ful letter than this, which the great Deist left for his little namesake, Thomas Jefferson Smith:

"This letter will, to you, be as one from the dead. The writer will be in his grave before you can weigh its counsel. Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not of the ways of Providence.

"So shall the life into which you have entered be the portal to one of eternal and ineffable bliss. And if to the dead it be permitted to care for the things of this world, every action of your life will be under my regard."

This was written the year before he died.

To Peter Carr, son of Dabney Carr, he wrote:

"Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give up earth itself, and all it contains, rather than do an immoral act."

Mr. Jefferson had always taken a deep interest in guiding young men in their reading, their studies, and their physical exercises. Even when he himself had barely finished his collegiate course parents sought his advice as to the education of their boys. In this way he mapped out a program for weakly little James Madison which came near making a gap in the Madison family. James could not carry

the load which the strength of Thomas Jefferson shouldered with ease. To his two daughters and the Carr children, and then to his own grandchildren, Mr. Jefferson wrote line upon line and precept upon precept for three generations, and sounder lessons for the young it would be hard to find.

His system may be summed up as follows: Exercise in the open air, walking long distances being preferable to all other forms. Violent exercises, such as games of ball, he condemned. Bodily health is essential to good spirits and to a sound mind. Never be idle; let each hour of the day be occupied with something useful.

Do not sit up late at night; study and work in the daytime. Rise early and go to bed early. Avoid novel reading and cultivate the companionship of good books. Never tell a lie or stoop to a mean act. Be kind to every living creature. Speak no evil of any one. Be good, adore God, be loyal to friends, and love your country better than yourself. Take hold of things by the smooth handle; avoid disputes; do not turn pleasant conversation into heated argument. Too much speaking is not best. Washington and Franklin rarely made speeches, and never spoke longer than ten minutes-and then to the main point only. Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day. Never spend your money before you have it. Never buy what you do not need because it is cheap. Pride costs more than

hunger, thirst, and cold. We never repent of having eaten too little. Never borrow trouble.

In his old age it was natural that his interest in the young should increase. From all parts of the country applications came to him to advise students who appreciated the value of his wisdom. Nothing pleased him better than to give ambitious boys the benefit of his experience, and to whet their appetite for knowledge. Thus disciples gathered about him-young men who would secure board in Charlottesville and come to Monticello to use his library.

Education! The word

rings

Education! throughout the long life of this great statesman. Democracy must spread among the masses the benefits of education; the rich must not be allowed to monopolize so vast a power.

In the long run the mind rules, ideas prevail, the thinker is king. If democracy is to stand its ground against its ancient eternal foes, it must read, it must think, it must know!

When a mere youth in service he had endeavored to adopt a thorough system of state education. He had failed utterly, but he did not surrender the purpose. With patient stubbornness he held on to the idea all his life, and never missed a chance to win converts to it.