Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-19
RRornEn,s CouNsEL.
Words that YOung Men should Read
and Ponder


We are permitted 10 make the following
extract from letter written by gentle
man Of Memphis, to a younger brother
in this city, which we heartily commend to
the youth of this city and State
'sDEAR GEORGE as So abandon
the idea Of making tbs newsy or goss1py
letter, and glance back upon the old year,
and see if We can't draw from it some lesson
Of value to guide Us in what we may wish
to accomplish in the future. What do you
propose to yourself? The coming year will
bring you to your twentieth birthday, and
leave you but one more mile in the journey
of life to reach your majority-an import
ant post in the journey of life up the hill
whose ascent is steep or gentle as you pro-
pose to rise above the plain, or travel the
level road. You must, now or then, choose
your destiny = decide between the
law iog-trot of the hack, or the
earnest effort of the charger, in seal
ing heights, difficult and perhaps dan
eerous, but successfully reached under the
rein of discreet and jealous rider. 1t is
the time then for you TO determine whether
YOU viii continue in the smooth ways of the
boyhood past, or turn towards the tower
ing height where your views will be ex-
panded, your strength and energy increased
and your manhood well-asserted. 1t will
require labor and toll You viii find many
a stone in the way that viii have to be roll
ed away or climbed over, even before you
can consider yourself fairly started; and
many times will yeur earnest and, at
first, futile efforts be laughed at
by the crowd of timid and lazy
ones, who have been your companions
along the road in the valley, and who pre-
fer to remain with the slothful to going the
upward way. But let not that influence
you. Having made up your mind which
way you will go, pursue it with will and
with constant purpose. Even if you meet
with obstacles at first, you Will soon go
above the taunts and jeers, the SCOTS and
sneers of the crowd that lack the courage
to 60 with you, and be Indifferent alike to
their envy or hate.
Your past active life has been devoted to
obtain the means Of living comfortably and
well, and introducing yourself to the bust
ness world. You have succeeded well; but
don't be content with moderate success,
and don't depend upon what may turn up
for livelihood Settle upon what you
want to be, and set about achieving it
which should be, at least, the making of
name that will give you an influential po-
sition in society and a sure competency in
business.
Discard all pleasures-I don't mean pleas
ures of the home-circle, nor those quiet
ones derived from intercourse with well
chosen friends-but pleasures which in
volve a waste of time, a waste of talents
and waste of health and strength, dissipa-
ton of all sorts, frivolous enjoyments at
places of amusement, neither instructive
nor improving-pleasures that ''are like
peoples spread, you seize the flower, its
bloom is shed" Pain always follows them.
Devote your whole energy to your work.
Let ''Ercel-sior" be your motto, and stop
not at the song of the syren, which lures
to destruction; but heed well the
advice of all men, who know ''the pass,
and when they caution, forbear to try it.
Gladly will / cheer you in success, and
gladly aid you in seasons of dependency
and gloom. Look to the past to make the
present sure and to prepare for the future.
Let experience teach and you will surely
learn.
Inform yourself on all subjects and on
all occasions. A man can make all the
better blacksmith if he knows Greek and
Latin. Because book knowledge is not
needed in business, it is no reason why
it will not be Of great benefit to you.
w. W. G..