AS HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY KNEW HIM 133 



your particular attention Mackenzie's 'Life of Decatur' 

 and the 'Life of Admiral Collingwood'. Take these two 

 characters as your examples, and always have them in 

 your eye ; make them in all things, except the duel and 

 the course toward Barron, your models. 



"I say never read novels, but eschew them while you 

 are young as I hope you will strong drink — because they 

 are as destructive to the wholesome habits of the mind 

 as mint- juleps are to those of the body — they both 

 enervate and unfit one for hard study or hard labor — 

 and as a beverage both are very pleasant. But hate 

 them both, I pray you, my young friend, for they are 

 poisons. 



"Make it a rule to ask yourself at night what you have 

 learned during the day, and do not be content until you 

 get a reply, and always learn something if it be only the 

 meaning of a word from the dictionary. 



"Make it a rule to obey all orders promptly and 

 cheerfully. It is immaterial how disagreeable the officer 

 giving the order may be, or how unpleasant the duty; 

 go about it cheerfully, never sullenly nor carelessly. 

 Sometimes you will find the Midshipmen disposed to 

 turn on one of their fellows and 'run him' as it is called. 

 Make it a rule never to join with them in this, for it not 

 infrequently ends, particularly in the navy, in down- 

 right persecution. 



"Make it a rule never to offend, nor to seek cause of 

 offense in the conduct of others. Be polite to all, fa- 

 miliar with but few. Do not be quick to take offense; 

 you will never find a gentleman who will willfully and 

 without any cause, real or imaginary, offend another. 

 Therefore whenever you imagine yourself aggrieved 

 either by an equal or a superior officer — when you are 



