Smyrna times., 1866-02-28
A Plea for Youth.

There is great deal of humbug about ''boy-
hood happy days" and all that and those
My rccollectlOns Of them consist in being snub-
bed by my elder brothers, made to learn long
and stupid lessons, HshOw off " when company
came, and go to church regularly three times
of Sundays.
The happiness Of believing that the moon
was made Of green cheese, that Santa Claus
was real Dutchman, and that little babies
were found under rose leaves in the garden, is
scarcely sufficient to set off against SO much
positive suffering.
Nowadays, when anything puzzles me, |
can put my brain to work, and make all need
tul inquiries to enable me to understand it and
| should like to have anybody tell me, Little
boys shouldn't ask questions.
That was the way they used to choke me off
in those pinfeather days that people talk so
much nonsense about.
Why shouldn't little boys ask questions :?
There are so many things in life to learn, that
it seems to me that one cannot begin too early
or continue too long his attempts to find out. .
Little boys should be seen and not heard -
Is another of the wise sayings with which old
muffS try to smother all endeavors on a little
fellow part to make himself as useful as or
namental
The idea conveyed in the aphorism is not al
ways based in truth, for, if little boy has a
dirty face, he had much better be heard than
seen.
Herod was of opinion that they should nei-
ther be seen nor heard, and carried out his
theory in fashion that was both cffectual and
impressive. But one little boy escaped the at
tentiOns of the Tetrarch, and was soon after
ward heard and seen in the Temple, sitting
in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them
and asking them questions"
| have no doubt that the learned old doctors
cooked their wigs on one side when they found
themselves up stump, and pertinently 're-
marked that little boys should not ask ques-
| uonS.
Age is an excellent thing il its way, perhaps,
and ought to be reVerenced, so far as getting a
seat in an omnibus or good place at table is
concerned.
And | do not think that an old man S crutch-
eS should be tripped from under him, or that
he should be driven over at the corner of the
street, simply because he happens to stand in
the way.
But do think that great many old men
are great nuisanceS, and | do not think that
wisdom is by any means the inevitable accom-
panlment Of age.
Ifa man setting out on journey starts
wrong and keeps on in direct line, the chan.
ces are that at the end Of week travel he is
further out of the way than he who has just
started but is heading right.
There is a great deal in ones not being toe
old to learn, and this is the young mans ad
vantage.
The world grows, and, unless man keep,
pace with it, he finds himself sadly behindhand
for all the gray hairs that may lie on his poll.
No one would think of teaching an old dog
dancing, and an old man perhaps wouldn' take
very kindly to telegraph-operating or short
hand writing. 1t is very hard indeed to per,
suade the old to adopt discoveries or to accept
improvements. And if the world were Obliged
to rely wholly upon the old, have an idea that
neither its progress nor its population would
receive many accesslons.
For one, advocate the new-the young.
Of course yield respect to experience, and tC
study am always willing to bow; but there
are limits to human knowledge, and, regarding
all beyond this life. l consider myself quite as
wise as the grayest or baldest philosopher-fol
l can guess and conjecture, and he can do nc
more.