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98 GOOD HABITS AND MANNERS

college, cannot make a good, useful, or great
man. These are substantial blessings; but
in order to be good, useful, great, or even
happy, it is necessary: in youth to do as
Washington did; that is, to make the best
possible use of your advantages.

Another thing to be noticed here is, that
Washington had none of that folly which
some boys think smartness, or a mark of
genius or manliness, a disposition to disobey
a mother or a schoolmaster. Washington
was obedient to both of them. If, there-
fore, a boy wishes to be successful in life,
let him cultivate obedience to parents and
teachers.

One'of the great advantages that followed
from Washington's making the best of his
school privileges was, his adopting good
habits. He got into thehabit of doing every--
thing thoroughly. He was not willing to

learn a lesson by halves, and when he came
to recite it, to guess and shuffle his way out.
No, indeed! he did not leave a lesson till
he had fully mastered it—till he knew all
about it—till he had stamped it so firmly
in-his-mind as to make the impression in-

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