Beaten paths; or, Lessons in living

Introduction

Life is a leaf of paper white Whereon each one of us may write His word or two, and then comes night.

Though thou have time But for a line, be that sublime, — Not failure, but low aim, is crime."

— Lowell.

HE Art of Living has been called the finest of the fine arts. Statues, pictures, and poems may exercise an uplifting ministry, but those lives in which strength and beauty find expression, far outrank them in the power of communicating inspiration and delight. He that lives nobly creates a masterpiece for the admiration and instruction of the world.

This art of living is old as the race, as old as eternity. It is the primal art of Heaven. Long before men had begun to make experiments in architecture, painting, and music, they were learning how to live. The presumption is that by this time there is but little room for new discoveries. The laws of living are as clearly defined and as unchangeable as the laws of perspective, of color, or of sound. He that would

4 be a Yen pa ths.

live wisely must be scrupulous in observing them.

The object of this volume is to set forth the leading principles on which success in living depends. It aims to point out those beaten paths along which, for countless generations, men have sought and found prosperity both temporal and spiritual. In the carrying out of this purpose much use has necessarily been made of the precepts and example of others. There is no hero of the world whose life is not rich in lessons ; nor is there any writer on ethical themes who has not left some words worthy of our study. While so many unite in commending the travelled highways that lead to success in life, it is hoped that the addition of another voice to the company will not weaken the point and emphasis of their teaching.

May this book prove helpful to all who would be artists in living! May it aid in the formation of higher ideals and more earnest purposes in all to whom its message shall come ! May it bring inspiration to the young, strength to the toiling, and comfort and hope to those whose tale of years is well nigh told !

Contents

i.

YOUTH.

Critical Importance of Youth — Its Essential Characteristic — Restlessness — Working Energy of the Young — Historical Examples — Ambition of Youth — Necessity of Hard Work — Law in Life — Dreams of Youth — Beaten Paths to Success — Conceit, its Cause and Cure — Desire of Approbation — Impulsiveness of the Young — Cultivation of the Judgment — Nobler Impulses of the Heart — Responsibility of the Young 19

II. Success

Function of Ambition — Three Mistakes concerning Success — That It Consists in Beating Others — That It Consists in Wealth — That It Consists in Popularity or Fame — Success Consists in Following the Ideal — Four Elements in the Ideal : Intelligence, Happiness, Righteousness, Usefulness — No Man Perfectly Successful — Degree of Success Dependent on Heredity, Circumstances, Free Will — On Doing Our Best — The Art of Living ... 38

III. The Battle Of Life

Life a Battle— Enemies of Health — Two-fold Character

of Nature — Civilization Won by Struggle — Pursuit j

of Knowledge under Difficulties — Enemies of Happiness — Temptation and Virtue — Men who Have Risen — Disraeli — Power of Overcoming Difficulties — Will — Leaders of Men — Martin Luther — Defeat Disgraceful — Choice and Effort — The Battle Hymn of Life 64

IV. Health

Lessons of Experience — Advantages of Health — Health and Success — Historical Examples and Exceptions — Health and Energy — Health and Happiness — Health and Morals — Training of Israel — Muscular Christianity — Conditions of Health: Cleanliness, Food, Air, Light, Sleep, Exercise, Recreation — Every Man a Law unto Himself — Healthfulness a Duty " 87

V. Brains

Mind More Important than Body — Power of the Intellect — Christianity a Religion of Intelligence — This Age Marked by Brains — Housekeeping; Dress; Machinery — Brains in Business — Brains Estimated by the Money-Standard — Brains in Social Life — Prejudices — The Unenlightened Conscience — An Intelligent Piety — Happiness in the Intellectual Life — Advantages of a Liberal Education HO

CONTENTS. 7

VI. Habits

Man a Bundle of Habits — Meaning of Habit — Habit a Second Nature — Two Classes of Habits — Strength of Bad Habits — A Dangerous Experiment — How to Get Rid of Bad Habits — Habit not an End in Itself — Various Services Rendered by Habit — Difficulty of Forming Good Habits — Physical, Mental, Practical — Cheerfulness — Good Moral Habits — Immortality of Habit 133

