San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-07-06
Uncle JOe's Talk With the Boys.

would speak an earnest word tt
those boys who are thinking of leaving
home. You are anxious to push out fol
yourselves. In many instances there
are younger brothers in the family, and
you think the farm hardly large enough
for all. Those who live in the East are
anxious to go West, and those who live
in what is termed the West desire to go
still further toward the setting sun. Al
any rate, as you look at it, it seems de-
sirable in order to succeed that you get
rs far as possible away from home. No
doubt many young men have done as
well, if not better, by casting themselves
among strangers; they have worked
harder, and denied themselves more
than they would have done at home.
But it is very important step, and one
which will pay you to look all over be-
fore you take it. If you intend to go
among friends of your own, family, or
with a company of your townspeople, it
will make it much better, but to start
out all alone, and throw yourselves
among strangers in a distant State, is a
"hard row to hoe" 1t is true you may
be successful, but the chances are all
against you, and it is quite likely you
will hear the cry of "hard times" no
matter which way you travel. Taking
it all in all, as things stand now, there
is little difference in favor of one part of
the country over another.
The man who works an Eastern farm
will have many days of hard labor in the
course of the year on land that don't
yield much, but on the other hand he
has good market, and can sell at fair
price all from the farm he wishes to sell;
he will live as well and his home will be
as pleasant and we'll furnished as that
of the Western farmer; the chances of
his children getting a good education
are as fair, if not better, than in many
parts of the West. The only advantage
there seems to be is that if you have q
little money left when you are at your
journeys end, and know how to take
care of it, you can do more with it than
at the East. But if you have no money
and must go to work for any one who
will hire your time, you will find that in
order to get into the condition you wish
to be, will require much hard work and
self-denial. And when, in future years,
you visit your old home, you may be
likely to find that those of your early
companions who remained there have
done about as well, and somehow, you
will be apt to think, have Jared little
better. Doubtless much of this ''chang-
ing about" in our country is owing in
grea. measure to our restless DISPOSE
ton. Mr.. Greeley remarked, while
his overland journey to Cali
fornia, as he passed many emigrants to
that Eldorado, and about as many CON-
ing back, that he didn't think there was
another such restless, uneasy people
on the face of the globe.
To the boy who has become dissatis-
fed with his home and its wholesome
who thinks he is hindered
from being all he could be; who thinks i
the family are no help to him; who
speaks of his father and mother as sold
man" and sold woman" who is de-
terrnined to leave home whether they
are willing or not-allow me to say, in
all kindness, you are getting yourself
into bad shape. Such thoughts are
poison; if you continue to cherish them
no one will suffer more than yourself.
absolutely nothing, can be
done to better your condition while you
are in such frame of mind. As has
been said before, in order to be suc-
cessful you will have to move with much
caution; al the good counsel your
family can give you will be so much
clear gain. So let me entreat you to
get rid of the thought that they are not
willing to help you to be all that you can
be. When you go among strangers
you will find, for long time, that the
have only taken you on
trust. There may be nothing wrong
about you; we will allow that you are
all right, but some one has said that
confidence is a plant of slow growth"
so you see if you 60 among strangers |
you must far while stand before the
people son trial" If the time ever
comes when good men are obliged to /.
''let go of you" it will be a sad day for
you.-Ng York Weekly Tribune.