Penn was once advising a man to leave off his habit of drinking
intoxicating liquors.
"Can you tell me how to do it?" said the slave of his appetite.
"Yes," answered Penn. "It is just as easy as to open thy hand, friend."
"Convince me of that and I will promise, upon my honor, to do as you
tell me."
"Well, my friend," said the great Quaker, "when thou findest any vessel
of intoxicating liquor in thy hand, open the hand that grasps it before
it reaches thy mouth, and thou wilt never be drunk again."
The man was so pleased with the plain advice that he followed it.
--_Monthly Magazine._
811
You need not wrestle and strive with the old habit, only just be
persistent in forming the good one, and the bad one will take care of
itself.
--_Ursula._
812
Habit is like a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we
cannot break it.
--_Horace Mann._
813
No man is free who is a slave to any kind of useless habit.
--_Seneca._
814
Habit, if not resisted soon, becomes necessity.
--_St. Augustine._
815
Habit with him was all the test of truth,
"It must be right: I've done it from my youth."
--_Crabbe._
816