Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-06-12
Preoepts fer. Young Men.
BY,AN oGT0GENARIAN.

"-i4 BY, AN oC4T0GEN ARIAN. .tT
On tie score Of Of age [ have no, ,noaesty at al,
and do not scrpple to acknowledge that | was
eighty years Old on the @29th Of February last.
t OF course am slightly deaf, and my sight is a
I little dim, my walk is feeble, and my grandchil
dren joke me because [ cannot hear the, prattle
of their -hsping tongues But my tongue is still
/. free enough and, although four-score years
have made me FORGET, all who have wronged and
injured NE .Isliave 4 perfect memory stiil for
every Kind word, every. generous act, every hap
py moment, which has thrown joy upon my
LIT would be useless for me to speak of tie
[ old Revolution, the war of 1912, OF the fiery en-
thusiasnl of the war with Mexico, for have we
not iil2ollr memories the pains and sorrows of a
later and moro terrible struggle, ended now in
tdisappolntfnent. humiliation, and defeat Old
times are sadly altered and in speech and dress
and manner there have been so many changes
that my head fairly turns as endeayor 6fecord
them; but whether in pig-tails and fufbelows,
er1broadeloth1 andibraided tl'esses, hunlanAature
is pretty niuchthe same. w hen Twas pothg,
tr,ining1and hard work sHFere indispensable to
success,9but now we are all born Presidents,
Generals, Poets and Statesmen. The young
men of the day are wise in their generation
they h;gHe exhausted the well Of knowledge,
and If yon will but believe them, YOU will come
to the conclusion that if there isone thing which
they do understand, it is the nature, habits and
instincts Of woman All me, the world was
not so wise In my young days, and women then
were always loved, honored, and respected
The young men say they tore them now but
how about the respect and honor, my children?
One STRIPPING, with the faint down of adde's
"ladies es'A save the mark He may have done
this, for, my word for it, he has not studied
anything else Jeerng, joking, and sarcasm,
viii not do, five wish to see this dear old State
again the mother of warriors and statesmen
Think Of George Washington, Monroe Jeffer-
son, or Madison, at fifteen years ofage3 smoking
short pipes, talking ribald nonsense, making
morning calls, leaving enamelled cards with the
grinning. servant, swinging tiny canes, and sigh
ing for the ladics! Why, the mothers of the
venerable dead would have birched them sound
II if they had dared to think of such a thing;
but then those noble mothers were not 50 wise
as the mothers and sons Of this progressive age.
OF one thing | am certain, and that is. that
a man S true character can be always t.Ily di-
vi1ed from the manner in which he behaves
when in the society of gentle, loving women
Those who are boys now will become fathers,
and perhaps grandfathers, if they don't Kill
themselves prematurely bysmoking bad cigars,
or die OF hamilton; and it is one Of my last de-
sires to see these young men appreciate the
high and noble work that lies before them
Let them think of what Virginia has been, and
that they are the Virginians who in the future
must make her a name among nations, Or else
a by-Word and reproach. If they viii but give
up affectation, and rememberssthat their moth
ers and sisters are aco1aet there IS still more
hope left. want to see the boys all happily
married, and, If they will allow me, and not
laugh at.the old-timey ways of the old man, 4
will teach them the way to matrlmony in few
short and easy lessons. llF.- l9s td1H t'a+
ia Pecept lin all that you say and do con-
corning ladies, be. honest and sincefel They
can tell the ring of truth and they like it bet
ter thanthe ring of gold, to which it usually
leads. Never mind about smooth words and
rounded periods; only be sincere, and you are
sure of respect and friendship, if you cannot al
ways obtain lore. l.7 Ce.E -G ba1ea1y --97a
Recept 2-Do not make lady eontempti-
bic in her own eyes by overwhelming her with
fattery and panegyric. Too much honey will
kill the stoutest fly, and confidence and regard
which flourish best in adversity, are easily kill
ed by7an excess of sweet talk A woman of
sense knows her own value, and you can best
show that you appreciate the purity of hermind
and the brightness of her intellect by being pure
and bright yourself A compliment implied is
Tar more forcible than one expressed and if
you wish to hatter a lady, let it be by actions
rather than by.sooi4ls 5.s j9s ORA t'l..
cannot get accustomed to this new tangled
kerosene, or petroline, or whatever it is ; per
haps because my sense of the unpleasant is keen
er than that of the men Of 1866; and now the
Hghtwood burning cheerily in the wide old Chin
neey, or else, maybe, the memory of that dear
wife, that trne helpmeet, over whose last rest
ing place the yiolets bloom, has filed these eyes
with tears At this moment / can write no
more | do not say farewell, but only a kind
good night. '-e-5 s..9:,fe se.ls 49,. .s-I