Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-15
w ashington s Copy.
book


laugh at and laugh over you are
building character each day? the
sentences you write in your copy
books the maxims you learn at home,
the songs you sing, the stories you
tell, all are making or marrlng your
character. 1t was the good things in
Washngtons youth that made him
first in all he undertook.
! AS young boy one of his tasks was
to copy neatly in an exercise book
"One Hundred and Ten rules Of Civil
ity and Decent Behavior in Company
and Conversation" Many of these
rules We're such that we might laugh
at in these modern days, but Washing
ton made good use of them. Fortu-
nately his exercise-books have been
preserved, and they show clearly that
he wrote these rules not merely as a
hated, hurried task, but that he took
pleasure in making ornamental let
: tiers; and the neatness of his copy
book leads one to believe that each
maxim made its impression on his
young mind.
, Evidently he was trying to fit him
self to manage a plantation which he
felt would be his some day. He did
not then know that greater things
waited for him. In the meantime he
improved his opportunities by doing
we'll the little tasks.
Many of these one hundred and ten
rules were no doubt forgotten and dis
carded in after life, but there were at
least three which he never forgot and
which helped to make him the great
man that he afterward became. One
was, Labor to keep alive in your
breast that little spark of celestial fire
called science; another, Show not
yourself glad at the misfortunes of an
other though he be your enemy; an
other, Undertake not what you cannot
perform, and be careful to keep your
promise.
There is a story which proves his
governing spirit and his spirit Of
truthfulness. His mother owned an
extremely spirited, blooded sorrel,
which every one pronounced too vi
cious to ride. Young George was de-
termined to ride this colt, so early one
morning, taking his companions into
the field, he told them that if they
would catch the sorrel, he would do
the rest. No sooner was he mounted,
than the animal began to rear madly,
and plunge across the field. Washing
tons young companions were fright
ened, and pleaded with him to give up,
but he kept his seat. never once losing
his self-control or the mastery of the
colt. Suddenly the young sorrel, de-
termined to be rid Of it's rider violent
ly leaped into the air, and in so doing
burst blood vessel, and fell dead.
Just then the boys were called to
breakfast Washington's mother who
was fond of her horses, asked the
boys about her spirited colt the first
thing. They looked at one another,
afraid to speak, for they knew how
grieyed she would be, but her son
said: "The sorrel is dead. l killed
him." Then, regardless of his moth
er's flushed, angry face, he told the
whole story, not sparing himself And
so, in all his athletic youth, in all his
fiery manhood, regardless of high
temper, while controlling and manaS-
ing others, he always kept the celes-
tial fire of conscience alive in his
breast.
As he grew older and climbed the
ladder of military fame, one rung az
ter another, it was his strength OF
power and will, his forceful sticking
to it, and yet withal his not showing
himself glad at the misfortunes OF
others, even though they were his en-
emies, that made him First in war;
After the war was over it was the
same celestial fire kept burning in his
breast that made the people recognize
in him a leader for peaceful times as
we'll as for times of warfare, and so
he became First in peace" 1t was
likewise this celestial fire in the noble
first President of our land, who stood
for the people, who never undertook
what he could not perform. and who
when he did promise anything was
careful to keep that promise,-it was
this fire that through his leadership of
the new nation, made him First in
the hearts of his countrymen. Edna
Croft Delhi, in Queens Gardens.