Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-22

Qal WHICH SurrOunuS mdlluOOu.
He admits further that
Heaven lies about US in our infancyl
Shades of the prison-house begin to clos
Upon the growing boy;
But he beholds the light, and whence j
flows
He sees it in his joy.
The youth who, daily, farther from tn
East
Must travel, still, is natures priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended.
At length the man perceives it die away
And fade into the light Of common dag 7
But it is a humiliating confession
that men do not accumulate yer!
much on the knowledge o. wisdom o.
their fathers, and hence an industri
Gus and patient boy, by the end Of hi
few years of school life, can, if h(
chooses, know Just as much as his
teacher. In fact, there is no law in
the land to prevent his knowing {
great deal more.
Now from these considerations you
perceive that there is a very serious
responsibility resting upon you-a re-
sponsibility which, of course, you will
not dodge like men, but meet and
stand squarely up to like brave boys
What these responsibilities are is just
what a boy goes to school to find out.
There is but one thing hat men can
boast of, over and beyond what a first
class boy can claim, and that is ex-
perience. They 'hold the age on
the boys, as it is conventionally called,
and are, therefore, entitled TO hold the
book and the rod during school days.
1t is a very sad and disheartening
thing for a boy to see hisancestors go
back on him, y as it were, in this man
ner, and nothing but the fact that
heaven does lie about us in our in
fancy" enables the boys to meet it
with Christian fOrtitude.
From these facts connected with the
history of the human family, you boys
will at once perceive the great adyan-
tage you all secure in not having been
born men instead of boys! There is,
fact, nothing that you cannot acoOm-
plish in this world, from the adyan-
tages OF your position, except, per-
haps, one [ refer to the reformation
Of the present generation of men
You may, it is true, exert a great in
huence for good, by your steadiness of
purpose, your industry, economy and
thrift, You may eschew idle habits,
and avoid prcfig3te manners and yul
gar associations.
You may cultivate such a high
standard of personal integrity and
honor as will make your mothers proud
of you and your sisters confde in you
and all the world honor you. In this
way you may put to shame the low
standard of manhood that obtains in
the present generation, and that has
made politics a corrupt trade, the
election franchise a delusion and a
snare, and citizenship of a free coun-
try almost a badge of disgrace, by
word and a scorn. All this you may
do, and it is not impossible that you
may do, and it is net impossible that
you may, perchance, even influence to
good some Of the present generation of
men. But it is scarcely to be expect
ed, since the Bible says there is none
that doeth good-no, not one!"
There is, however, one other great
consolation in being a boy, which at
taches to no other position in life !
Although, in the natural course Of
events, it is, as | have said, a melan-
choly fact that you cannot reform your
ancestors, aud that for the present
generation Of men there is little hope
beyond profting by your good exam
pie. you are masters OF the situation in
this, that you a absolutely mould
and control the next generation of
men. Your own school is one Of the
many work shops in which you are to
make the men who are to frame the
laws, administer justice. preach the
sermons, teach the schools, till the soil
and carry on the commerce aud man
ufactures Of the next generation I
Don't forget hat fact. 1t is your iu-
heritance. Ii is that which makes
you a great power in the land. That
great fact. as | said in the beginning,
is why old men, if they have any sense,
are afraid of boys. When you push
US from our stools" to make way for
your fresh vigor and clearer sense, you
will hold the reins Of government aud,
let US hupe. direct our political and
social affairs from a higher standpoint,
and with greater wisdom and justice
than the men Of his generation have
done.
Thus, my dear boys, YOU viii realize.
in the language Of the sanity Mr..
Chadnand, What great and gloriou.
thing it is to be a little human boy q
The Importance Of your position
should never be allowed to be forgot
ten or lost sight Of You have doubt.
less at times found a difference Of
opinion existing between y~0urselye.
and your teachers. You have found
that your teachers did not sufi ciently
appreciate the importance Of the uttel
and disastrous overthrow Of your an
tagcnists in that great national and
international struggle Of base ball
This is. Of course, unfortunate and
sad 1t is naturally a thing that
strikes you with a feeling of humilia.
ton to find that your teachers should
consider Latin and Greek and mathe.
mates aud English composition Of
greater importance than base ball.
They do not at times realize the fact
that while you are willing to get your
lessons, and, in fact, have a brave boy's
pride in standing at the head Of youy
classes, still every boy has a large con
tract for ball playing and marble
shooting land, indeed, bird end SOUR.
rel shooting, for that matter), which
in the nature of things, is absolutel,
itaraFative and must be done This