The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-06-24

EVANSVILLE, March "a, 1853.

things which Hope will interest you some
even now, but which you will appreciate
more highly as you get older. lwish to guard
you against some OF the popular follies and
vices Of the day.
From time immemoria', there has existed
class Of young men who, being reared in
opuIence and INDUCED in idle habits, are
pest to the community in which they are
found. Under the name of "young bloods,"
these youths arrogate to themselves the ex-
elusive right to commit all manner OF Of
fences against good understanding to act
on the assumption that wealth insures in
munity from the usual penalties OF the less
favored for similar -misdemeanors. Thanks
to the enterprising business character OF our
people, we have yet but few Of this supper
tenn class of young men who are not IN some
way identified with the business class OF
our country.
lis, however, lamentable to witness the
fearful strides the sons of the great middling
or really useful class of our country are max
ing in aping the fashionable foIfes and vices
of the silly portion of hereditary aristocracy.
We have iE the middle of the 18th century,
great number of what may properly be term
ed "fast young men," They are often seen
during "vacation" on excursions in parties
at our principal hotels, or at restaurants, or
on board of steamboats-frst at the table,
and especially prominent al bars-generally
acting on the maxim that,vigilance and priv
ilege belong together, and that the refore the
young and active may thrust aside the aged
and the decrepit whenever such shall come
in their way. DO not here imagine, my son,
that am finding fault with the boys Of our
ut hov
veled too much and amyet little too active
to suffer much in this way. On the con-
trary, l will admit the fact tn at the aged too
ere often remiss in their duties to the young;
sometimes we require too much, and too sell
dom properly appreciate modest diftidence
and respectful department. In these days Of
progress, when it would seem 10 lie law OF ma
ture to harmonize oil human movements to
those of the telegraph and locomotive engine,
we, of the olden time, shoild bear in mind
the part we have borne in giving such motion
to the material and the spiritual elements
ttat in short, we have raised the wind without
making provisions for properly directing the
storm. Nov, instead Of fretting about the
folies of youth, or instead of indiscriminate
of error, it would probably be
more wise to direct our efforts t. find the lat
ent spark of virtue wherever it may exist,
and enkinde it anew. Let the aged encour-
age every thing commendable they meet with
in boys or young men by prompt recognition
and by an easy natural manifestation OF
pleasure, and / have no doubt we shall do
more to reform the growing tendency to prof.
legacy than by denunciation of error or any
punishment Of delinquencies we can invent.
had the good fortune lately to meet with
two boys or young men, Of rare excellence
for gentlemanly demeanor, on board a steam.
boat, one of whom especially attracted my
notice. The boat was crowde1 with passen.
gers, and the weather cold. On one occa-
sion was approaching stove which | soon
found so compactly surrounded as to defy ac-
cess, and was about 10 pass on TO some other
part Of the boat. The young man alluded to
without any previous acquaintance for
had not before noticed him in the crowd
arose and offered me his seat. He did it in
an easy unaffectioned m,nner-so natural
that it was evidently habitusl. There could
be no doubt that his domestic education requir-
ed this kind of respectful Difference to age; he
was clearly a gentleman-boy,-one who had
found too much pleasure in the society of pa
rents and books to waste time among disso.
lutte or fashionable idlers. By such my young
friend would doubtless be considered toe
green for respectable society. Had ! been ia.
tigued or cold, [ would perha ps have accepted
his seat. Being neither, declined il, but
thanked him. and by some means let him
know that liked him. ] do not know how /
did it. To like him under the circumstances
was unavoidable, and it was natural that he
should detect my emotions. On the second
day OF our voyage our boat got fast near the
middle of the river, where we were detained
many hours and until another boat relieved
Us. We had not proceeded far after the
change when my young friend came to me
and inquired if | had state room. told him
that all had been taken before got on board,
but that should dJubtless find comfortable
quarters for the night somewhere in the
main cabin. Without a moments hesitation
he said: "Mv companion and I obtained a
stateroom together, and will relinqush nv
berth to YOU" The manner of this second
act OF kindness was both digni6ed and simple,
precisely such rs would be expected from a We
ry sensible good boy to a very::kindand indul.
gent parent. Satisfied now that he was NO.
only educated right, but that he also was born
right, determined to know more of him: and
from thattime until we left the DO at the two
young men and myself were almost onstapt.
~ IN each others company. They told me
they lived in Tennessee-that they were on
their way to military academy in Kentucky.
and that they were preparing themselves for
the profession Of civil engineering. This
was another recommendation to nv favor.
able opinion Of them, and naturally elected a
long story Of my own experiencein the nro.
fesslon OF their choice, with much saoe ad.
vice-to all of which the young gentlemen
were capital listeners.
These boys are certainly of good stock
1t they live long enough, they will be useful
men and an honor to their parents. Sucb
boys are clearly entitled to kind and respect-
ful attention in any snciafu W. IL