"Read no let-ters, books, or pa-pers in com-pa-ny; but when there is a need for do-ing it, you must ask leave. Come not near the books or wri-tings of a-ny one so as to read them, un-less asked to do so, nor give your o-pin-ion of them un-asked; al-so look not nigh when an-o-ther is wri-ting a let-ter. "In wri-ting or speak-ing give to each per-son his due ti-tle ac-cord-ing to his rank and the cus-tom of the place. "When a man does all he can, though it suc-ceeds not well, blame not him that did it. "Be slow to be-lieve e-vil re-ports of a-ny one. "Be mod-est in your dress and seek to suit na-ture rather than to win ad-mi-ra-tion. Keep to the fash-ion of your e-quals, such as are civ-il and or-der-ly with re-spect to times and pla-ces. "Play not the pea-cock, look-ing all a-bout you to see if you be well decked, if your shoes fit well, your stock-ings sit neat-ly, and your clothes hand-some-ly. "Make friends with those of good char-ac-ter, if you care for your own rep-u-ta-tion, for it is bet-ter to be a-lone than in bad com-pa-ny. "Speak not of dole-ful things in time of mirth, nor at the ta-ble; speak not of mourn-ful things, as death, and wounds, and if o-thers men-tion them, change, if you can, the dis-course. "Ut-ter not base and fool-ish things 'mongst grave and learn-ed men; nor hard ques-tions or sub-jects a-mong the ig-no-rant; nor things hard to be believed. "Be not for-ward, but friendly and court-e-ous; the first to sa-lute, hear, and an-swer; and be not pen-sive when it is time to con-verse. "Gaze not on the marks or blem-ish-es of o-thers, and ask not how they came. "Think be-fore you speak, pro-nounce not im-per-fect-ly, nor bring out your words too hast-i-ly, but or-der-ly and dis-tinct-ly. "Treat with men at fit times a-bout bus-i-ness; and whis-per not in the com-pa-ny of o-thers. "Be not cu-ri-ous to know the af-fairs of o-thers, nor go near to those that speak in pri-vate. "Un-der-take not to do what you can-not per-form, but be care-ful to keep your prom-ise. "Speak not e-vil of the ab-sent, for it is un-just. "Make no show of ta-king great delight in your food; feed not with greed-i-ness; cut your bread with a knife; lean not on the ta-ble; nei-ther find fault with what you eat. "When you speak of God, let it be grave-ly and in re-ver-ence. Hon-or and o-bey your pa-rents, al-though they be poor. "Let your a-muse-ments be man-ful, not sin-ful. "La-bor to keep a live in your breast that lit-tle spark of ce-les-ti-al fire, called con-sci-ence." It is not known where George found these rules he took so much pains to write out, but it is plain that he set great store by them, and made use of them through out his whole life. CHAPTER II. YOUTH.