General Rules of Conduct.
The following rules were drawn up by a young lady, now deceased, for the regulation of her own conduct in private life: 1. Never be idle, but always be employed, either in working, reading, or writing. 2. Never take up much time in dress. 3. Not to walk much about the streets, but to be about in the house as much as circumstances will admit. 4. Never to give place to vain, idle thoughts, but to war against them as the enemies of my peace; and whenever they harass me, to fly to prayer, as a remedy. 5. To set a watch over my whole conduct, to mark down the history of every day. RULES WITH REGARD TO COMPANY.
1. To bridle my too much vivacity, and be always readier to hear than to speak. 2. Never to make free with an absent character, and always put the best construction on people's words and actions. 3. Not to be ready in telling news, and sometimes rather affect ignorance about them than to seem to know everything. 4. Never to be positive in an assertion, but always the first to yield in a trifle. 5. Not to praise people to their face, except when there may be occasion for it, as it has much the air of flattery. 6. To give no countenance to slander, nor to hear, with pleasure, the faults of others, however just they may be. 7. Never to argue with any one in a passion any more than I would to a tempest, but to be peacefully silent till the storm blow over. 8. To make no promises but what can be performed, and be careful to perform the promises that are made, whether they be difficult or trifling. 9. Never to be angry, nor let the mind be ruffled with a trifle. 10. To be always ready to forgive an injury, and never give way to resentment. 11. If in fault, to acknowledge it frankly, and never to palliate it by framing excuses, or throwing the blame on another. 12. Not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. 13. Always to be suited to the present company as far as sincerity and candor will permit; if grave, to be grave; if cheerful, to be cheerful, and so on. 14. To speak but little in the presence of superiors, and ever to pay attention to old age. 15. To learn to sacrifice inclination to duty in things indifferent, as the way to lead on to it in greater things. 16. To make very little use of proverbs and common-place observations, and to endeavor not to speak so much as to speak to the purpose. 17. To be active and vigorous against evils that can be remedied, but to submit cheerfully and without complaint to those that cannot be helped. Lastly. Not to be too ready in giving my opinion on any subject till it be asked, and then do it with diffidence, especially before my superiors.