What is Habit?
Whenwe have done a thing several times, it becomes easier for us to do it than before. When a boy begins to use profane words, he does it with a feeling of awkwardness. The first time he swears, he usually feels quite badly.
But he swears the second time more easily, and more easily still the third time. At last he does it without any bad feeling, and, indeed, takes a pleasure in his profanity. He has now got ahabitof swearing, and it is easier for him to use bad language than any other.
It is just the same with lying. A child feels very badly when he tells the first lie. He feels badly, too, when he tells the second; but when he has told a dozen or two, he usually tells a lie as easily as he tells the truth; and the reason is that he has got ahabitof lying.
Habit is, then, a disposition, an inclination to do a thing, arising from practice. It is said that practice makes perfect; by which it is meant that a person does a thing easily which he has done often.
Now some very important inferences are to be drawn from this. If a person does evil repeatedly, he gets a habit of it, and it becomes natural, easy for him to do evil; and the longer a person goes on in this habit, the more easy it is for him to do evil, and the more difficult to do well. What a fearful thing it is, therefore, to get any bad habit!
It is the same with good habits as bad ones—they tend to control us and guide our conduct. If a person does good repeatedly, it becomes a habit with him to do good; it is easy for him to do good, and difficult to do wrong. What an important thing it is to have good habits!
Now, my dear reader, remember that every day you are forming habits, good or bad; you are every day making it easier to do evil or to do well. Habits are like railroad tracks, upon which we move quickly, easily, and rapidly. Let us all take care that our habits lead in a right direction, and end in peace and not in sorrow.
Fitchburg, July 29, 1843.Mr. Robert Merry:Dear Sir,—The following lines were written for a little girl who is a subscriber to the Museum. It would be gratifying to her to have them inserted.Yours, F. S. W.THE CHICKADEE.Elizabeth.—Pretty bird, pray come to me,I’ve a little home for thee.Bird.—No I can’t, I am free,Chickadee dee dee,I will sing upon this tree,Every day for you and me;O how happy I shall be!Chickadee dee dee.When the earth from snow is freeAnd the tender plant you see,Then you’ll hear right merrily,Chickadee dee dee.E.—When the summer months shall fleeAnd the little busy beeStays at home, where will beChickadee dee dee?B.—Far away beyond the sea,Singing in the orange tree,You will hear so cheerily,Chickadee dee dee.Here I am, don’t you see,High upon this cherry tree;So good-bye, dear Lizze,Don’t forget the chickadee.(Flies away.)—Chickadee, chickadee,I am happy, I am free;While cheerily and merrily,Sings the little chickadee!
Fitchburg, July 29, 1843.
Mr. Robert Merry:
Dear Sir,—The following lines were written for a little girl who is a subscriber to the Museum. It would be gratifying to her to have them inserted.
Yours, F. S. W.
THE CHICKADEE.Elizabeth.—Pretty bird, pray come to me,I’ve a little home for thee.Bird.—No I can’t, I am free,Chickadee dee dee,I will sing upon this tree,Every day for you and me;O how happy I shall be!Chickadee dee dee.When the earth from snow is freeAnd the tender plant you see,Then you’ll hear right merrily,Chickadee dee dee.E.—When the summer months shall fleeAnd the little busy beeStays at home, where will beChickadee dee dee?B.—Far away beyond the sea,Singing in the orange tree,You will hear so cheerily,Chickadee dee dee.Here I am, don’t you see,High upon this cherry tree;So good-bye, dear Lizze,Don’t forget the chickadee.(Flies away.)—Chickadee, chickadee,I am happy, I am free;While cheerily and merrily,Sings the little chickadee!
THE CHICKADEE.Elizabeth.—Pretty bird, pray come to me,I’ve a little home for thee.Bird.—No I can’t, I am free,Chickadee dee dee,I will sing upon this tree,Every day for you and me;O how happy I shall be!Chickadee dee dee.When the earth from snow is freeAnd the tender plant you see,Then you’ll hear right merrily,Chickadee dee dee.E.—When the summer months shall fleeAnd the little busy beeStays at home, where will beChickadee dee dee?B.—Far away beyond the sea,Singing in the orange tree,You will hear so cheerily,Chickadee dee dee.Here I am, don’t you see,High upon this cherry tree;So good-bye, dear Lizze,Don’t forget the chickadee.(Flies away.)—Chickadee, chickadee,I am happy, I am free;While cheerily and merrily,Sings the little chickadee!
THE CHICKADEE.
Elizabeth.—Pretty bird, pray come to me,
I’ve a little home for thee.
Bird.—No I can’t, I am free,
Chickadee dee dee,
I will sing upon this tree,
Every day for you and me;
O how happy I shall be!
Chickadee dee dee.
When the earth from snow is free
And the tender plant you see,
Then you’ll hear right merrily,
Chickadee dee dee.
E.—When the summer months shall flee
And the little busy bee
Stays at home, where will be
Chickadee dee dee?
B.—Far away beyond the sea,
Singing in the orange tree,
You will hear so cheerily,
Chickadee dee dee.
Here I am, don’t you see,
High upon this cherry tree;
So good-bye, dear Lizze,
Don’t forget the chickadee.
(Flies away.)—Chickadee, chickadee,
I am happy, I am free;
While cheerily and merrily,
Sings the little chickadee!