truders, who, instead of interrupting others, ought themselves to be busy. There are various ways of shaking off these marauders on the time of honest people. One is, as I stated in a former letter, to lock your door, and be deaf to all their knocking. Another is, from the moment they seat themselves, to maintain a rigid silence; or, at least, to answer them only in monosyllables. A third plan is, as soon as any unseasonable visitor sits down, to begin to converse with him on the study in which you happen to be engaged; to ply him vigorously with questions in relation to it, which shall put to a severe test his own acquaintance with it. I once knew a young man who adopted this method, and who resisted every attempt to change the subject; and he very seldom failed to clear his apartment of loungers. But some are thoughtless or iron-hearted enough not to regard any of these plans. With such, the only effectual resort seems to be to state, in so many words, the urgency of your engagements, and your wish to be left alone. One advantage of taking strong measures in the outset on this subject, will be, that by such measures your fellowstudents will most speedily learn your cue in reference to the matter in question, and soon cease to give you trouble. The remedy may be painful; but it will be likely to effect the most expeditious and complete cure. LETTER IX. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: for she is thy life. PROV. iv. 13. HABITS IN THE LECTURE-ROOM. MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND: It may be supposed, at first view, that the deportment of a student in the lecture-room might well be left to instructions and correctives applied on the spot. When the student is immediately under the eye of the professor, and in a situation in which a gentle hint or admonition may be instantly directed to the occurrence which is supposed to demand it; where, it may be asked, is the necessity of laying down a set of formal counsels on paper? I have two reasons for not passing over this part of my subject without particular notice. One reason is, that to a professor who has the least delicacy of feeling, it is always painful to admonish an ingenuous and pious youth of any aberration from strict propriety, in the presence of his companions. Such an admonition, however well intended, and well administered, may inflict a deep wound on the feelings of him who receives it. And if, to avoid this evil, it be administered in private, one of its most valuable benefits is lost, viz: that of putting others on their guard against a similar fault. But a second and still stronger reason is, that it is much better, if possible, to prevent such faults from occurring, than to correct them when committed. My object is, not to wait until I see improprieties, inadvertently or otherwise indulged, and then to apply the corrective; but to put conscientious young men on their guard, beforehand, against indulging them, and thus obviate the necessity of inflicting pain on either side. You must not suppose, from the aggregate of these counsels, that I have been accustomed to see the frequent occurrence of ill-breeding or disorder in our lecture-rooms. Far from it. On the contrary, the remarkable infrequency of any call for animadversion, or the slightest form of discipline in our Institution, after the experience of many years, has been a source of peculiar satisfaction, and, I hope, an occasion of cordial thankfulness. Yet there are theological students of cultivated minds, and of unfeigned piety, who bring with them from college, or from the academy, certain habits in the lecture-room, which, though not criminal, are some of them unseemly, and all disadvantageous; and of which, from mere inconsideration, or inexperience, they see not the evil. A few of those habits I wish to point out, and to place in the light in which much observation convinces me they ought to be contemplated. I am the more disposed to consider some of these habits in detail, because the correction of them now will be of use to you throughout life. Similar improprieties may be indulged in other places besides the lecture-room; and the spirit of my remarks will apply to all situations and practices analogous to those which are noticed in detail. 1. Never allow yourself to be absent from a lecture, when you can possibly avoid it. Some students, who mean to be attentive and regular, are occasionally induced, by insufficient causes, to absent themselves entirely from the lecture-room, when they ought to be there. An interruption of company; the slightest indisposition; a party of pleasure; the writing of a letter, which might be postponed; a fit of drowsiness; and even the fascination of a new book, are allowed, each in its turn, to detain them from being present when some important exercise in their course is passed. From causes of this kind, I have known students to miss seven or eight lectures during a single session. And more than once it unfortunately happened, that a portion of the lectures thus lost was precisely the most radical and indispensable of the whole number, the loss of which imposed upon them the most serious disadvantage through all that came afterwards. In fact, the loss of one lecture may be productive of evil not easily calculated. Now, no student can possibly know beforehand, when this may be the case; and very unjust is he both to himself and his teacher, who ever allows himself to miss a lecture at which it is possible for him to be present. 2. Make a point of appearing in the lecture-room, at the prescribed time, with perfect punctuality. Let no company, engagement, or obstacle of any kind, short of absolute necessity, prevent this. The evils of coming late to a lecture are numerous. He who does so, of course loses the prayer, which precedes 3 lecture which is every exercise in the seminary; a loss, which, by the pious mind, will not be deemed small. He also loses, I need not add, all that part of the delivered before he enters the room. Now, this part may be essential to the right understanding of all that follows; so that to lose it is, in effect, to lose the whole. But this is not all. The student, by entering the apartment after a lecture is begun, disturbs his fellow-students, by diverting their attention; by the noise which unavoidably attends his coming in, and seating himself; and perhaps, by whispering to his nearest neighbour, to ascertain what the subject is, under discussion, and what has been said. He also disturbs the professor, by the noise which attends his entrance, and by forcing on his mind the painful impression, that there is at least one of his hearers, who, from ignorance of what has gone before, cannot possibly go with him, satisfactorily and fully, in what is to follow. This is so important a matter, that I must beg your attention to it with peculiar emphasis. Invariably make such calculations as will enable you to be present several minutes before, rather than a single minute after, the proper time. In truth, I have been so painfully impressed with the mischiefs resulting from a late attendance on any exercises of the seminary, that I have often sincerely wished, if a student did not enter before the first sentence of the lecture were delivered, he might not come at all. In some cases, indeed, it may be otherwise; but in many others, such would be my deliberate opinion. I should do injustice to you, and to the subject, if I did not add, that all my experience in this institution enables me to say, that, almost without excep |