Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-09-11
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.

lt-nOt that one should be golEg througn
the world trying to find the beams TO
knock and thump against, disputing ev-
cry mans opinion, fighting and elbowing,
and crowding all who differ from HIM.
That, again, is another extreme. Our peo-
pie have their opinion, so have. you don't
fall into the error ofsupposing that they
will respect you more for turning your
coat every day to match the color of theirs.
Wear your own colors in spite of wind
and weather, storm and sunshine. 1t
costs the irresoiute and vascilllting ten
times the trouble to wind and twist and
shuttle, than honest, manly independence
to stand its grourd.
Do not train boys to learn by force and
harshness; but direct them to it by what
amuses their minds, SO that you may he
the better able to discover with accuracy
the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
True philosophy consists in doing all the
good that we can, in learning all the good
we can, in teaching TO others all the good
we can, in bearing to the best OF our abil-
ity the various Ills of life, and enjoying
with gratitude every honest pleasure, that,
in the mercy of Providence comes in our
way.
The faculty of concentrating the mind
on the matter in hand, TO the exclusion
of all other things, is one of the rarest
and most valuable gifts with which a
man cal. be endowed To commence with
theory, to think it out to its legitimate
results, 10 reduce those results to con-
/ crete form, aud ifit be ill material science,
to proceed to experiment and practice,
without diverging in any direction from
the purpcse,i is possible to very few men.
| Like the fist blossoms of early spring,
Which smile in gladness and JOY they bring,
Thus a cdee.ng word may new ;e bestow
To hesrt ..os.-5ouud by adveisity's snow.
There is a touch of pathos about doing
even the simplest thing "for the last time"
1T is not alone kissing the lips of the dead
that gives you this strange pain. You feel
it when you look your last upon some
scene which you have loved-when you
stand in some quiet street where you know
! that you will never stand again; or take
the hand ofa near and dear friend, one
who has been the playmate and associate
bf your childhood and youth, and look
1 s.~..> \ =. H., a. 81.
press the hand with the farewell shake
The actor playing his part for the last
time, the singer whose voice is cracked
,hopclessly. and who, after this once, will
never stand again before the sea of up
turned faces, disputing the plaudiIs with
fresLer voices and fairer forms, the minis
Ter who has preached his last sermon.
these all know the hidden bitterness of
the two words, never again" How they
come to US on birthdays, as We grow older
Meyer again young-a.ways nearer and
neaier TO the very last-lhe end which is
universal, the ''last thing" which shall fol-
low all last things, and turn them, let us
hope, from pain to joy Weput away our
boyish and giilish toys with an odd
headache. We were too old to walk any
longer on our stilts-too tall to play mar
bles on the sidewalk, too old to play
housekeeping and dress our dolls in our
play houses Yet there was pang when
we thought we had pla ed with our merry
thought for the last ne, and life's Sc
rious, grown-up WORK vas waiting forus.
Yes! then we felt, and felt keenly, the
never again" Now we do not want the
lost toys back ~ has other and larger
play things for us May not be that
these, TOO, shall seer in the light of some
far-off day as tie 5oyish and girlish games
seem to our manhood and womanhood,
and we shall r,arn that death is but the
opening of a gate into the new land of
promise?
| The Girls are well enough,
| With all their coaxing ways;
Their eyes SO bright with sunny light
| Make golden all our days,
But while you thus recount their hopes,
| Their sorrows, or their joys,
That help TO fill cup of life,
Pray don't forget the Boys.
| 1t is not they alone who are trying pur-
posely to convert, or corrupt others who
exert an influence. The doors of Y. ur
soul are open on others, and theirs on
you, you inhabit ahouse that is well nigh
transparent, and what you are within you
are ever showing yourself to be without,
by signs that have no ambiguous express
sions. tyou had the seeds of pestilence
in your body, you would not have more
active contagion than you have in your
tempers. tastes and principles. Simply
to be in this world whatever you are is to
exert an influence-an influence compared
to which mere language and persuasion
are feeble. Is your example harmless Is
it ever on the side of right and duty !?
You cannot doubt that you must answer
for these impressions.
j If the influence you exert is uncon-