Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-05-18

PgaILs OF THE YoUNG.-Young people
cannot be too careful to avoid bad
habits. If a young man be idle,
he will soon make others idle.
If he be ~dishonorable in bust.
ness, or %extravagant, or does not pay
| his debts, he saps that credit, conf
| dence and honor. which is the life OF
business prosperity. Where these or
| other vicious principles prevail among
the youth of the nation, it may sink
into degradation, and eventually be
DESTROYED. On the other hand, where
nm industrious, orderly, just and honor
able character pertains to the youth
of II people it ~insures the welfare aud
progress Of the nation Mt large. In
youth comes the crisis oflife; those who
choose well, rise like tho morning sun
higher and higher, but those who full Mt
this crisis, sink among the perils that
| surround them, often to rise no more.
At no time are passions and energy so
strong, and experience so weak, MS Mt
! the point where parents and guardians
relinquish authority, and the young
man assumes the responsibility OF di-
rectiug himself. 1t is then that the
mind and thu body are strong, courage,
hope and enterprise ardent, aud the
appetites and inclinations. powerful.
Passions when latent in the breast, need
but n spark of temptation to inflnme
them. If they were all pure, and pro
pcrly ]harmonized, the young man would
perhaps find in them that which would
give strength to his virtue, aud m in.
%stinc,, which, supplying the place OF
experience, would guide him Alright.
But it is not so. lie may have inner.
tied the moral ielinquencics Of the
parcui rs much rs his physical disor-
derS. The currents and fashions Of pre-
vuiling wickcducSs mikes it difficult for
a young man to keep clear OF them.
What uvuils the skull of the mariner in
the midst Of the whirlpool? He may
steer by his compass, and set his sails,
and seem to be moving Alright, while lie
is really drifting into the fatal currebt:
The young man led by his youthful
associates into the haunts of dissipation
and vice is being insensibly drawn into
the fatal current. He may be amiable,
and even Innocent Mt first, but after n
time his face becomes flushed, and his
brow contracted with anxiety, for he
feels that he is rushing into tho whirl-
pool of guilt that may end in bis des-
truction. Good habits firmly fixed are
the best thing to guide the youth through
the journey Of life in n wise and honor
able name money cannot do it, nor
talents or education, o powerful con-
n%ections and fashionable manners.
Neither can philosophy, nor even inno-
ccuce and amiability do it. All these
may fade before the sun Earnest and
active devotion to duty, to virtuous prin-
ciplcs, ind the practice of honor, homes
~, morality and justice, arc necessary
to combat the dangers by which the
young are surrounded. Some habits
should be checked others stimulated ;
some need pruning, and others wedding
out, root and branch. If taken in time
it will be II pleasant duty to keep the
garden of the mind in order but If the
weeds get the upper hand, the task will
be one Of increasing difficulty. Prince
Tnllcyrand took part in thirteen revoln.
tons, and was always the acknowledged
leader. His plan was to watch the ten
dcncy Of public opionion, and always
10 take his stand n little way before the
foremost, so that they would seem TO
be coming up to him. lie once said
that thu secret Of his success in life was
to set his watch ten minutes ahead Of
the rest of mankind. Idleness is u
common weed, but is easily kept under,
if industrious habits arc formed in time,
and he whose day begins ten minutes
sooner than that Of those around him,
will fluid the benefit Of T%aIlcyrnnd's
maxim. So, if a young man in Ais
business keeps n little in advance o.
what his employer could reasonably cI-
pect of him; his reputation will bens-
sured.