g still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait."--Longfellow.

Robbers. Idleness, tardiness and "late nights," are three bold bad
robbers, that must be strenuously resisted and overcome. Be watchful or
they may rob you of the best that is in you.

Spare Moments. It is better to be a busy silent reader in the home or
school and learn something useful, than to be an idle, noisy talker,
disturbing others and causing the loss or forfeiture of valuable
privileges.

Have a book for spare moments in the home. Read only good books, the
Bible and catechism first; then those on history, biography, travel, and
progress in the arts and sciences, including one on your own occupation.
Do not read worthless story books. They will rob you of your time, and
the taste for the Bible and other good books. Time wasted in idleness or
reading worthless books means bad companions, bad habits, and the loss
of opportunity, energy and vitality. Learn to abhor idleness as nature
does a vacuum.

Say No. Have the courage to say "no" to every solicitation to violate
rule or known duty. "The companion of fools shall be destroyed." "Though
hand join in hand the guilty shall not go unpunished." "This is
Fabricius, the man whom it is more difficult to turn from his integrity,
than the sun from his course."--Pyrrhus.

Writing. Train the hand and inform the mind so you can write the English
language,

"Plain to the eye and gracefully combined."

"The pen engraves for every art and indites for every press. It is the
preservative of language, the business man's security, the poor boy's
patron and the ready servant of mind."--Spencer.

Train: The hand to be graceful, steady, strong;
The Eye to be alert and observing;
The Memory to be accurate and retentive;
The Heart to be tender, true and sympathetic.

Promptness. Promptness takes the drudgery out of an occupation. The
decision of a moment often determines the destiny of years. Every moment
lost affords an opportunity for misfortune. Punctuality is the soul of
business, the mother of confidence and credit. Only those, who keep
their time, can be trusted to keep their word. Tardiness is a
disappointment and an interruption; a kind of falsehood and theft of
time.

Vices. The four great vices of this age are Sabbath-breaking, gambling,
intemperance and licentiousness. These must be fought all the time, like
the great plagues that attack the body, tubercu