St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-06-20

ness OF manhood and independence
fortities him the better against future
temptation, and the joy of self-respect
is his reward. There are times for
special culture of our powers of body.
No time is like early youth to acquire
correct habits of articulation for public
speaking, as many who make the effort
late in life will testify.
Important periods occur in each ones
life for cultivating intellectual power.
The strengthening of the memory to
make it useful for mature life-labor is
early in a course of study. He had
many times heard the study of Botany
commended for this very purpose that
the power of retaining special technical
terms might be early trained and so be
made useful afterward. This study
should by all means be included in an
early course. There are critical times
for various decisions to be made, such
as choice of companions, choice of oc-
cupation, in which lifelong happiness
may depend on the sowing of the
precious seed with weeping.
One of the most important lessons to
be learned by the young, and one bring
ing in the richest fruits in after years.
is the habit of respectful regard OF
rightful authority. There is in every
ones life time of struggle between
self-will and obedience. 1t generally
comes early, and very much depends
on the right issue. How it shows itself
in very young children, and how fierce
the contest in the little ones against the
loving, gentle, but firm conscientious
authority of the parent, and how the
final submission brings its sweet fruit
age of gentle love and sunny ways for
many days to come, is in the experience
of every faithful mother. The lack of
proper submission is seen in very many
lives rendered unhappy to themselves
and full of danger to the community.
Sometimes the struggle is violent and
then over for life, but in other cases it
must be many times renewed. The
speaker had learned by much observa-
ton to judge as to future success OF
failure in young men not between
brilliancy and dullness; not between
the quick and the slow; the good
scholars or the poor; but on this very
point as to whether they had learned
this fundamental virtue of obedience,
and respect for proper authority. When
Il young man cares too much for his
own crude opinion when he is head
strong or passionate, not having learned
self-control, there is much to fear for
his future however much of promise he
may show in other regards.
In matters relating to our moral ma
ture these crises come with weighty
appeal to all we can command of right
Judgment, of conscientious use of our
moral faculty, and the promised guild
ance of the Holy Spirit. Eternal con-
sequences hang upon the decision. Be-
fore the class now leaving school, two
ways are open new crisis has come
whether life shall be selfish, unworthy
one, leading down to ruin, or one con-
secrated to duty, to devotion, to the
good of the lives of others, to the ser
vice of Christ, and receiving His reward
ut last.
The discourse was eminently practi-
cal and useful, given with clearness of
utterance and marked deliberation, and
was listened to with close attention
and evident appreciation by IA large au-
lience. 1t cannot fail to be felt and be
an inspiration for good in the after life
of many who heard it.