Section 231. An Oration on the Power of Habit. III

If you say: “Should I find the practice by experience to be injurious, I will give it up,” surely that is not common sense⁠. You might as well say: “I will put my hand into the nest of the rattlesnake, and when I find out that he has stuck his fangs into me⁠, I will draw it out and get cured.”

I remember riding from⁠ Buffalo to the Niagara Falls, and said to a gentleman: “What river is that, Sir?” “That,” he said, “is Niagara River⁠.” “Well, it is a beautiful stream,” said I, “bright, and fair, and glossy; how far off are the rapids⁠?” “Only a mile or two,” was the reply. “Is it possible that (S. 66, N. 15) only a mile or two from us we shall find the water in the turbulence which it must show when near the falls?” “You will find it so, Sir.” And so I did find it; and that first sight of the Niagara I shall never forget. Now, launch your boat on that Niagara river; it is bright, smooth, beautiful, and glossy. There is a ripple at the bow⁠, and the silvery wake⁠ you leave behind adds to your enjoyment. Down the stream you glide; oars, sails, and helm are in proper trim, and you set out⁠ on your pleasure excursion⁠. Suddenly some one cries out from the bank: “Young men, ahoy⁠!” “What is it⁠!”—“The rapids are below you⁠!”—“Ha, ha! we have heard of the rapids, but we are not so foolish as to get there⁠. If we go [= If it goes] too fast, then up with the helm⁠, then set the mast in the socket⁠, hoist the sail, and speed to land⁠. Then on⁠, boys; don’t be alarmed—there’s no danger!”

= reasonable.

stuck — me = bitten me.

riding from = that I during a journey from; change ‘and said to’ into ‘asked’.

Use the def. art.

die Stromschnellen.

Das Wasser kräuselt sich am Bug des Bootes.

Kielwasser, n.

‘to set out on’, here an´treten, v. tr.

Vergnügungstour.

Ohoi! of which pronounce every vowel separately and slowly in the German way.

Was giebts.

are below you, sind dort unten nicht weit von euch!

as — there, so weit zu fahren.

dann schnell das Steuerruder hinein.

dann richten wir den Mast auf.

und eilen ans Land!

Daher nur immer vorwärts.