Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-08-03
1NNocrNcr AND yraTUe.

md maturity, and who mark how often
knowledge Is accompanied
by additional siu, wish that the child's
ignorance Of evil might be prolonged
aud are inclined to fancy that knowl-
edge itself is at best but a doubtful
blessing. This idea proceeds rather
from a negative hatred of evil, than
from a positive love of good, and its
error lies 10 mistaking innocence for
1t is true that the child posses.
ses naturally some qualities in which
manhood Is often too deficient. Such
are its humility, doeility and its dispo-
sition to follow guidance. Even these
are chiefly lovely in the child, because
50 essential to the development Of its
nature. Weak and ignorant, 1t must
lean on the strong and the wise If 1t is
to acquire their characteristics ; and as
far as the boy is unfit to guide himself,
his excellence consists in being guided
by Others. Innocence 10 lovely in the
child, because it is in harmony with its
nature. It's ignorance Of evil 10 bal
auced by its ignorance Of all other
things, and the child who, uniformed
upon all else, has yet acquired q
Knowledge of evil, Is justly regarded
With dis~pleasurs as being out OF har-
mouy with nature.
But our path in life is not backwards
but EDWARDS, aud virtue can never be
the offspring of mere innocence. If We
are to progress in the knowledge OF
good, we must also progress in tho
knowledge of evil. Even if with extreme
caro- the period Of childish innocence
could be much prolonged, still it must
end, and the question comes vitality to
all, " what is to succeed i'll" Every
experience of evil brings its own tempta-
ton, and, according to the degree in
which the evil is recognised, and the
temptation resisted, will be the value OF
the character into which the individual
will develop. Innocence may be beau
tiful, but can never be strong, while the
whole essence Of virtue lies in its
strength to resist and power to endure.
II the innocence of childhood be re-
placed by the firm principles Of integrity
and honor, the loss will be really a great
gain. 1t is only where the knowledge
Of evil is unattended BY appreciation OF
its nature, where temptations are
Welded to and not resisted. that we are
induced to grieve over the departure OF
that innocence which vas so beautiful
in earlier years.
The change from childish innocence
to manly virtue is ono that should be
FASTENED rather than d~eplorsd. Where
the whole animal frame 10 increasing in
size and force, tie bones knitting more
firmly, the muscles growing tenser, and
the strength and endurance augmenting,
it is natural and right that similar
changes In the inward nature should
take place. Some Of the worst sins Of
manhood arise from retaining too long
the ,houghtlessness of the child. II is
not so much tho knowledge Of evil that
is to be feared as the ignorance of posi-
tive good to overcome it not the ad.
vance Of one part Of our nature, but the
failure to advance in the higher and
uobler parts. As the stature and power
Of the full.grown man is superior to
that of the little child, so is the strength
and energy Of virtue superior to the in'
noceuce that only ignores the evil, with.
GU, having tasted the good.
knowledge, to be truly valuable,
must be guided by wisdom, and the ss-
sence of ell wisdom consists in diseov-
ering and obeyiug the laws Of the Crea-
tor. This can render even the loss OF
innocence itself the means Of developing
our highest nature. The real danger to
be feared for the rising generation is
not so much that they should learn
about evil, rs that they should not learn
about good. Positive good will soon
crowd out evil, while, if we could BY
our utmost energies simply guard our
mind from oil approaches of sin, We
should at tho most only accomplish a
negative work, which would fail in pro-
ducing q truly manly and rirtuou'
character. Let every one, then, be
careful to sow the seeds of positive
moral goodness, as well as to eradicate
the weeds that will occupy the soil Of
every hear. that is left uncultivated.
Planted thiekly with the seeds Of truth,
integrity, self-denial and love, a rich
harvest of noble and manly character
will be yielded, while the utmost toll
will fail to keep down the weeds OF vice
and siufulness in the heart where posi-
tive virtues do not grow.
81 en- - T,na 1880 has hean