character-第16章

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exercise　some　influence　upon　those　about　them。　　The　approximation

of　feeling；　thought；　and　habit　is　constant；　and　the　action　of

example　unceasing。



Emerson　has　observed　that　even　old　couples；　or　persons　who　have

been　housemates　for　a　course　of　years；　grow　gradually　like　each

other；　so　that；　if　they　were　to　live　long　enough；　we　should

scarcely　be　able　to　know　them　apart。　　But　if　this　be　true　of　the

old；　how　much　more　true　is　it　of　the　young；　whose　plastic　natures

are　so　much　more　soft　and　impressionable；　and　ready　to　take　the

stamp　of　the　life　and　conversation　of　those　about　them！



〃There　has　been；〃　observed　Sir　Charles　Bell　in　one　of　his　letters；

〃a　good　deal　said　about　education；　but　they　appear　to　me　to　put

out　of　sight　EXAMPLE；　which　is　all…in…all。　　My　best　education　was

the　example　set　me　by　my　brothers。　　There　was；　in　all　the　members

of　the　family；　a　reliance　on　self；　a　true　independence；　and　by

imitation　I　obtained　it。〃　（1）



It　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　the　circumstances　which

contribute　to　form　the　character；　should　exercise　their　principal

influence　during　the　period　of　growth。　　As　years　advance；　example

and　imitation　become　custom；　and　gradually　consolidate　into　habit；

which　is　of　so　much　potency　that；　almost　before　we　know　it；　we

have　in　a　measure　yielded　up　to　it　our　personal　freedom。



It　is　related　of　Plato；　that　on　one　occasion　he　reproved　a　boy　for

playing　at　some　foolish　game。　　〃Thou　reprovest　me；〃　said　the　boy；


〃for　a　very　little　thing。〃　　〃But　custom；〃　replied　Plato；　〃is　not　a

little　thing。〃　　Bad　custom；　consolidated　into　habit；　is　such　a

tyrant　that　men　sometimes　cling　to　vices　even　while　they　curse

them。　　They　have　become　the　slaves　of　habits　whose　power　they

are　impotent　to　resist。　　Hence　Locke　has　said　that　to　create

and　maintain　that　vigour　of　mind　which　is　able　to　contest　the

empire　of　habit；　may　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　chief　ends

