Arthur Dixon letters

health, you must you ought to be happy, and the knowledge of that will make me quite happy too. If the consciousness of being esteemed and beloved by kind and sincere friends, contributes to happiness, if hopes and aspirations to deserve even a nobler meed animate with that refining power which is evidenced by an expansion of the heart and mind, if the path however steep and rugged be but clear and distinct, and if a good prospect lies before, if these with Health make up as they assuredly do much towards happiness, You my dear John ought to be happy. I sympathize with you in all that distresses you, but you must indeed you must as little as possible regard it, look off it, be happy, in spite of all, its pulling the other way. Look forward with anticipation. Look back with what pleasure you may & cram all you can into the present, suffer no privations, and that you may have an hour or two of peaceful work or enjoyment do now rise early – that will make it impossible for you nodding and dozing to sit up late at night, the bane of all good habits and of yours in particular. At the slightest approach of the dark daemon, take some bodily exertion, rowing is better than anything, & perhaps you could manage to do that easily. Walking does not then answer the purpose. – I have enclosed an order which you can forward.