Letters from a Father to His Son

All of life is before you, and, therefore, be not in haste to
anticipate its enjoyments. Some young men I have known, at
twenty years of age, who could find no pleasure in anything.
They had seen so much amusement, and had courted
unwholesome excitement to such an extent, that the society of
their friends and relatives filled them with ennui (boredom).
They were old in the ways of the world, and wearied with all it
had to offer to them, before they had arrived at the years of
discretion.
Take, therefore, your amusements with great moderation, and of
these you will find the simple and natural amusements will last
you the longest. Riding on horseback occasionally, a little fishing,
and a moderate indulgence in such field sports as come within
your reach, without sacrificing more important objects; these,
and such like, are the best and most healthful exercises for a
godly man. They lead to the enjoyment of natural scenes, the
inhaling of fresh air, and the expansion of the bodily powers,
which are too often allowed to lie dormant, until the mind
becomes injured by an undue and disproportionate exercise of
its faculties.
Be particularly careful to avoid all harmful habits, such as smoking,
snuffing, etc. In a young man they are especially disgusting. As to
wine, in our home, as you know, you never saw a gentleman
tipsy, and I do not know that you ever heard of such a thing
among your friends as one of them taking wine to excess at table.
It is altogether so debasing a habit, so unlike a gentleman, and so
unworthy of one who claims to possess a refined mind and a
cultivated intellect, that it is, I am sure, quite unnecessary for me
to say a word more to you on that head.
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