Richland beacon., 1880-09-25
THE ATERAGE YOCNG MAN.
BY ROBERT F. DOTY,

He is 21 at 16, and if he cannot call
ms mother liar and show profound in
d'gnation to his father at this age he is
counted verltable failure in the face Of
the returns, and is accordingly disowned
ny those who call themselves the noble
and high-minded; but if they would
only put it ignoble and snowy it would
signify much more.
Ihe average young man of to-day does
actually do wonders that would amaze
3@ juggler. sor turn mad the
M ive L6lliputs. This animal that
arssketclp g has not cut his wisdom
Slfs btssaegE ,he goes he is con-
tinually propopnling lot of questions
and spouting atvbole string of slang
phrases to tit in Aere and there, and in
this he rejoices that he is monarch and
prince Of vulgaxists.
Be he ever SO poor, there is never q
lack Of bombsst add self-conceit, coupled
with ego6stical disregard for his supe-
rors. This Disgusting character thinks
his knowledge infinite, and that he is
uncommonly sharp. But sound him to
the heart, and he would compare favor
ably with the Chinese rat eaters, or even
below. Then, they always imagine
thenselves ~ possessing more natural
sound sense than their parents ever had
or ever will have.
Good old Mr.. Jones must not know
more than young, twaddling, blow
breath Jack Brightsop, who tries to
laugh at even a mediocre knowledge,
while he does not know a Saxon word
from one in the obsolete or dead Ian
guages, or know even one prominent ora
tor, novelist or poet in the world. Still
this character is always seen in society
He has an affectation peculiarly notice
able, tries to be majestic, to tell Jokes
on his undle, and he IL most apt to libel
some one because of success, while he
= has made complete failure.
Weigh fhis fellow the very next time
you see him, and from the tenor of his
talk you will plainly see that this petty
grudge has come of the successes Of 9TH
crs. He is envious! He does not wish
to see or hear of others successes. This
il one Characteristic that he can no more
do without than sensible man can of
the five senses. There always seems to
lie great stock of newsiness about him,
for he is most apt to inquire of all the
little private transactions of other peo-
pie, and, ere anything has been done,
this self-same young lunatic from the
haunts Of egoiism and proffered wisdom
knows more about it than those who
have been eye-witnesses.
. You can tell this busybody by the
twinkle of his eye. Davy Squash will
wink at Jim Axletree, and Jim Axletree
will follow that poisonous vegetable, and
it will be
Ass eabbling sooee
Or . mad dog let looee.
Then win follow an exhaustive rendi-
tion and complete resume of the horrible
history of Miss Fairface, or something
concerning his would-be father-in-law
thwarting q rival of his. Thus this most
despicable character of society goes on ;
he never tries to improve on his natural
born traits.
These traits are divinity to him-all
combined into oneness and for him to
relinuuish them would be for him to
dwindle away and die This is the
character who is responsible for all the
damnation of his particular genera. He
it is that has no high and exalted opin-
ions of an intellectual life. but ten to
one he has become an imbecile on some
particular subject-religious or political.
This will most probably strike the
chord in the hearts of many older persons
those who try to be shining lights In
the world but to the active and living
vouth who is growing up, and will in
short time certainly be representative
man in framing and shaping the course
of Government, we beg leave to warn
them of the course pursued by many.
But. alas The comparisons are very
vast between the low and the noble
Here, in free America, where schools ar
everywhere, we see our youths ldlmf
away their time, probably on the n"n'
at q deal, or in some midnight bacchan
allan revelry. Good books are plent!
and cheap-why not, young man, youn'
woman, be employed at the useful avo
cation of reading? But, no! the aver
age young man does not wish to lls.e'
n the advice of those who have pronte'
h, uo don't want an education