BEECHER'S ADVICE TO HIS SON.
By Henry Ward Beecher
THE following letter, recently made public, written by Beecher to his son Herbert when he was just departing on his first independent venture in life, contains advice that might well be heeded by every young man:— BROOKLYN, N. Y., Oct. 18, 1878. MY DEAR HERBERT: You are now for the first time really launched into life for yourself. You go from your father's house, and from all family connections, to make your own way in the world. It is a good time to make a new start, to cast out faults of whose evil you have had an experience, and to take on habits the want of which you have found to be so damaging. 1. You must not go into debt. Avoid debt as you would the devil. Make it a fundamental rule: No debt—cash or nothing. 2. Make few promises. Religiously observe the smallest promise. A man who means to keep his promises cannot afford to make many. 3. Be scrupulously careful in all statements. Accuracy and perfect frankness, no guesswork. Either nothing or accurate truth. 4. When working for others, sink yourself out of sight; seek their interest. Make yourself necessary to those who employ you, by industry, fidelity, and scrupulous integrity. Selfishness is fatal. 5. Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Demand more of yourself than anybody expects of you. Keep your own standard high. Never excuse yourself to yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself, but lenient to everybody else. 6. Concentrate your force on your own proper business; do not turn off. Be constant, steadfast, persevering. 7. The art of making one's fortune is to spend nothing; in this country any intelligent and industrious young man may become rich if he stops all leaks and is not in a hurry. Do not make haste; be patient. 8. Do not speculate or gamble. You go to a land where everybody is excited and strives to make money, suddenly, largely, and without working for it. They blow soap bubbles. Steady, patient industry is both the surest and the safest way. Greediness and haste are two devils that destroy thousands every year. 9. In regard to Mr. B., he is a Southern gentleman; he is receiving you as a favor to me; do not let him regret it. 10. I beseech you to correct one fault—severe speech of others. Never speak evil of any man, no matter what the facts may be. Hasty fault-finding and severe speech of absent people is not honorable, is apt to be unjust, and is cruel, makes enemies to yourself, and is wicked. 11. You must remember that you go to Mr. B. not to learn to manage a farm like his. One or two hundred acres, not forty thousand, is to be your future homestead; but you can learn the care of cattle, sheep, the culture of wheat, the climate, country, manners and customs, and a hundred things that will be needful. 12. If, by integrity, industry, and well-earned success, you deserve well of your fellow citizens, they may in years to come ask you to accept honors. Do not seek them, do not receive them while you are young—wait; but when you are established, you may make your father's name known with honor in halls of Legislature. Lastly, do not forget your father's and your mother's God. Because you will be largely deprived of church privileges, you will need all the nerve to keep your heart before God. But do not despise small churches and humble preachers. "Mind not small things, but condescend to men of low estate." Read often the Proverbs, the precepts and duties enjoined in the New Testament. May your father's God be with you and protect you.