The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-28
Goodwill.

here Is u gOlQen saying from the
lips of A.. L. Stewart, a man who in
fifty years amassed more than fifty
millions of dollars:
= II consider honesty and truth as
great aids in the gaining of fortune"
II such man with such wealth,
should 20 still farther, and make good.
will to his fellOw.men the leading mo-
tive of his life, what a power he might
become, and what halo of glory
would crown his name!
An. my boys, what a world it would
be. If this spirit prevailed in tiff on
every side we met those ready to help
and cheer, instead of being COMPELLED
always to he on our guard against self
ishness and fraud! Now, every one
can do his share toward making his
own little world such a world. have
known a single brave, manly, gener-
GUS boy to influence a whole school, 80
that it became noted for its good man.
ners and good morals. I have also
seen vicious boy faint a whole COM
muntty of boys with his bad habits,
and set them to robbing orchards and
birds nests, torturing younger chill
drcn and dumb animals, using bad IAN
guage and tobacco, and doing !, hum
dred other things which they foolishly
mistake for fun.
Goodwill should begin at home.
How quickly you can tell what sort of
spirit reigns among the boys or in the
families you visit! In some houses
there ls'constant warfare; at any time
OF day, you hear loud voices and angry
disputes.
"You snatched my apple and eat it
ups
"Touch that trap ag in. Tom circuit,
and I'll give ye somethin' We can't buy
to the 'pothecary's!
''Ma sha'n't Sam stop pullin' my
hair! He'spulled out SIX great hand
fuls already!'
.:He lies! I ha'n't touched his
hair!''
''Who's been stealth my but 'nuts g.
''Pete shot my arrow into the well.
and now sha'n't he make me
another e.
Then go into a house where YOU find
peace instead of war, innocent and
happy sports instead of rude. practical
jokes,-an oh, what a difference
You may always tell a boys dispo-
sltion by noticing his treatment of his
sisters. A mean and cruel boy de-
lights in tyrannizing over smaller
children but in the presence of
stronger boys, he can be civil, and
even cringing. A cowardly fellow
like that is pretty sure to exercise his
Immature upon the girls at home.
Now, I know that many Of the boys
am talking to have far more good
will than they ever show. Their dis
agreeable ways are the result of long
habit and want of thought. The spoiled
children are pretty sure to form such
ways. He is accustomed to think only
OF himself, and to have others think
chiefly of him. That is the trouble,
suspect, with Orson. Will he, when
he reads this, resolve to break up the
old habit, and cultivate the better
spirit that is in him?
By goodwill 1 do not mean simply
good'nature. Good:nature may sit
still and grin. But good-willis active,
earnest, cheering, helpful.
All, my boys. have told you many
stories.-and I have no doubt some
of you wish had made this a story
instead of a talk. But the real motive
of al! my stories lesson l have
always wished to teach in them, but
which l am afraid some of you have
overlOOked-has been this which /
am trying to impress upon you now.
If were to write as many more, the
hidden moral lurking in every one OF
them would be the same. Or if I
were not to take leave of you for
ever, and sum up all have to say to
you in one last word of love and coun-
sci, that one word should be-good-
will.