nal Habits._

I have elsewhere spoken of the importance of early rising. Let me
merely request you, in this place, to form a _habit_ of this kind, from
which no ordinary circumstances shall suffer you to depart. Your first
object after rising and devotion, should be to take a survey of the
business which lies before you during the day, making of course a
suitable allowance for exigencies. I have seldom known a man in
business thrive--and men of business we all ought to be, whatever may
be our occupation--who did not rise early in the morning, and plan his
work for the day. Some of those who have been most successful, made it
a point to have this done before daylight. Indeed, I was intimately
acquainted with one man who laid out the business of the day, attended
family worship, and breakfasted before sunrise; and this too, at all
seasons of the year.

Morning gowns and slippers are very useful things, it is said. But the
reasons given for their utility are equally in favor of _always_
wearing them. 'They are loose and comfortable.' Very well: Should not
our dress always be loose? 'They save _other clothes_.' Then why not
wear them all day long? The truth, after all, is, that they are
_fashionable_, and as we usually give the _true_ reason for a thing
_last_, this is probably the principal reason why they are so much in
use. I am pretty well convinced, however, that they are of little real
use to him who is determined to eat his bread 'in the sweat of his
face,' according to the Divine appointment.

Looking-glasses are useful in their place, but like many other
conveniences of life, by no means indispensable; and so much abused,
that a man of sense would almost be tempted, for the sake of example,
to lay them aside. Of all wasted time, none is more _foolishly_ wasted
than that which is employed in _unnecessary_ looking at one's own
pretty face.

This may seem a matter of small consequence; but nothing can be of
small importance to which we are obliged to attend _every day_. If we
dressed or shaved but once a year, or once a month, the case would be
altered; but this is a piece of work that must be done once every day;
and, as it may cost only about _five minutes_ of time, and may be, and
frequently is, made to cost _thirty_, or even _fifty minutes_; and, as
only fifteen minutes make about a fiftieth part of the hours of our
average daylight; this being the case, it is a matter of real
importance.

SIR JOHN SINCLAIR