of　moral　discipline。



Though　much　of　the　education　of　character　by　example　is

spontaneous　and　unconscious；　the　young　need　not　necessarily　be　the

passive　followers　or　imitators　of　those　about　them。　　Their　own

conduct；　far　more　than　the　conduct　of　their　companions；　tends　to

fix　the　purpose　and　form　the　principles　of　their　life。　　Each

possesses　in　himself　a　power　of　will　and　of　free　activity；　which；

if　courageously　exercised；　will　enable　him　to　make　his　own

individual　selection　of　friends　and　associates。　　It　is　only

through　weakness　of　purpose　that　young　people；　as　well　as　old；

become　the　slaves　of　their　inclinations；　or　give　themselves　up　to

a　servile　imitation　of　others。



It　is　a　common　saying　that　men　are　known　by　the　company　they　keep。

The　sober　do　not　naturally　associate　with　the　drunken；　the　refined

with　the　coarse；　the　decent　with　the　dissolute。　　To　associate　with

depraved　persons　argues　a　low　taste　and　vicious　tendencies；　and　to

frequent　their　society　leads　to　inevitable　degradation　of

character。　　〃The　conversation　of　such　persons；〃　says　Seneca；　〃is

very　injurious；　for　even　if　it　does　no　immediate　harm；　it　leaves

its　seeds　in　the　mind；　and　follows　us　when　we　have　gone　from　the

speakersa　plague　sure　to　spring　up　in　future　resurrection。〃



If　young　men　are　wisely　influenced　and　directed；　and

conscientiously　exert　their　own　free　energies；　they　will　seek　the

society　of　those　better　than　themselves；　and　strive　to　imitate

their　example。　　In　companionship　with　the　good；　growing　natures

will　always　find　their　best　nourishment；　while　companionship　with

the　bad　will　only　be　fruitful　in　mischief。　　There　are　persons　whom

to　know　is　to　love；　honour；　and　admire；　and　others　whom　to　know　is

to　shun　and　despise；〃DONT　LE　SAVOIR　N'EST　QUE　BETERIE；〃　as　says

Rabelais　when　speaking　of　the　education　of　Gargantua。　　Live　with

persons　of　elevated　characters；　and　you　will　feel　lifted　and

lighted　up　in　them：　〃Live　with　wolves；〃　says　the　Spanish　proverb；

〃and　you　will　learn　to　howl。〃



Intercourse　with　even　commonplace；　selfish　persons；　may　prove　most

injurious；　by　inducing　a　dry；　dull　reserved；　and　selfish　condition

of　mind；　more　or　less　inimical　to　true　manliness　and　breadth　of

character。　　The　mind　soon　learns　to　run　in　small　grooves；　the

heart　grows　narrow　and　contracted；　and　the　moral　nature　becomes

weak；　irresolute；　and　accommodating；　which　is　fatal　to　all

generous　ambition　or　real　excellence。



On　the　other　hand；　association　with　persons　wiser；　better；　and

more　experienced　than　ourselves；　is　always　more　or　less　inspiring

and　invigorating。　　They　enhance　our　own　knowledge　of　life。　　We

correct　our　estimates　by　theirs；　and　become　partners　in　their

wisdom。　　We　enlarge　our　field　of　observation　through　their　eyes；

profit　by　their　experience；　and　learn　not　only　from　what　they　have

enjoyed；　butwhich　is　still　more　instructivefrom　what　they

have　suffered。　　If　they　are　stronger　than　ourselves；　we　become

participators　in　their　strength。　　Hence　companionship　with　the

wise　and　energetic　never　fails　to　have　a　most　valuable　influence

on　the　formation　of　characterincreasing　our　resources；

strengthening　our　resolves；　elevating　our　aims；　and　enabling　us　to

exercise　greater　dexterity　and　ability　in　our　own　affairs；　as　well

as　more　effective　helpfulness　of　others。



〃I　have　often　deeply　regretted　in　myself；〃　says　Mrs。

Schimmelpenninck；　〃the　great　loss　I　have　experienced　from　the

solitude　of　my　early　habits。　　We　need　no　worse　companion　than　our

unregenerate　selves；　and；　by　living　alone；　a　person　not　only

becomes　wholly　ignorant　of　the　means　of　helping　his　fellow…

creatures；　but　is　without　the　perception　of　those　wants　which　most

need　help。　　Association　with　others；　when　not　on　so　large　a　scale

as　to　make　hours　of　retirement　impossible；　may　be　considered　as

furnishing　to　an　individual　a　rich　multiplied　experience；　and

sympathy　so　drawn　forth；　though；　unlike　charity；　it　begins　abroad；

never　fails　to　bring　back　rich　treasures　home。　　Association　with

others　is　useful　also　in　strengthening　the　character；　and　in

enabling　us；　while　we　never　lose　sight　of　our　main　object；　to

thread　our　way　wisely　and　well。〃　（2）



An　entirely　new　direction　may　be　given　to　the　life　of　a　young　man

by　a　happy　suggestion；　a　timely　hint；　or　the　kindly　advice　of　an

honest　friend。　　Thus　the　life　of　Henry　Martyn　　the　Indian

missionary；　seems　to　have　been　singularly　influenced　by　a

friendship　which　he　formed；　when　a　boy；　at　Truro　Grammar　School。

Martyn　himself　was　of　feeble　frame；　and　of　a　delicate　nervous

temperament。　　Wanting　in　animal　spirits；　he　took　but　little

pleasure　in　school　sports；　and　being　of　a　somewhat　petulant

temper；　the　bigger　boys　took　pleasure　in　provoking　him；　and　some

of　them　in　bullying　him。　　One　of　the　bigger　boys；　however；

conceiving　a　friendship　for　Martyn；　took　him　under　his　protection；

stood　between　him　and　his　persecutors；　and　not　only　fought　his

battles　for　him；　but　helped　him　with　his　lessons。　　Though　Martyn

was　rather　a　backward　pupil；　his　father　was　desirous　that　he

should　have　the　advantage　of　a　college　education；　and　at　the　age

of　about　fifteen　he　sent　him　to　Oxford　to　try　for　a　Corpus

scholarship；　in　which　he　failed。　　He　remained　for　two　years　more

at　the　Truro　Grammar　School；　and　then　went　to　Cambridge；　where　he

was　entered　at　St。　John's　College。　　Who　should　he　find　already

settled　there　as　a　student　but　his　old　champion　of　the　Truro

Grammar　School？　　Their　friendship　was　renewed；　and　the　elder

student　from　that　time　forward　acted　as　the　Mentor；　of　the　younger

one。　　Martyn　was　fitful　in　his　studies；　excitable　and　petulant；

and　occasionally　subject　to　fits　of　almost　uncontrollable　rage。

His　big　friend；　on　the　other　hand；　was　a　steady；　patient；

hardworking　fellow；　and　he　never　ceased　to　watch　over；　to　guide；

and　to　advise　for　good　his　irritable　fellow…student。　　He　kept

Martyn　out　of　the　way　of　evil　company；　advised　him　to　work　hard；

〃not　for　the　praise　of　men；　but　for　the　glory　of　God；〃　and　so

successfully　assisted