The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-09-02
a Word to Our Youth.

The Public school will open on Monday
and after a two months holiday season
our boys and girls return to their studies
1t is impossible to put old heads on young
shoulders, and it would be hopeless tasl
to attempt to impress these young folks
| with an adequate conception OF the ims
portance of these school days to them
Yet, if every father in Monistown, who,
looking back over his life, vainly regrets
wasted time and opportunities, could only
make his children understand, as he unS
derstands, the inestimablc value of these
precious hours, there would be, during the
coming term, such eagerness and assiduity
in study as were never before exhibited in
the public schools of this town. But to
the boys and girls the distance from youth
to manhood and womanhood appears. very
long, and there seems such plenty Of time
that they are prodigal of it. thus it ever
has been and thus it will be, because hui
the cradle to the grave, we scorn to take
the lessons Of experience as free gift and
prefer always to purchase them-some>
times at q fearful price. And even if we
could impress upon children a solemn sense
of the responsibilities of life according to
our limited understanding of them) the
gain would be out-balanced by saost
grievous loss. The careless happiness, the
eager hopefulness. the trusting confidence,
and all the brightest and most beautiful of
the attributes Of youth would be gone, and
with them the sunshine out of many, MANI
homes. 1t would cost too much. And, 5e-
sides, they who preach to the children of
those things which belong to adult life in
tones of solemn warning. seldom succeed
in making much impression. Youth laughs
at dangers which age has learned to fear.
What these young folks need is judicious
praise, encouragement, and much teaching
at home and in schools as shall allure them
in the right way. The paths of knowledge
are beset with distractions, and young
hearts become weary in surrounding the
barriers on the way. Kindly words of
praise, judicious encouragement, patient
forbea.ance, and selfsdenying labor by
those who rule in the schoolroom and
the household will accomplish thou
sand times more good than stern severity,
perpetual admonitions. OF the most solemn
warnings. These boys and girls are just
entering upon the journey of life. All,
what a dangerous journey it is and how
many pitfalls are in the way! They note
only the flowers by the wayside and the sun
shine overhead. but we have been prieked
by the thorns and bewildered in the deep
shadows which lie further along the road.
They are moving forward to the hard and
stony places, where the thorns are and the
darkness, and they will reach them soon
enough. From the tree of knowledge,
whose fruit is hard to reach and bitter to
the taste, they may gather strength for
the tolls Of that journey in which the
strongest have fallen and so many, on so
many, have fallen by the wayside. They
love the sunshine, and the flowers and the
SWEEP fruits that lie close at hand. OF
course they do. The bad old method was
to beat them and to drive them from the
pleasures of youth. hardening their harris
and clouding their lives. But there is
better way--the way CT love and kindness
and sympathy, which makes the fruit of
the tree of knowledge sweet to the taste
and shuts not out "the sunshine Of life."
Heaven bless our boys and girls and pre-
serve them to us for many years pure and
innocent, careless and happy, "unspotted
from the world" May Truth lead them
and Mercy guide them, and Love be with
them always through all tie way that is
before them, until they shall learn at last
out of the inevitable hard experience Of
life "the ways of wisdom are ways Of
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace"