Evening journal., 1900-03-03
WASHINGTOOHH'S S GOOD ADVICE
LETTER WRITTEN TO HIS
NEPHEW IN 179S.
ADVISED HIM TO GO INTO THE
BEST COMPANY AND ASSUME
THE DIGNIFIED MANNERS OF A
MAN.
MAN


)f the first president.
Washington was noted for his ad-
iresses made not only in public but in
private life. Perhaps no words utter
ed by Washington were more forcible
nor are more worthy Of consideration
than those contained in the following
letter written in 1889 to his nephew,
George Steptoe Washington, son of his
brother. Colonel Samuel Washington,
in which that young man is given ad-
vice than can be read today with pro-
fit by every youth living in the coun-
try whose existence Washington made
possible.
The letter read as follows:
Mount Vernon, 23rd March, 1898.
Dear George: AS It is probable
shall soon be under the necessity of
quitting this place and entering once
more into the hustle of publick life,
in conformity to the voice of my coun-
try and the earnest entreaties of my
friends. however contrary it is to my
own desires or inclinations, / think it
incumbent on me as your uncle and
friend to give you some advising hints, |
which, If properly attended to, will, 1
conceive, be found very useful to you
you respectability not only at present
but through every period Of life.
You have now arrived at that age
when you must quit the trihing amuse-
ments of a boy, and assume the more
dignifed manners of a man. At this
crisis your conduct will attract the no.
tice Of those who are about you, and as
the first impressions are generally the
most lasting, your doing now may
mark the leading traits of your char
acter through life. 1t is therefore ab-
sOlutely necessary, II you mean to
make any figure upon the stage of life.
that you should take the first step
right. What these steps are and what
general life is to be pursued to lay the
foundation Of a happy and honorable
progress, is the part of age and ex-
perience to point out This l shall
do as far as in my power, with the
utmost cheerfulness. and l trust that
your own good sense will show you the
necessity Of following it.
The first and great object with you
at present is to acquire by industry
and application such knowledge as your
situation enables you to obtain and as
will be useful to you in life. In doing
this, two other important objects will
be gained besides the requirement Of
! knowledge, namely, a habit of indus
try and disrelish of that profusIon OF
money and dissipation Of time which
are ever attended upon idleness. l dc
u not mean close application to your
studies; that yau should never enter
into the amusement which are suited
to your age and station. They may
be made to go hand in hand with each
other, and used in their proper sea
sons will be found to be mutual assis-
tance to each other. But what amuse.
ments are to be taken and what is the
greatm after to be attended to? Your
own judgment, with advice of your
/, real friends, who may have an op-
-lportunity Of a personal intercourse with
!. you, can point out the particular man.
ner in which you may best spend your
moments of relaxation much better
, than / can at a distance One thing
! however. would strongly impress upon
+ you, namely, when you have leisure tC
go into company that it always should
( be of the best kind that the place you
are in will afford By this means yor
will be constantly improving your
manners and cultivating your MIND
{ while you are relaxing from youl
books, and good company will alway:
} be found much less expensive than bad
You canot afford as an excuse fol
not using it that you cannot gain ad
= mission there. or that you have not Z
) proper attention paid you in it. This
{ is an apology made only by thosl
= whose manners are disgusting or who's,
character is exceptionable, neither o
which I hope will ever be said of you
l cannot enjoin too strongly upon y0l
a due observance Of economy and fru
gality AS you will know yourself, tn
{ present state of your property and fl
} naces will not admit of any unnecess
ary expense.
The article of clothing is now oni
of the chief expenses you will incur
and in this fear you are not so eco
nomical as you should be. Decency an,
cleanliness Will always be the first oh
:, jects in the dress of a judicious an,
sensible man. A conformity to tn
prevailing fashion in a certain degre
is necessary, but it does not follow
from thence that a man should Away
=, get a new coat or other clothes upOl
I trifling change in the mode, when per
u haps he has two or three very gOOl
ones by him. A person who is anxiOu
: to be a leader of the fashion or one o
, the first to follow it will certainly ap
pear in the eyes of judicious men L
have nothing better than frequen
. change of dress to recommend him T.
/. notice. I would wish you to appea
= sufficiently decent to entitle you 10 ad
mission into any company where yoi
may be. / cannot too strongly enjoil
: 1t upon you, and your knowledge mus
. convince you of the truth of it-tha
y you should be as little expensive il
. this object as you properly can; yo
should always keep some clothes t
wear to church or on particular Occa
n sions which should not be worn ever
= day. This case can be done without an
u additional expense, for whenever It
=, necessary to get new clothes thos
: which have been kept for particular CO
g casions will then come in as everyda
= = clothes, unless they should be a su
. perior quality of the new What
have said with respect TO clothes Wi
amply DerhapS moro nOintQdlV 10 Law