Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-04-26
From the Little Corporal.
COUNSEL To BOYS.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

nc" was HiHc years oiu, tHefe unex-
pectedly appeared, one day, in my fathers
humble farmhouse, the Clergyman, doctor,
lawyer, and perhaps one or two other mag
mates of our New England rural township,
who addressed my parens to this effect:
"four Older son is so promising student,
so easy and rapid learner, that we think
he should have better education than our
common school can give him. We propose,
therefore, that he be sent t. Phillips Acade-
my, and thence to college and we offer,
should you choose to entrust him to us, to
see that he is thoroughly schooIed, without
expense to you"
My poor but proud parents responded with
thanks, but decided that they would give
their children all the schooling they could
fairly afford, and that this must suffice
them.
And, among the many things for which
have cause fer flial gratitude, accord
high place to this decision. True, had they
accepted the generous proffer, should have
learned much that | still urgently need 10
know; for never was, even for day, pu-
pill in any seminary higher or other than a
very common school but prize the indie.
pendence thus secured far above the learns
ing which it would have dearly purchased.
! would like to read Homer and Eschylus,
Plato and Demosthenes, in their native 10,
que but not at the cost of owing my ability
SO to read them to the bounty Of some sect
or educational society, who would ,reasona.
bly, expect OF me the championship of its
dogmas in return. | would not be bound,
even by the siken ligaments Of gratitude, to
what seems to me the truth of to day, If
we're thereby to be rendered ever disinclined
to accept and welcome the deeper truth that
may dawn on my apprehension tomorrow.
The prevalent laxity Of fiber on this point,
is one OF our gravest perils. 1t indicates
serious, and fear growing, defect of ma.
tional Character. Every one wishes to rise
which is natural, and perhaps laudable /;
but the great majority aspire to rise, not BY
natural elasticity, nor yet by arduous pc, son.
al effort, but by clinging to the skirts Of some
one else. Some rich uncle or generous
brother, some wealthy frie,.d or free-handed
philanthropist, is expected, CT at least desir.
I'd, to initiate the balloon whereby the fond
asrirant hopes to be fioated over the heads
of the multitude into an elysium of wealth or
power. Our youth are generally ambitious !:
but the crown of simple leaves which so rich
ly rewarded the long preparation, the absti>
nence and thorough training, Of the victor
in the Grccian games, would have little At
traction in their eyes. They aspire rather
to clutch quickly and easily those material
advantages which are blessings to those only
who have worthily, laboriously achieved
them. They covet the sudden though doubt
fnl gains Of speculation, rather than the slow
but sure reward Of useful industry. They
aspire to be wealthy first, and useful Ii. ever)
afierward, and mistakenly fancy that, if an
unearned fortune were somehow showered
upon them, they wonld excite Gods aston
ished admiration by devoting tithe of it to
some unselfish. bene6cent use. Give them
the fortune today, and they would soon con.
clude that tithe of 1.-THE is all they could
spare for any philanthropic aim and they
would grudge even that.
We all know men who began the world
with nothing" and have no. all that heart
toald wish. We know sons Of such who,
beginning with everything. I've say,) soon
ran il down to nothing. But we harshly
misjudge them. They did not begin with
everything. The handspring Of noble ca.
reer was wanting. Their youthful expericn-
ccs were directly calculated to Undue them
with the false notion that il is the sum Of
life to eat and drink luxuriously, dress sump-
tuously, and ride, sail, or dance abundantly; |;
that it is mans chief end to crafty his phys.
ical appetites and rcyel in sensual delights.
Thus blinded and miseducaled, they were
from childhood impelled on the road to ruin,
and may largely blame their infatuated pa.
rents or guardians for their swift descent to
perdition.
The gicat hrst truth to be impressed on
every unfolding mind, is the inexorr bilty of
retribution. Drive ont nature with q pitch.
fork, they say, and she will surely come in
again but Retribution will not be driven
out. Like to like; so much fox SO much !;
pain and woe the inevitable shadow Of evil
doing-such is the elemental law of the uni
verse, as vital and operative to day, on this
earth, in our homes, as ever on any planet
that has revolved, any sun that ever shone
There are suiferings which result from other
sins than those Of the present sufferer; but
no one ever did Z wrong, and ESCAPED or
evaded the penalty. /" In the day thou eat
est thereof, thou shalt surely de-" which
does not, by any means. imply that you shall
be alive and wel on the morrow.
But may 20 one ever seek aid from 9TH
ers?r
Yea, verify! II you arc ignorant, seek
knowledge; il unskilled and inefficient, seek
ability and dexterity in whatever sphere Of
useful effort shall seem to you most inviting.
But seek these, with every other good, as
equivalents for services rendered, not as
aims. Say to the teacher, the craftsman,
You have wisdom that need but have
young, elastic sinews, that may be made
useful to you. propose to give aud take
on terms Of mutual advantage what shall
they be 2" What you need is not Charity,
but Opportunity; and if this is not afforded
on terms Of reciprocal benefit in one direc.
tion, resolve to seek it in another. Better
live and die an independent cobbler, than
any great mans satellite.
The darkest day in any mans earthly coz
reer, is that wherein be first fancics that
there is some easier way Of gaining dollar