age still less. Yet so much as age does, in fact, demand,
is more necessary than to those who are younger. Children are so
tenacious of life, that they do not _appear_ to _suffer immediately_,
if exercise is neglected; though a day of reckoning must finally come.

Hence we see the reason why those who retire from business towards the
close of life, so often become diseased, in body and mind; and instead
of enjoying life, or making those around them happy, become a source of
misery to themselves and others.

Most people have a general belief in the importance of industrious
habits; and yet not a few make strange work in endeavoring to form
them. Some attempt to do it by compulsion; others by flattery. Some
think it is to be accomplished by set lessons, in spite of example;
others by example alone.

A certain father who was deeply convinced of the importance of forming
his sons to habits of industry, used to employ them whole days in
removing and replacing heaps of stones. This was well intended, and
arose from regarding industry as a high accomplishment; but there is
some danger of defeating our own purpose in this way, and of producing
_disgust_. Besides this, labor enough can usually be obtained which is
obviously profitable.

All persons, without exception, ought to labor more or less, every day
in the open air. Of the truth of this opinion, the public are beginning
to be sensible; and hence we hear much said, lately, about manual labor
schools. Those who, from particular circumstances, cannot labor in the
open air, should substitute in its place some active mechanical
employment, together with suitable calisthenic or gymnastic exercises.

It is a great misfortune of the present day, that almost every one is,
by his own estimate, _raised above his real state of life_. Nearly
every person you meet with is aiming at a situation in which he shall
be exempted from the drudgery of laboring with his hands.

Now we cannot all become '_lords_' and '_gentlemen_,' if we would.
There must be a large part of us, after all, to make and mend clothes
and houses, and carry on trade and commerce, and, in spite of all that
we can do, the far greater part of us must actually _work_ at
something; otherwise we fall under the sentence; 'He who will not
_work_ shall not _eat_.' Yet, so strong is the propensity to be
_thought_ 'gentlemen;' so general is this desire amongst the youth of
this proud money making nation, that thousands upo