on of the day. During
this boyish state, parents should be particularly attentive to the
company which their sons keep; and they should frequently in
conversation with sensible, but not with morose or old fashioned
people, lead to the subject of economy, and openly discuss and settle
the most essential points. At the same time a father should not
intimidate his son with the idea that nothing but rigid economy can
win his parental favour; his parental favour should not be a mercenary
object; he should rather show his son, that he is aware of the great
temptations to which a young man is exposed in going first into the
world: he should show him, both that he is disposed to place
confidence in him, and that he yet knows the fallibility of youthful
prudence. If he expect from his son unerring prudence, he expects too
much, and he will, perhaps, create an apprehension of his displeasure,
which may chill and repress all ingenuous confidence. In all his
childish, and in all his youthful distresses, a son should be
habitually inclined to turn to his father as to his most indulgent
friend. "Apply to me if ever you get into any difficulties, and you
will always find me your _most indulgent friend_," were the words of a
father to a child of twelve years old, pronounced with such
encouraging benevolence, that they were never forgotten by the person
to whom they were addressed.

Before a young man goes into the world, it will be a great advantage
to him to have some share in the management of his father's affairs;
by laying out money for another person, he will acquire habits of
care, which will be useful to him afterwards in his own affairs. A
father, who is building, or improving grounds, who is carrying on
works of any sort, can easily allot some portion of the business to
his son, as an exercise for his judgment and prudence. He should hear
and see the estimates of workmen, and he should, as soon as he has
collected the necessary facts, form estimates of his own, before he
hears the calculation of others: this power of estimating will be of
great advantage to gentlemen: it will circumscribe their wishes, and
it will protect them against the low frauds of designing workmen.

It may seem trivial, but we cannot forbear to advise young people to
read the news-papers of the day regularly: they will keep up by these
means with the current of affairs, and they will exercise their
judgment upon interesting business, and large objects.