Familiar letters to young men on various subjects

Front matter

ALCOTT'S NEW SERIES.

FAMILIAR LETTERS

TO

Letter I. Preliminary Remarks

The Author's Apology — Young Men do not aim high enough — Responsibilities of the Young Men of America— Their peculiar situation — Young men the rulers of our land — The tendencies of the Arts and Sciences, and of Civilization, . . . .13

Letter II. Self-respect And Self-reverence

Another Apology— What Addison has said— Hint from History— Sublime heights to which Young Men might attain — Appeal, . . 22

Letter III. Self-knowledge

Self-Knowledge greatly facilitated by Self-Reverence— What Watts says— Some of the evils of Self-Ignorance— Our threefold nature — Apology for the condition of the young at present — Erroneous education — An elegant extract — Another appeal — Aids to self-knowledge—The Bible an important one, . . . . .28

SELF-INSTRUCTION.

The Keys of knowledge — A comparison— The Ancient Athenians- Anecdotes of Self-Instructed Young Men — Young Men have time and means— Errors in regard to reading— Reading at late hours, 71

Letter VIII. Light Reading

Definition of Terms — Reading by Snatches — Newspaper Reading — Reading in fragments — Facts — Depraved taste — Caution required — Right and duty of choice — History and Geography recommended to Young Men— Why— Particular examples, . . . .78

Letter IX. Correct Conversation

The study of Grammar a failure— Examples— How to acquire the habit of correct conversation— Writing— Composing— Grammar afterward, . . . . . . . .90

Letter X. The Schools

The author not an enemy of schools— Proofs adduced— Defects of the schools — What they might become — Young Men exhorted not to forsake them, but to make them better, . . .97

CONTENTS. 7

LETTER XL

THE LOVE AND SPIRIT OF PROGRESS.

Not taught in the schools— Hungering and thirsting for Progress — Mere knowledge — A mother — Quotation from Burgh — Value of this trait in human character—A charge to the young, . . 103

LETTER XII. LOVE of inquiry; or, free-thinking

Definition of terms— Free-thinking not the same as skepticism— Lord Bacon's remark — An anecdote — Exhortation to Young Men — John Robinson's remarkable advice to the Puritans— What books and men are to be avoided— Anecdote of one of Paine's books— Reflections, . . . . . . . . .11

LETTER XIH.

RIGHT USE OF OURSELVES.

Knowing ourselves— How ignorant we are of ourselves— Greater ignorance than this — What it is — Examples of Self-Ignorance — Transforming power of a right knowledge of ourselves, . . 118

Letter XIV. Physiology

What I mean by Physiology — Public prejudices against it— How these prejudices are best met — What Young Men are to do in this matter — Lectures — Books — Right use of Lectures— Consequences — immediate and remote — of examining this subject, . . .152

Letter XV. Phrenology

Popular interrogatories— The writer's reply— Phrenology recommended — Every thing to be made practical — Open to conviction — My own observation and experience— Effects of Physiology and Phrenology on society, . . . . . . .133 b CONTENTS.

Letter XVI. Physiognomy

The term Physiognomy— My experience once more— Results— Anecdotes—The human face an index of the soul, . . .183

Letter XVII. Travelling

Fondness of Young Men for Travelling — Modes of Travel which are unprofitable — Note on cigars and cigar smoking — Right use of Travelling— Rules — Travel with your eyes open — With memorandum book and pencil — On sketching objects — Relating what we have seen— Reading while travelling— Walking— Eminent walkers — Cautions — My own experience — Anecdote of Mr. Woodbridge, 141

Letter XVIII. Conscientiousness

Is there much Conscientiousness in the world— Cases of conscience — Conscience in daily life — What to be Conscientious about — Anecdote of an Errorist — W T hat Reason says— What Revelation — Mistakes of Christians— Reflections, ..... 151

Letter XIX. Love Of Excitement

What I mean by excitement — Universal fondness for it — Voice of experience— How far experience will go— One general direction — And one general law— Facts or proofs on which that law is based — Appeal to Young Men on behalf of Temperance, . . .168

Letter XX. On Purity

An anecdote— Paley and Timothy on Purity— Paul to the Romans — Eastern notions generally — The punishment of impurity — Its varied forms — Punishment of impurity hereafter — Our Saviour's views— Sources of impurity — 1. Too much heat, external and internal— 2. Undue mental excitement— 3. Impurity itself— What Young Men of twenty-five ought to know— Evils of bad associates, 169

CONTENTS. VJ

LETTER XXL

MODELS AND MODEL CHARACTER.

Study of Biography — Young Men imitative — How Biography may be useful to them— Anecdotes for illustration— Opinions of Rush and Franklin — Jesus Christ the great model man, . . . 180

Letter XXII. Decision And Firmness

John Foster on Decision — Extracts from Mudie — Examples of Decision of Character — Napoleon — Ledyard — Washington — General remarks, . . . . . . . . .187

Letter XXIII. Setting Up In Business

Setting up too early in life— Its consequences— Pecuniary loss— Effects

on the health — Pres. Humphrey's views — Anecdote of young I

of Boston — Reasoning with Young Men on the subject — Hasty estimates of our yearly loss, ...... 191

Letter XXIV. Money-getting

Every Young Man may be a Girard or an Astor— Love and hatred of money — Extremes— How far the love of money should influence us — The gospel principle of doing business illustrated — Our Saviour the great example, ....... 203

Letter XXV. Pleasure Seeking

All (the young included) seek happiness— Holiness before happiness — Young Men should make holiness the road to happiness— Error of the young — Evils of saying, I don't care, .... 211

Letter XXVI. Mental Excitants

Meaning of my terms— Character of many modern libraries— Novels — Licentious publications— Some of our bookstores in fault— Counsels to the young on excitement, - 219

10 CONTENTS.

Letter XXVII. Respect For Age

Recollections of tne past ; at the family ; at the schoolroom ; at college ; at the sanctuary— The present contrasted with the past— Extremes to be avoided — In general obey the customs of society — Young Men cautioned — The dangerous season — Divine Providence to be heeded— Counsels of age, . . . . 229

Letter XXVIII. Duties To The Aged

The old to be regarded as relics of a past age — Reasons why — The young apt to slight the old — A general rule — Violations of this rule — What I have seen — How the old may benefit the young — The young should avail themselves of their assistance — A difficulty — How met and overcome — Allusion to the spirit of insubordination in modern times, ....... 243

Letter XXIX. Politics And Political Duties

Scylla and Charybdis — The blusterer — Want of conscientiousness in this matter— This a great error in politics— Exalted privilege of Deing an American young man — Duty it involves — Duty of understanding one's own country— Redeeming our time— Error in reading, 252

Letter XXX. Female Society

Man not a solitary being— Destined to conjugal life— Mutual Influence of the sexes — Appeal to Young Men — Wrong impressions corrected —The Terra del Fuego of human life— Moral lessons and reflections, . . . . . . . . . 262

Letter XXXI. General Duty Of Marriage

Matrimony a duty— At what age— Man hardly free in this respect- Motives to this duty— Common excuses for neglecting it — These excuses met — Adaptation of character — Particular remarks concerning age, . . . . . . . . .271

CONTENTS. 11

Letter XXXII. Religion And Skepticism

The young apt to be skeptical— Healthy tendency of Religion— Repentance healthy— So is Faith— Skepticism unfavorable to health and longevity— The proof— Health of our Saviour and of Paul, 283

Letter XXXIII. The Christian Religion

" Belief safe " — Is it so — Error exposed — Religion to be sustained by facts and evidence — One evidence of its truth, that it is favorable to health— Objections to this view considered, .... 294