Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-09-02
For the SPECTATOR.
Young America.

The disposition of youth is better
found out by observation and experience
than by description, but by recapitulat-
ing what we have seen we may form a
faint idea of the governing principles
of Young America.
We see the lad at sixteen, however,
not very sweet sixteen.
He starts out on Sunday morning
with boots blacked and coat busted,
sporting cane which he has cut fron
the brush if he cannot afford a better
one, and the first thought that enters
his mind is, am q man at last. He
looks back few years to the time when
he was but a boy. But oh what .
change since then! And the next
words are, "I'd not recall my child
hood with all its delights" He takes no
part in the Sabbath school, but spends
that time in some conspicuous place,
thinking that he is now too large to be
found in the Sabbath school work. He
is no longer contented at home on Sun
day evenings, and is too big to ask per
mission to leave, therefore he steals
away. He calls his father the Old Man,
but would be known himself by the re-
spectacle name of Mr..
Time passes, and we see him again at
the age of eighteen. He is now sure
that he is man. OF all ideas, that one
is most prominent in his mind. He
now thinks that he should have watch.
If his father refuses to get it for him, hs
determines to make that his first pur-
chase after he has reached the long
wished-for twenty-one. The nineteenth
and twentieth pass slowly by. Some
times he thinks ''that glorious day il
drawing Nigh" And, finally, it does
come. Then we see fine specimen of
the American Swell. The merchant
other popular necessaries." To say
the least of him, he is perfect dandy.
He goes to church five times as much as
he would. were it not for the ladies he
sees while there. He spits tobacco juice
on the floor, which fact alone he thinks
is sufficient evidence that he is a man.
He comes home at night, after the old
folks have retired, and goes on tip-toe to
his room that he may not disturb their
slumbers.
He now thinks that there is a country
in the West where money is more plen-
tiful than rocks, and the river beds gilt
ter with that Eldorado which would
have appeased the widest fancies of
Cortez. With a daring courage, he goes
to that country. but,soon he finds that he
was sadly mistaken. Disease seizes
him, and then the sentiment is, "Home,
sweet home" In dreams, he finds
himself there, and how fair do those
appear who are dear to his heart! Like
a prOdigal he returns. He has now
learned one of the most important les
sons of his life-the lesson that there is
no place like home.
| And is this Young America!
Yes, boys are bad creatures, to be
sure. But there are exceptions to this
rule. Upon these few exceptions de-
pend the bettering of our country. The
young man who can run about at night,
and then, when the sun is shining, lie
in bed and sleep is of no use to his faith
er, and never will be to his country un-
til he changes his programme by sleep
ing in the hours of silence and working
while the sun shines. CIeobulus said,
"Avoid excess" If young men, in ali
their actions, would do this, they would
have the cornerstone laid for usefulness.
The work of an hour may make young
man worthy of honor for life. Young
man, tread lightly on the trap.door.
x. Y. q.