The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-03
4 LITTLE GIRL TO HER DOLLY


My DEAR SoN: Perhaps YOU have
thought that because j am rather silent
man, and do not very often write YOU a let
ter, that | have not much feeling and do
not take interest in YOU. But no one
knows how closely L am watching my boy
as time is bringing him up from boyhood
to manhood.
Sometimes your grandmother worries
about your being where there may be bad
boys But tell her that among 50 many
there must he both good and bad, and If
you choose the bad YOU show very poor
Judgment / think if boy picks out bad
companions. il shows there Is something
bad in himself
She says | ought To keep giving you good
advice now you are just starting In life.
and charge YOU TO he honest and truthful
and so forth. | tell her that would be
something as it would be if you were just
starting on pleasant journey. and | should
say, Now. William Henry, don't put out
your own eyes at the beginning, or cut the
cords of your legs" Do you see what L
mean. \ boy that is nat honest and truth
ful puts out his own eyes and cripples him
self at the very beginning.
There is a good deal said about arriving
at honor and distinction. | don't want
you To think about 0rriring at honor |
want you to take honor 10 start with. And
as for distinction, a man in the long run is
never distinguis' ed for anything but what
he really is. So make up your mind just
what YOU want To pass for ard he il. For
you will pass for what you are, not what
YOU try TO appear. Go into the woods and
see how easily YOU can tell one tree from
another You see oak-leaves on one, and
YOU know that is oak all the way through.
You see pine-needlcs on another. and you
know that is pine all the WAY through.
4 pine-tree NAV want to look like an oak.
and try to look like an oak. and
think it does look like an oak, as 1t
can't see itself But nobody is cheated
So rascally fellow may want To appear
fair and honest, and try to appear fair ana
honest. and think he does appear
fair and honest, he can't see
himself. But, in the long run. no.
body is cheated For YOU can read
mans character about as easy rs
Won can the leaves on the trees. Some
times | sit down in a grocery store and
hear the neighbors' talked about, and It's
curious to find how well everybody is
known II seems as if every man walked
round labelled, as You may say, same as
preserve-iars are labelled. "currant
"auince," &c Only he don't know what
his label is. Just as likely as not man
NAV think his label is ounce mai1nalade
when It's only picked string-beans!
Just so with boys. Grown folks notice
BOYS a great deal though when | was
boy never knew they did. The little af-
fairs of playtime and schooltime' and their
home ways are all talked over. and by the
time a boy is twelve years old II Is pretty
well known what sort OF man he VIII
make.
Now don't mistake my meaning | don't
want Won 10 be true because people will
know il if YOU are not, but because ii Is
right and noble to be 50. l want YOU 10
be able to respect yourself Never DO any
thing that YOU like yourself any the less
for doing.
A boy of your are is old enough 10 be
looking ahead some to see what he Is ann
ing at | don't suppose you want to driii,
like the seaweed, that lodges wherever he
waves toss it up, Set up your mark. and
a good high one And be sure and re-
member that. as Il general thing, there Is
no such thing as luck Ii a man seems TO
be a lucky merchant or lawyer or any
thing else It's because he has the talent,
the industry. the determined Will. that
make him so People see the luck. but
they don't always see the taking pans
that's behind il. | remember you wrote
us a letter once and spoke of a nice house.
with nice things inside, that you meant to
have by trying hard enough. There
good deal in that. We've got TO try hard
and try long and try often and try again. n;
and Keep trying That house never II
come down To YOU. You've got to climb
up To il step by step.
! | don't know that | have anything 10
saw about the folly of riches On the CON
trarv. | think t is very good plan TO nave
money enough To buy books and other
things worth having | don't see whya mar
can't be getting knowledge and GROWING
better at the same time he is growing rlcnef.
Some poor folks have prejudice against
rich folks haven't any. Rich people
have follies. but poor people copy them Ii
they can. That is 10 say, we "iten sec
poor people making as bic fools OF them
selves as they can. with the means they
have Money won't hurt YOU Billy 50
long as YOU keep common sense ana true
heart.-From tie William Harry Letters '@
OR Young Fc'is.