VII. Dress

Dress Characteristic of Man — Assumed for Three Reasons : Modesty, Utility, Beauty — Immodest Garments — Exposure of the Face and Hands — Comfort — Interference with Nature — Beauty in Dress — Influence of Dress — Over-Ornamentation — Tyranny of Fashion — Vanity of the Male Sex — Extravagance in Dress — Dress as a Ruling Passion — Dress for the Sanctuary — Necessity of Higher Interests 152

VIII. Manners

Who is the Gentleman — Etymology of the Word — Evolution of the Gentleman — An Aristocratic Title in a Democratic Age — Misleading Marks of the Gentleman : Wealth, Dress, Leisure — Manners, their Growth and Utility — Airs and Affectations — Manners to be Developed from Within — Their Living Germ — Self-Respect — Respect for Others — Manners in the Home — Politeness — Importance of Trifles 175

IX. Self-culture

Two Educations Received by All — Self-Culture Peculiar to Man — Self-Culture in its Special Sense — What is Culture — Superficial Accomplishments — Two Marks of Culture — A Discriminating Intellectual Appetite — Love of the Truth — Quality and Quantity of the Intellectual Products — How to Attain Culture — Attention — Observation — Reading — Reflection — Writing and Conversation — Sovereignty of Mind . . 196

X. The Education Of The Will

Free-Will — Increasing Demands Made on the Will as Life Advances — Varying Degrees of Will-Power — Developed by Difficulty — Inherited Strength of Will — Hollanders — Poverty — Home-Training — School-Life — The Will Weakened by Indulgence — How to Develop the Will — Purpose — Determination — Decision — Energy — Perseverance — Success and Failure 21&

XL

TIME.

Time a River — Its Extent and Strength — Time Brings Opportunity — Opportunity Fleeting — Time Stern to Those who Slight Opportunity — Gracious to Those who Improve It — Time Necessary for Successful Work — Impatience of the Age — Knowledge, Business, Religion, Happiness, Demand Time — How to Co-operate with Time — Purpose— System — Punctuality — Dispatch — Value of Minutes — On Wasting Time — No End to Time 244

CONTENTS. 9

XII. A Small Fortune

Extreme Views concerning Money — Its Benefits and Disadvantages to Society — Relations of Wealth to the Individual — Wealth and Health — Wealth and Intelligence — Wealth and Morals — A Picture of Poverty — Wealth and Happiness — The Typical Millionaire — Limited Power of Money — Wealth Multiplies Wants — Wealth and Usefulness — Wealth a Letter of Introduction — Manhood More Precious than Money 270

XIII. Making And Spending

Dangers in the Love of Money — Teachings of Scripture — Trusting to Luck — Money to be Earned — Be More than a Money-Maker — Saving — Necessity of Self-Denial — Keeping up Appearances — Economy of Philanthropists — Expensive Habits — Great Accumulations through Small Savings — Profitable Investments — The Art of Spending — Spend Economically, Independently, Wisely, Unselfishly — Post-Mortem Benevolence 292

XIV. The Blessings Of Toil

Workers and Shirkers — Love of Work an Acquired Appetite — Dignity of Labor — True and False Contentment — Chance versus Toil — Misconceptions concerning Genius — Products of Toil — Toilers of History — Reflex Influence of Work — Health — Sanity of Mind — Freedom from Temptation — Business- Life a School for the Virtues — Work and Happiness — Religious /Aspects of Work 315

I O BE A TEN PA THS.

XV. Business-life

An Age of Specialists — Variety of Occupations — Choice of a Business — Natural Adaptation the Prime Qualification — Genius and Talent — Self- Knowledge — Consultation with Others — Providential Openings — Business a Service of Humanity — Enthusiasm — Concentration — Application — Thoroughness — Training — Method — System — Punctuality — Tact — Perseverance 341

XVI. Recreation

Ascetic Tendencies — -The Play-Instinct — Origin of the Fine Arts — Advantages of Play — Play-Impulse to be Regulated — Dangers in Amusements — Doubtful and Immoral Recreations — Tendency to Relax Moral Vigilance — Expensive and Unbecoming Amusements — Out-Door Pastimes — Hobbies — The Sabbath Rest — Dissipation — Debated Questions — A Sensitive Conscience the Only Safeguard .... 364

