I was twenty years of age when I left my Fathers Family & commenced business with aunt Wheeler I
remained with her for three years which brought me to . I had the following reflections on leaving my
Fathers house. -[should I outlive my Parents how long will it be before I shall follow them to the grave and the places
which now know them will know them no more & it will be said of them they have gone the way of all the Earth and
their children while filling their places are following them into the same Eternal world. I am now twenty years of
age & leaving my Fathers house this is an important period & step in my life & in the life of Evry man for at this
age generally speaking evry man forms a character both for time and Eternity. The character principles & sentiments
which are formed from the age of Eightteen to twenty five are generall so deeply planted in the heart that they
controll their future lives & remain with them through life whether they be good or evil. and I felt to say how
cautious I ought to be how I pass this link in the chain of my existance I felt that I needed caution prudence
circumspection & wisdom to guide my Footsteps as I step forth to act for myself. I reflected upon the days of
my youth which were gone & the speed of time which had flown like an arrow to return no more forever, while
walkeing in a rapid stream we cannot tread twice in the same water neither can we spend twice the same time
then how ought we to prize the golden moments of time & measure it out with our talents to the honor
& glory of God & for the salvation of our souls so that when the Lord comes he may recieve his own
with usury. In trying to comprehend the fleetness of time I asked myself the question whare is the old world
whare are the Prophets & Apostles whare are the millions of the inhabitants of the Earth including my Father
& whare are the days of my youth, gone, gone, all gone into the boundless ocean of Eternity whare
I shall soon find myself]-
During the 3 years which I spent with Aunt Wheeler I passed through quite a school of experiences
both temporal & spiritual. The class of associates which I made choice of on ariving at my new
home were young men of the first respectibility in the place yet none of us professed to be guided
wholey by religious principles Hence we occasionally mingled in parties of pleasure, the Ball room & in
several instances I took a hand at a game of cards yet I had many fears about taking this step or
mingling with men who would engage in this dangerous vice yet they were all young men who stood
high in the estimation of their friends & the world, but the influence of such men whare it is bad is
the most to be dreaded of any on Earth. becaus the example of the vulgar & disipated will not have
much influence over the man who intends to maintain a fair standing in society while at the same
time he might yield to the influence of respectable men in society even to do wrong even to that degree that
before he is aware of it that he finds that he has sacraficed his time, talents & property for that which
has done him no good, but brought upon him sorrow, disgrace, misery, & sore repentance & in many instances
when it is to late to redeem himself. But I felt that the hand of the Lord was over me in this thing as well as in
evry thing Els for whenever I have yeielded to the enticement of my associats to stake any thing at the card table
I had the good fortune in almost evry instance to loose it. I did not however loose but a small amount in
this way untill I made a strong resolution that I would entirely forsake this vice if no other before I gained
much of a taste or desire for it which resolution I have always kept. There was a spirit at work with me
in all recreation the card table, ball room, or any party of pleasure that drew my mind away I took no pleasure
in those things whatever my anticipations were they all fled when I arived at the spot I seemed to be as a
spekled birds in the midst of my associates they all seemed to enjoy themselves except me. I at times
wondered why it was so, but I have since learned there was nothing there which fed the immortal
mind. Before I commenced doing business for myself I had not acquired much taste for reading with
the intention of obtaining solid information from books neither had I improved my time in school as I ought to have
I was twenty years of age when I left my Fathers Family & commenced business with aunt Wheeler I
remained with her for three years which brought me to . I had the following reflections on leaving my
Fathers house. [should I outlive my Parents how long will it be before I shall follow them to the grave and the places
which now know them will know them no more & it will be said of them they have gone the way of all the Earth and
their children while filling their places are following them into the same Eternal world. I am now twenty years of
age & leaving my Fathers house this is an important period & step in my life & in the life of Evry man for at this
age generally speaking evry man forms a character both for time and Eternity. The character principles & sentiments
which are formed from the age of Eightteen to twenty five are generall so deeply planted in the heart that they
controll their future lives & remain with them through life whether they be good or evil. and I felt to say how
cautious I ought to be how I pass this link in the chain of my existance I felt that I needed caution prudence
circumspection & wisdom to guide my Footsteps as I step forth to act for myself. I reflected upon the days of
my youth which were gone & the speed of time which had flown like an arrow to return no more forever, while
walking in a rapid stream we cannot tread twice in the same water neither can we spend twice the same time
then how ought we to prize the golden moments of time & measure it out with our talents to the honor
& glory of God & for the salvation of our souls so that when the Lord comes he may recieve his own
with usury. In trying to comprehend the fleetness of time I asked myself the question whare is the old world
whare are the Prophets & Apostles whare are the millions of the inhabitants of the Earth including my Father
& whare are the days of my youth, gone, gone, all gone into the boundless ocean of Eternity whare
I shall soon find myself]
During the 3 years which I spent with Aunt Wheeler I passed through quite a school of experiences
both temporal & spiritual. The class of associates which I made choice of on ariving at my new
home were young men of the first respectibility in the place yet none of us professed to be guided
wholey by religious principles Hence we occasionally mingled in parties of pleasure, the Ball room & in
several instances I took a hand at a game of cards yet I had many fears about taking this step or
mingling with men who would engage in this dangerous vice yet they were all young men who stood
high in the estimation of their friends & the world, but the influence of such men whare it is bad is
the most to be dreaded of any on Earth. becaus the example of the vulgar & disipated will not have
much influence over the man who intends to maintain a fair standing in society while at the same
time he might yield to the influence of respectable men in society even to do wrong even to that degree that
before he is aware of it that he finds that he has sacraficed his time, talents & property for that which
has done him no good, but brought upon him sorrow, disgrace, misery, & sore repentance & in many instances
when it is to late to redeem himself. But I felt that the hand of the Lord was over me in this thing as well as in
evry thing Els for whenever I have yielded to the enticement of my associats to stake any thing at the card table
I had the good fortune in almost evry instance to loose it. I did not however loose but a small amount in
this way untill I made a strong resolution that I would entirely forsake this vice if no other before I gained
much of a taste or desire for it which resolution I have always kept. There was a spirit at work with me
in all recreation the card table, ball room, or any party of pleasure that drew my mind away I took no pleasure
in those things whatever my anticipations were they all fled when I arived at the spot I seemed to be as a
spekled birds in the midst of my associates they all seemed to enjoy themselves except me. I at times
wondered why it was so, but I have since learned there was nothing there which fed the immortal
mind. Before I commenced doing business for myself I had not acquired much taste for reading with
the intention of obtaining solid information from books neither had I improved my time in school as I ought to have
