The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-07
Sensible and Seasonble Advice.

Sensible and Seas0nble Advice.
In the last Vazlev Farmer was published
the following extracts from letter written
from England, in 1876, by Col. John Lewis
Peyton, to friend and relative in this Sec
ton. They contain so much practical advice
to young men and such sensible view of
the duty which Virginia fathers owe to their
sons, that we transfer them to our columns
~ suppose c. will follow the ancient and
somewhat precarious custom among Virgin
ians of bringing up his sons to the law, or
some of the learned professions. AS rule
this old custom of our ancestors is ill-judged,
a mistake, more honored in the breach than
observance. have so written to our friend
and kinsman, W., who is naturally solicitous
on the subject of his sons. These fine boys,
as you know, have not been born to fortune,
and must therefore, be ready on setting out
in life "to paddle their own Canoes" To
right.minded persons this is not considered
a hard fate. Every thing around us reminds
us Of the necessity Of labor; and labor brings
out the best and noblest traits Of mans char
acter. Our Creator designed us for work.
Man was, indeed, placed in this world for
this purpose, and it is a common error to
suppose that he was not expected or required
to work until after Adams disobedience and
fall. In Gen. Oh. 2, v. 5, it is written "There
was not man to till the ground" and in
the 18th verse it is recorded, Sand the Lord
God took the man and put him into the gar
den to dress and to keep it," II man was
not created expressly for work he was not
allowed even in Paradise to be idle. If a
young man shrinks from duty, from that in
dustry which lengthens our days and sweet
ems our lives, he becomes a useless drone,
and sooner or later his idleness clothes him
with rags.
While success in life is equally certain in
any and every career to him that uses the
right means, tits the good fortune of Virgin
ians that they live at period in the history
of our State, when success is more easily Sc
cured than probably in any other country.
Our population is spare, our mineral wealth
almost entirely undevelopea, our manufac-
turing facilities unimproved, and our broad
lands (unoccupied and untilled,) inviting till
age labor. If boys early training has
been judicious; if he has been taught that
energy and concentration of power are of
more practical value than even talent; that
self,reliance, industry, perseverance, hon.
esty, courtesy, faith, hope, combined with
upright principles, make up the moral char
acter-constitute all in man that is pure,
lovely, honorable, and Of good report-that
boys success is already secured, let him be-
gin life wherever he may. Yet by remain
ing in Virginia he hastens his career by many
years, attains his ends long before he could
do it s'out west;" does not undergo the
long apprenticeship which awaits the stran-
ger in strange land.
Holding these views, which could be elab-
grated at great length did time and space
allow, I have urged W. to rear his sons to
feel healthy pleasure in honest labor, hard
work, and discourage any ambition on their
part for what is called ''gentlity;'-a thing
that leads too many young gentlemen to I'M
fortunately aspire to the law, to medicine,
to seats in contingencies, and worse still
to political office.-These poor gentlemen
form one OF the most wretched and incurable
membranes of this country. They do not
even occupy the position ascribed to the I'M
just steward, who said, 81 cannot dig, to beg
am ashamed" for while they look upon
honest industry as disgrace, they feel no
shame in the mendicant's occupation. The
consequence is, that the youth, educated in
the idea of being gentleman, while desti-
tute of the means to sustain his position in
life, ana generally equally deficient in the
education that should qualify him even to
associate with the class whose name he as
sumes, looks down with dsdain on the in
dustrious trader or merchant, and feels him.
self insulted by the proposal to share in their
labors, and seek to be participant in thell
rewards. To this class, however, a govern
ment situation, even if it be only that OF
clerk in a public office, conveys no such stain
According to this singular code OF honor, the
clerk in the merchants counting house VINO
superintends the exchange Of the varied pro-
auctions OF the world, and freights the mer'
chant navies which carry the peaceful fruit:
of commerce to every cline, is mean, pie
beian pettifogger; while the salaried scribe
who superintends the engrossing OF custom
house dues is government official and
gentleman False pride is, under any cir
cumstances, mean and degrading vice, anc
in it's consequences is often the fruitful
source of many other vices by its pervertlne
influence on the mind. 1t sets up an erro
neous standard of excellence, confounds th'
ideas OF right and wrong, and begets a 1als'
ambition which has for its goal unworthy
aud deceptive ends. You may depend upoI
it. whatever leads us to despise honest indus
try, or to be ashamed of diligent and per
seyerins occupation in the business OF life
is source of evil, allied in it's nature to dis
honesty and crime.
Far better, in my opinion, that our frien
} W. should apprentice his sons to some re
spectacle trade, where skill and intelligence
are needed. AS rule it is wise course
however gentiity may dep1ore the "alarm
ing sacrifice" and, in the case of his sons.
peculiarly the right course for the specls
reasons I.gave you in a former letter. In
was the prudent practice of the earlier King
of France as to their sons, and it is to tn
day the common course among the Germa
Mobiles and all people of gentle blood IN en-
Fatherland.
In England know many young men, law
yers, doctors, and clerks, well brought W
who, advancing in years, see no prospe'
before them of ever achieving an indepent
ent position. Year after year they are seate
in their Offices, or at their desks, earning notf
ing like the wages OF daily laborer-star'
| ing by inches-a burden to themseiv
and to their friends. They are compelled
, keep up respectable appearance, and bl
, terly regret that they had not adopted mo
J lucrative, even if less genteel, mode OF III
Such, 1 am confident is the case with mar
, in Virginia.
In the Old Dominion it Is. or at least
the case before the war, considered gre