XVII. The Products Of The Press

The Daily Newspaper — A Teacher of the People — A Moral Power — Its Shortcomings — Choice of a

Newspaper — Responsibility of the Reader How

to Read Newspapers — The Art of Skipping — The Magazines — Advertisements — Dangers of Reading Transient Literature — Books a Survival of the Fittest — How to Make Time for Reading — The Study of History 385

CONTENTS. 1 1

XVIII. The Art Of Reading

Four Classes of Readers — Method to be Determined by End Sought — Reading to Form the Habit — Depraved Intellectual Appetite — Reading for Entertainment — Reading for Information — Remembering what we Read — Reading for Opinions — Reading as a Tonic — Difficult Reading — Reading for Culture — The Classics — Reading for Character — Delights of Reading 402

XIX. Conversation

A Lost Art — Power of the Living Voice — Man a Word- Divider — The Voice — Accent and Pronunciation — Style — Provincialism — Extravagance — Slang — Profanity — Thought — Narrowness — Hobbies — Silence — Companionship — Monopolizing the Conversation — The Art of Listening — Congeniality — The Weather as a Topic — Controversy — Egotism — Slander — Purity and Prudery 425

XX. Friendship

Common to All Ages and Climes — Counterfeits — Friendship in the Family — Various Degrees of Friendship — Blesssings of Friendship — Its Influence on the Mental and Moral Natures — Friendship and Happiness — How Friends are Formed — Instinct; Association ; Congeniality ; Choice — Friendship Disinterested — New Friends — How to Keep Friends — Friends to be Cherished and Encouraged. 452

XXI. Love, Courtship, And Matrimony

Is Marriage a Failure — Number of Happy Marriages — A Critical Step — Danger-Signals — Marriage and Happiness — Marriage and Character — Love — How Love is Developed — Love the Indispensable Condition of Successful Marriage — Love needs Control and Direction — Love and Esteem — Desirable Qualities to be Considered — Religion a Safeguard . . 474

XXII. Home, Sweet Home

Influence of Home — Location of the Home — Comfort and Beauty — A House of Our Own — House-Keeping and Home-Keeping — The Head of the House — Concessions and Compromises — Love in the Home — The True Helpmate — The Duty of Husbands — Children in the Home — The Child a Prophet — Dignity of Home Life — The Home of Our Childhood 499

XXIII. The Secret Of A Happy Life

The Creator's Intention — Man to Co-operate — Adjustment — Adjustment with Nature, or Health — Adjustment with Circumstances, or Contentment — Influence of Circumstances — Work; Habit; Will — The Bright Side of Things — Adjustment with Men, or Love — Delight in Doing Good — Adjustment with God, or Peace — No Peace to the Wicked — No Life without Shadows 523

CONTENTS. 13

XXIV. Character

Character, the Form and Features of the Soul — Always Revealing Itself — Reputation and Character — Varieties of Character — Method of Classifying Them — Currents or Drifts in Character — Two Leading Types — Distinguished in Work, Pleasure, Honesty, Anger, Courage. — Glory and Duty — Heroism in Common Life — Character Open to All — Character Priceless 545

XXV. The Bible

The Scriptures as Literary Products — Testimonials as to their Value — Influence of the Bible on Civilization — A Library in Itself — Ancient Manuscripts — Translations — Redemption — The Chosen People — Early Imperfections Accounted for — How to Interpret the Bible — Allegorical Method — What Did the Authors Mean — Necessity of Candor, Common Sense, Scholarship — Commentators — Aid of the Spirit — The Bible its own Evidence 566

XXVI. Religion

Man Naturally Religious — God Always Present to Him — Feeling of Dependence — Feeling of Obligation — Feeling of Satisfaction in Duty — Feeling of Guilt — Longing for a Revelation — The Gospel — Its View of Man — Its Revelation of God — Relations of God and Man to the Universe — Triumphs of Christianity — Society Like a Mountain — Dignity of the Christian Life 590