Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-17
Hints to A Apprentices.

| Pcrbaps there is nothing the Young APP
nrentice can learn that will be of more
positive benefit to him while serving his
time at his trade, than to be undismayed
! and unterrified by ridicule In almost
every sbop where there are a number of
boys there is among them ruling spirit,
one who has, by some means, obtained an
ascendancy over the rest by which he
SWANS them as if by magic. The sort of
kin1shin he assumes is often done so
adroitly that it is tacitly acknowledged by
those who are his superlors in point of
mental and moral culture The position
he holds has been obtained by means of IA
kind of cunning, a feeling after and find
| inc out the weak spots IN character, and
taking quick advantage OF them Generally
he conquers by the force of the stronger
will but if he fails in this, he resorts to
ft,n-makine; indeed, this is his strongest
weapon He knows by instinct that many
a boy so brave that nothing can daunt him
when physical courage is needed, will run
| like a coward if the battery of ridicule be
| turned upon him. He knows that he can
stand almost anything better than to be
| laughed at
1t is wonderful what this foolish fear of
| rdicule will sometimes enable one boy to
do with dozen who are morally, mentally
and physically superior TO him We have
| known them to be laughed out of the CON
victions of right. They could not have
been argued or fought out of them but
they had morbid fear of ridicule, and so
the poor, harmless, insignificant thing
| was the bug bear that drove them on to the
rock against which they were dashed to
pieces. After all, there is so little in it, it
is so harmless and pointless, if we stop to
| oil NV HIM
reply, or what is better still, calm,
undaunted manner of showing how power
! less it is to swerve us from our purpose
to do right, we disarm it at once; for those
| who laugh the loudest are the keenest to
observe how much or how little weight
| their ridicule carries; and their respect
| for the subjects Of it invariably increases
| in proportion to the amount Of uncOncern
with which it is received. Not that a
stOlid indifference to the. impressions
made on others is in the least a virtue or
that lack of constituencies is any indica-
ton of courage. The morally brave are
often the most keenly alive to ridicule,
but their sense of right is 50 much keener
! that it entirely Overshadows it, and thus
enables them to triumph over wrong.
| Any one who has this morbid dread of
| being laughed at, cannot do a better thing
| than To set to work to conquer it. 1t will
| be an easy victory, if he but 90 to work
in earnest; he will find his self-respect in
crease at every step; each time he acts in
accordance with his own conviction of
right in the face Of ridicule, he is doing a
sublime act. Such course persisted in
must make character sublime Nor is it
half so hard a task as it is believed to be;
| besides, he cannot afford to lose SO much
| in one way and gain SO little in another.
| The good will of a boy that would induce
| another to do wrong is often not worth the
| having. Ridicule is only powerful
weapon because he chooses to let it be so.
| 1t remains for him to say if so slight
thing shall rob him of his independence
and the respect due to him. A moral
principle, a conviction Of right cannot
be trifled with without real danger.
| One step i'll the direction Of wrong but
prepares the way for another, until the
evil gets the victory. 1t is ptiful thing
when baser mind thus conqucrs, for it
is generally Unsuitable as death and will
not be content with anything short of alb
solute supremacy. No boy who would
arrive at true and noble manhood, can af-
ford to yield even once to such spirit, it
matters not whether the question in dis
putc be first oath, a first glass of wine, or
a first theft. Yielding once is often yield
ing altogether, and he should set his face
like flint against ii. The life of the late la
mented Horace Greeley affords many val
liable practical lessons, but not one
among them all is better worthy
of being learned or more needed
to-day by the youth of this
country, than that taught by his steady,
patient persistence in doing what he be
lieved to be right in spite of ridicule.
| This he seems to have learned very early
in life, for we find him, when mere
youth, serving as an apprentice, display
ing all the moral bravery that shone so
conspicuously in his character in his later
years. He never allowed companion to
laugh him out of a course of action that he
had once decided on as duty; and herein,
no doubt, was one secret of his power over
the minds of others. Horace Greeley may
have fought many battle with himself
before he won the victory completely
enough to wear shabby Clothes in order
that he might send a portion OF his scanty
earnings home to his parents, but he did it
because it seemed to him right and noble
thing to do. OF course he was
laughed at, but his manriness was
greater than his pride, and in this he has
set grand example to all American boys
who are struggling to make way in life
amid difficulties. Especially to appren-
tees does his career afford encouragement
and help, if they, like him, will be true to
themselves Like him, let them possess
themselves of decided ideas of what is
right and what is wrong; what is honora-
bic and what is dishonorablc; then firmly
live up to them, and as often avow them
as good sense and regard for others may
admit, and they can be assured they will
not only command respect and admiration
as apprentices noW-but as master work
men in the time to cOme-1naetlcan
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