The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-11-30
LOCAL,

ENCOURAGE 1oUTH.--The heading OF
this article deserves more than q passing
glance. Give it a moments attention, and
then run over in your mind the worthy
young men who are struggling for start,
trying to get work or put business or
profession on paying basis, and think
how many times you have uttered dis
couraging words about them, for no other
reason but that they are young. There is
no crime in being young; all of you
were young at an "early period" Of your
existence, eve n though you seem now to
forget it, when speaking of others; and
your children are, or were young, and
probably are meeting with unkind words
from others, like this: "Oh, he is too
young" IF he was older he might sue
ceed," }" etc. We know what we are talking
about when we say that many, too many
regard it as next to crime, that an aspir-
ing young man or woman should try to
stem the tide and succeed; for when the
present proprietors of this paper bought a
small interest herein, eleven years ago
last Thursday, we heard of several old
citizens making such remarks as these:
1.-The boys are too young; they cannot
succeed" They are presuming, to at.
tempt to step into the shoes of Beardsley
and JnO. X. Needham and try to run
a newspaper here" These things were
said. We knOp it, and we kaoao the men
who said it, and some of those same
croakers have asked and receiued as many
favors from us as any others in the land
No one but ourselves know how much
those remarks hurt then, and possibly
they may have helped US by making US re-
solve to succeed in spite of such raven
prophecies, and thus spurred Us on to
extra efforts, and many extra hours Of
work, but be that as it may, the practice
of thus discouraging our youth, is very
damaging. How much better it would be
to say, John, we are glad to see you at
your trade, or in your store, or office; we
believe you have the mind to succeed, and
if you attend to business you will soon be
leader in the calling you have chosen"
rather than say "Oh you're too young"
How much better to encourage the young
lady who after years of preparation and
study embarks on life's sea as teacher,
book-keeper, saleswoman, telegraph
operator, or any other profession. rather
than say she is young and inexperienced.
Occasionally, too, you can do more for
youth, than say kind word, by giving
them little patronage, and thus showing
that your deeds keep pace with words.
To do this you need not break off with an
old and valued trading place, but simply
divide portion of your patronage, and
help all to live.
How much better the world would be, il
all would speak only kind and encouraging
words to the youth as they are struggling
TO keep their heads above water. No one
but those who have breasted the wave
know how heavy weight may be fasten-
ed to ones feet by few discouraglng
words, that too, probably, just as they are
almost ready to despair, and no one knows
how many have thus been driven to the
bad by such thoughtless words, not in
tended in harm. Remember that in few
years you will have passed over the dark
and rolling river, and that the youth Of
to-day will then be the staid and middle
aged persons upon whose shoulders the
business cares of the country will descend.
Remember that kind look or passing
word may save good business man to
the country when the opposite would
drive him to the dogs. Words, kind and
encouraging cost you nothing, and may be
easily gwen, at least the contrary may be
withheld, and would in most cases be, if
you conceived the heartaches and dis
couragements they carried to struggling
youth.