Letters from a Father to His Son

In this latter case, if you have attended to the advice and
instructions of your parents and teachers, imbibed virtuous
principles, and become truthful, self-denying, industrious, and
economic—then your fortune rests in your own hands, and you
will be able to earn a living for yourself.
On the other hand, supposing your parents to leave you a
competence, or even wealth—all of that would be of no use to
you should you be without truth, without industry, and without a
proper economy. No property can long remain in such hands,
and you would soon find that your wealth would slip through
your fingers and be consumed in follies and extravagances, until
you would be reduced to poverty! While, on the other hand, you
would possess no qualities either of mind or body which would
enable you to re-instate yourself in the place from whence you
had fallen, or even probably to obtain your daily bread.
Possessing, however, as I have no doubt you will, a competence,
and combining also, as I trust it will be your anxious study to do
—good and virtuous principles with energy of character and a
determination rather to improve than deteriorate your position
—there are few of the usual objects of ambition in life to which
you may not aspire with a reasonable probability of success.
I am, my dear son,
Your affectionate Father
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