otism and strengthen their
loyalty. Such a character will become an inspiration to them, eliciting
nobler aims, and impelling to nobler deeds.

Washington himself wrote to his step-son, who was in college:

"You are now extending into that stage of life when good or bad
habits are formed; when the mind will be turned to things useful
and praiseworthy or to dissipation and vice. Fix on which ever
it may, it will stick by you; for you know it has been said, and
truly, 'The way the twig is bent the tree's inclined.' This, in
a strong point of view, shows the propriety of letting your
inexperience be directed by maturer advice, and in placing guard
upon the avenues which lead to idleness and vice. The latter
will approach like a thief, working upon your passions,
encouraged, perhaps, by bad examples, the propensity to which
will increase in proportion to the practice of it and your
yielding. Virtue and vice cannot be allied, nor can idleness and
industry; of course if you resolve to adhere to the former of
these extremes, an intimacy with those who incline to the latter
of them would be extremely embarrassing to you; it would be a
stumbling block in your way, and act like a mill-stone hung to
your neck; for it is the nature of idleness and vice to obtain
as many votaries as they can....

"It is to close application and perseverance that men of letters
and science are indebted for their knowledge and usefulness; and
you are now at the period of life when these are to be acquired,
or lost for ever. As you know how anxious your friends are to
see you enter upon the grand theatre of life with the advantages
of a finished education, a highly cultivated mind, and a proper
sense of your duties to God and man, I shall only add one
sentiment before I close this letter and that is, to pay due
respect and obedience to your tutors, and affectionate reverence
for the president of the college, whose character merits your
highest regards. Let no bad example, for such is to be met in
all seminaries, have an improper influence upon your conduct.
Let this be such, and let it be your pride to demean yourself
in such a manner as to obtain the good will of your superiors
and the love of your fellow students."

Better advice than this was never given to a youth; and to enforce it,
we present in this volume the