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Article ON THE POWER OF HABIT. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Power Of Habit.
ties that his little box , and fields all about it , in the country , afforded him . I resolved to pay him a visit for three years successively , before I had time , or , in other words , I had resolution to lay out so much money as the journey would cost nie : however , I arrived at last , in the month of-August , at his little house near Salop . After the usual questions of ' flow do you do ? ' and ' What sort of a jourhave you had ? ' and the likehe came to the main point . ' Well ,
ney , George , what have you saved ? How does your book stand ? ' I told him I had realized six thousand pounds , besides my stock in trade . The old gentleman , with rapture , cried out , ' That ' s a good boy 1—I now shew you my grounds and fields with pleasure . Follow me . ' As we walked on , you may easily conceive , that , after twenty years' confinement in Londonevery lawnevery dale ; and
, , every hill , afforded infinite pleasure and satisfaction to my mind ; and 1 painted to myself a thousand raptures and enjoyments , that my uncle must be possessed of in this his situation . My business , Sir , soon demanded my return to town : but , from the moment I came to my counting-house , instead of giving attention to my books and traderetirement was all in my thoughts , and it was the whole of my
, wishes . When I rose in the morning , if the sun was out , I was lamenting I had not such a spot as my uncle ' s , where I might see the force and powers of this wonderful luminary acting upon my flowers , shrubs , and plants . If it rained , I lamented being in London , where I could not observe the great utility of these refreshing showers to bring up the hay , corn , pease , and beans , and other fruits of the
earth . From these considerations I determined , at al / events , to quit my business , and retire into the country . I soon found a proper object to resign to , a distant relation of my wife ' s , who had been bred to the same business . After having fixed him properly in my warehouse , I looked out for my retirement ; and , as I had been used to drive my wife on a Sunday to Hampton Court , Dobbin dragged us ¦ to the Toy therewithout my ever thinking of it . But it was the
, same thing to me . Upon enquiry , I found a house was to be let , about a mile from the place , with every convenience that I wanted . This , I thought , would do ; as I could come in my chaise to the Sunday night ' s club , smoke my pipe , and hear the news from my London friends , that come to pass the Saturday and Sunday nights . I took the house , and remained in it two years and a half : but , alas 1 I
now found , instead of that happiness which I expected from retirement , the hours between breakfast and dinner were miserably spent ; neither could I contrive how to pass them away . My upholsterer , who furnished my house for me , told me , I must have a book-case , and Stockfish , the PhiJobibJiau in Piccadilly , filled it for me . But , though I had Pope ' s Homerand Dryden ' s Virgiland some Poems
, , by one Hayley , 1 never looked into any of them . As to my land , I lost , the first year , more than double my rent : for I knew nothing of ploughing and sowing , though I fancied I knew better than the farmers all put together . Hunting , fishing , and shooting , could afford me no entertainment : for 1 never galloped after any thine- but a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Power Of Habit.
ties that his little box , and fields all about it , in the country , afforded him . I resolved to pay him a visit for three years successively , before I had time , or , in other words , I had resolution to lay out so much money as the journey would cost nie : however , I arrived at last , in the month of-August , at his little house near Salop . After the usual questions of ' flow do you do ? ' and ' What sort of a jourhave you had ? ' and the likehe came to the main point . ' Well ,
ney , George , what have you saved ? How does your book stand ? ' I told him I had realized six thousand pounds , besides my stock in trade . The old gentleman , with rapture , cried out , ' That ' s a good boy 1—I now shew you my grounds and fields with pleasure . Follow me . ' As we walked on , you may easily conceive , that , after twenty years' confinement in Londonevery lawnevery dale ; and
, , every hill , afforded infinite pleasure and satisfaction to my mind ; and 1 painted to myself a thousand raptures and enjoyments , that my uncle must be possessed of in this his situation . My business , Sir , soon demanded my return to town : but , from the moment I came to my counting-house , instead of giving attention to my books and traderetirement was all in my thoughts , and it was the whole of my
, wishes . When I rose in the morning , if the sun was out , I was lamenting I had not such a spot as my uncle ' s , where I might see the force and powers of this wonderful luminary acting upon my flowers , shrubs , and plants . If it rained , I lamented being in London , where I could not observe the great utility of these refreshing showers to bring up the hay , corn , pease , and beans , and other fruits of the
earth . From these considerations I determined , at al / events , to quit my business , and retire into the country . I soon found a proper object to resign to , a distant relation of my wife ' s , who had been bred to the same business . After having fixed him properly in my warehouse , I looked out for my retirement ; and , as I had been used to drive my wife on a Sunday to Hampton Court , Dobbin dragged us ¦ to the Toy therewithout my ever thinking of it . But it was the
, same thing to me . Upon enquiry , I found a house was to be let , about a mile from the place , with every convenience that I wanted . This , I thought , would do ; as I could come in my chaise to the Sunday night ' s club , smoke my pipe , and hear the news from my London friends , that come to pass the Saturday and Sunday nights . I took the house , and remained in it two years and a half : but , alas 1 I
now found , instead of that happiness which I expected from retirement , the hours between breakfast and dinner were miserably spent ; neither could I contrive how to pass them away . My upholsterer , who furnished my house for me , told me , I must have a book-case , and Stockfish , the PhiJobibJiau in Piccadilly , filled it for me . But , though I had Pope ' s Homerand Dryden ' s Virgiland some Poems
, , by one Hayley , 1 never looked into any of them . As to my land , I lost , the first year , more than double my rent : for I knew nothing of ploughing and sowing , though I fancied I knew better than the farmers all put together . Hunting , fishing , and shooting , could afford me no entertainment : for 1 never galloped after any thine- but a