The Columbian fountain., 1846-03-31
THE YOUNG MANS WAY
TO lNTELLIGENCE, RESPECTABIIdTY, HO.
NOR AND USEFULNESS.

T.,
NOR AND USEFULNESS.
From what has been already said, it is
hoped you will be prompted to activity in
using the means which lead to due de-
lvelopement of the intellectual powers, This
ms education of manly kind, neglected by
none without great and manifest loss Yet
this, properly attended to, will not fit US
fully for life. To it must be added charac-
ter, or previous studies will be almost use
less Ineed not describe it, you know and
admire 1t wherever seen. 1t, is found
among the poor as well as wealthy, the un-
learned as well as masters of science With
out good character you will not, you can
not succeed in life, whatever your other
qualifications are. Deficiency in science
will be witnessed and pitied by your learned
friends, but the absence Of character will
be seen by all, and visited by merted con-
tempt. You may pass into good society
without much education, but without char
acter never. Where unknown, you may
succeed in making few acquaintances
among the respectable, but as your deficien-
cies come to light, they will forsake you
Who has not heard Of the man without a
shadow, and his various efforts to conceal
his unnatural defects ? Finding it difficult
to remain where he was known he fled into
other lands, where he supposed strangers
beguiled by his imposing exterior, would
bid him welcometo good society. But the
effort was as useless as it was foolish
For he dare not walk in company, either by
arr Irhf oLo x.Ic Il
be known, and his monstrous deficiency
become SO visible as to scare away his
companions. The only safe plan, therefore,
left him, and which he hastily adopted, was
only to go out iu the dark an expedient,
no doubt, frequently adopted by many young
men in large cities, who have wandered
from the way of understanding In his
case however, the effort was failure, as
during his walk with an innocent and un-
suspecting lady, the clouds broke away
and moonbeams came peering through
the opening, and revealed to the fair one
that she was walking with a man with
out shadow Startled with alarm, with
out allowing time for expostulation she fled,
and the poor fellow was left to mediate
alone.
The allegory needs no explanation, its in
tention is TOO manifest to be mistaken. 1t
has been introduced not barely to amuse,
but to show that all attempts to flee from
ourselves are vain and fruitess. No man
even among strangers, can sustain forced
character long. When he lest suspects it,
his true character will appear to his friends
and he will find himself forsaken and alone.
He may blaze and shine for while, but
will go out in obscurity.
He who would be respected must first
respect himself. 1t is unreasonable to sup
pose others will entertain high regard for
him who has done for himself. Self-respect
then is one ofthe first ingredients in worthy
character. This, however, must not be
mistaken for foolish pride, often so ruinous
to the young. Pride is always offensive to
God and all good men. 1t cannot well be
o,herw Use. But self-respect is founded in
the nature and common equality of men.
God has created all men equal, and all
should respect themselves because they are
men. We hold an important relation to
God and our fellows-to this world and the
next. What immense power man has or
may have If you do not respect your
selves for what you are now, reflect on
what you may be. Each man has mind
which may be almost infinitely expanded
has power of doing good, if the energies
possessed be rightly directed, only to be
measured by Him who conferred it.
Without self-respect these powers will
never be cultivated-never developed or
applied to any useful purpose. The man
who does not esteem himself, will never re-
ceive il from others. You cannot respect
him whom you know to be careless of him.
self What we seek in others, we should
not be without. You may laugh at the
man who amuses you with boyish tricks,
or foolish feats of skill in that which can
be of no possible use to him or others, but
in your heart you despse him. You already
read his future history, and foresee the dis
graceful termination of his career. Self
respect will make you wary as to company,
select in yonr associations, and careful in
tn formation Of habits.
There is also dignity in manners which
is an essential element Of character. Some
men galvanize their muscles into a grin,
and affect TO laugh at every thing The
object OF this is to please, but the effect is
wholly Of different character. II invarIa-
hlv makes a man look childish in the ewes