368 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



cheerful views of life, and always look hopefully upon the 

 future. 



851. True politeness, which regards others' feelings, and 

 attends to their wants, becomes, by use, so ready a habit as 

 to be almost a part of our nature. No principle nor motive 

 can supply the want of this practice. If it is not a familiar 

 habit, the politeness is artificial and awkward. It is very 

 easy, in company, to see the difference between the cold and 

 ungraceful manners of one who is unkind, and selfish, and 

 clownish at home, but assumes gentle airs in society, and 

 the easy and unassuming manners of another, who is ever 

 the same, whether at home or abroad. The suavity which 

 is assumed only for the public eye cannot conceal the harsh- 

 ness and coarseness of domestic habits. 



-CHAPTER XII. 



Habitual Actions easy and agreeable. Retired People averse to 

 general Society. Strength, gained by Exercise, preserved by 

 same Means. In perfect Men, all Powers developed. Concen- 

 tration of Mind. Brain, when exhausted, needs Rest; cannot 

 be overworked advantageously. Vacations of Schools. 



852. HABITUAL actions are not only easy, but agreeable ; 

 but those actions to which we are not accustomed exercise 

 faculties which are not frequently employed, and are both dif- 

 ficult and painful. We therefore perform them unwillingly. 

 For this reason, many men prefer to associate and talk with 

 others of the same pursuits, interests, or views of life ; for 

 conversation with them calls for the use of powers that are 

 habitually active, and association with men of different char- 

 acter would call for the use of powers that are usually dormant. 



853. Men who are unused to society are averse to gen- 

 eral visiting, because miscellaneous conversation demands 

 the exercise of inactive powers. They are therefore timid, 

 and fear to trust themselves in the discussion of subjects 

 with which they are not familiar, and in which, perhaps, 



