
isms OF his profession, and it is vain for him
10 try 10 appear other than he is. Three
Young minister's dressed in outing suits
were once surprised, as they left the train
in a New Hampshire village, to hear a
small boy call out 10 another to see those
fellows trying to let on they are not min
isters.'
ION the whole, it is better for us all
that by the age of 80 the character is set
like plaster, never to soften again. Sell
dom can youth of 20, transferred to the
society of his betters. overcome the asso-
Citations of his growing years, and, regard
less OF the amount eff money at his COM
mand, it is impossible for him to dress
ana act the gentleman-born.
'The lesson in all this, then, is to make
habit our servant instead of our master,
and, as Professor James of Harvard has