It is in misfortune
that the character of the upright man shines forth with the
greatest lustre; and when all else fails, he takes stand upon his
integrity and his courage.
The rules of conduct followed by Lord Erskine--a man of sterling
independence of principle and scrupulous adherence to truth--are
worthy of being engraven on every young man's heart. "It was a
first command and counsel of my earliest youth," he said, "always
to do what my conscience told me to be a duty, and to leave the
consequence to God. I shall carry with me the memory, and I trust
the practice, of this parental lesson to the grave. I have
hitherto followed it, and I have no reason to complain that my
obedience to it has been a temporal sacrifice. I have found it, on
the contrary, the road to prosperity and wealth, and I shall point
out the same path to my children for their pursuit."
Every man is bound to aim at the possession of a good character as
one of the highest objects of life. The very effort to secure it
by worthy means will furnish him with a motive for exertion; and
his idea of manhood, in proportion as it is elevated, will steady
and animate his motive. It is well to have a high standard of
life, even though we may not be able altogether to realize it.
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