New-York tribune., 1874-09-08
AN ADNJR4BLE ADOLESCENT.

IN ADMIRABLE ADOLEoCENI'
The late Mr.. Burton, most lamented Of
comedians, was accustomed to sing the song
of A Nice Young Man, whO after winning uni
versal admiration by the exhibition of "eyery
virtue under Heaven" ended (alas y by steal
ing the spoons. We may well vary the proverb
n little and count no man good until he has
vamosed this mortal rancho. We have been
living lately in rainy season OF ruined repu-
tation and of questioned character; and In
order to keep up their confidence In human
nature the well disposed and amiable have
been compelled to fight like fury. Weary and
disheartened and sick at the stomach with
every days report of moral tumbles, words
are ridiculously inadequate to express the de-
licious thrill with which we read in Sacra-
mento newspaper of Joseph Reame. lit is
something even to have the name of Joseph
nowadays. Joe the Good has lived in Sutter
County and in Marysville almost all his life,
being brought there by his parents when ne
was two and tender. Of course it wasn't q
healthy moral atmosphere to bring boy up
in 4; but joe who is now twenty or SO, mas
stood the moral racket to an extent well
worthy of paragraphs and even of columns
In respect of all delicious but destructive
vices, his motto by night and by day, has
been" Not for Joe !"
The catalogue of young Reame's virtues, as
set forth in The Sacramento Union, is equally
long and lovely. 1. He has not tasted liquor
(0f the distilled or fermented sOrD in all his
life. g. Profane language has never sullied his
virgin lips--nothing, we mean, of the vigorous
variety, though possibly under intolerable
provOcation he may sometimes have whispered
"Gracious ~ or "Gollyw ~ 8. Up to this hour
he remains as he has always been, the deadly
enemy of tobacco, whether in the fumigatory
or the mastlcative form. 4. He is a Good Tenn
plar and Church Member, and in neither re-
lation has he ever been Investigated. 5. Cards
he has never played; thousands better he
has never gone on nary pair )" and billiards
to him are unknown both as to theory and
practice. Well may the letter writer who de-
scribes him say with absolute confidence !:
"Now if there is another young man that can
"say so much let him come forward ~
"And make his affidavit" add we. Parole tes-
timony as to such tremendously incredible
facts is clearly inadmissibe.
Day before yesterday we gave up the United
States of America. Constantly we have been
looking for an awful confagration particu-
lary in Brooklyn, with numbers OF pillars
of salt standing near the principal ferries on
that side. care truly good Men of Refinement"
we said with ty-fathOm sigh, 4" to become
"even as mastodOns and megatheriums Y-nO
"more to be seen in the flesh, but kept in an
"osseous state in the museums ~ And echo
answered, with interpolated sob or groan,
Are they 7" But the dark prospect has be-
come suddenly illuminated. We have heard
from Joseph Reame of Sutter County, Cal.
We acknowledge once more the possibility OF
human excellence. We are not quite sure as
vet that the general finishing up of everything
will be postponed in consequence of the dis
covery of this lovely youth, but we own to
partial sense of relief. If only Joe shall faint
not and shall fail Motif only young Reame
shall endure to the end Stand fast, o Jo-
seph BE all that is suggested by that sacred
and celebrated name Though the tempter
tempt thee never so seducingly, drink not and
dice not, smoke not and chew not, curse not and
carom not and as a general thing do nothing
wrong or even improper! To the best of our
knowledge and belief, thou art the only Good
Man with few EXCEPTIONS left upon this groan-
ing globe Many are there who maliciously hope
and confidently expect to hear of thee next in
the State Prison. Don't crafty 'em! Thy little
candle throws its beams great way in this
naughty world. Don't go out, Joe, with an
d"lui oln0h'