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Then there arose an old Puritan legislator, Davenport of Stamford, and said that if the Last Day had come, he desired to be found at his place, doing his duty, and therefore moved that candles be brought 5in, so that the House could proceed with its duty. There was quietness in that man's mind, the quietness of heavenly wisdom and inflexible willingness to obey present duty. Duty, then, is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things, like the 10 old Puritan. You cannot do more you should never wish to do less. Never let your mother or me wear one gray hair for any lack of duty on your part.

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Who wrote this letter? Tell 4. What advice is given about what you know of him.

To whom was it written?

2. What is the first piece of
advice given? What does 5.
it mean?

3. What advice is given con-
cerning the boy's action 6.
when a friend asks a favor?
What advice does Polonius 7.
give about the same thing?
(See p. 258.)

making and keeping friends? What advice does Polonius give? Tell the story of Abraham Davenport and the "Dark Day" in Connecticut. What does General Lee say about duty?

What does this letter tell

you about the character of General Lee?

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,

So near is God to man,

When Duty whispers low, "Thou must,”

The youth replies, "I can."

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

POLONIUS'S ADVICE TO HIS SON

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

This selection is from the play "Hamlet," and gives the advice which Polonius, one of the principal characters in the play, gave to his son Laertes (La-ûr'tēz).

In this wonderful short selection, there are eleven separate pieces of advice. Try to find all of them, and write out a list of them. Number them carefully. Then see whether you can repeat all of them from memory, but above all, find out what each one means. Take them one by one, and explain, in your own words, their meaning.

Then think them over, and see how many of them you follow every day.

Learn the meanings of these words before trying to read the selection:

unproportioned thought: any thought not carefully "thought over "; a hasty,

ment: spend your money too freely in entertaining newmade friends.

sudden thought, the justice censure: criticism, condemna

of which you have not considered.

vulgar: coarse, low, lacking refinement by being too familiar with friends.

tion, blame.

habit: one's clothes.

apparel: one's clothing.

the best rank and station: the real gentlemen.

grapple to fasten tightly and husbandry: success in money

strongly.

dull thy palm with entertain

matters; thrift.

5

10

15

20

POLONIUS'S ADVICE TO HIS SON

Give thy thoughts no tongue,

Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;

But do not dull thy palm with entertainment

Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in,

Bear't that th' opposèd may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice:

Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy:

For the apparel oft proclaims the man;

And they in France of the best rank and station
Are most select and generous, chief in that.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be:

For loan oft loses both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: To thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

We should try to succeed by merit, not by favor.

PLAUTUS

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Who wrote this selection? | 11. From what play is it taken?

2. Who offers the advice, and 12. to whom is he speaking?

3. Explain the meaning of the 13. words and phrases defined before the selection.

4. What is meant by "give

thy thoughts no tongue"?

5. By not giving "any unproportioned thought his act"?

By

"Take each man's cen

sure, but reserve thy judgment"?

What advice is given about dress?

If two young men were equal in looks and brains, but one was shabbily dressed and the other neatly dressed, which one would be more likely to get a position in

business?

6. By "Be thou familiar, but 14. Why should one not borrow

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Many receive advice, only the wise profit by it.

PUBLIUS SYRUS

A LAST WILL

WILLISTON FISH

A person's property or estate consists of money, houses, lands and other things belonging to him which have a money value. There are many volumes of law books which deal entirely with property and the rights of persons to keep or dispose of it. Nearly all law books are bound in sheepskin, and this fact will explain the expression "sheep-bound volumes."

A will is a legal statement of a person's wishes as to the manner in which he desires to have his property or estate disposed of after his death. A will is sometimes called a last will and testament.

Most persons go through life seeing no value in anything which does not have a money value. Most persons who make last wills and testaments think of nothing as property which does not have a money value.

This is a very remarkable last will and testament. It is certainly worthy of your careful study. It is entirely different from other wills. Indeed it is the exact opposite of other wills. Other wills mention only those things which can be measured or estimated in dollars, but this will mentions nothing which can be measured or estimated in dollars. The things mentioned in this strange will can be properly estimated only in terms of affection and appreciation. It is probably the first and the only will ever made by a rich man that took no account of property which had a money value.

He is certainly a clever, rich, and wise man who can see and appreciate the very great value of little words of praise,

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