The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-04-06

"Ben Wilde" the funny man of the Au-
rora News, is publishing a series of articles
addressed to his "Three-year-old Son." Here
are some of them:
MY boy, don't try to be like everybody
else, II will not win. Some people may
like to have their vanity ticklad by being
copied. but they never really respect the
copyiSt
"When you are in Rome, do as you please
Never mind what the Romans do. If you
find you can not live in RoIse and be true
10 your own nature, quit Rome. Net spite
fully as if you expected Rome to follow
weepingly after and beg you to return, for
then you will be disappointed at the utter
carelessness of your departure she viii
evince. But get up quietly and move on TO
a more congenial atmosphere.
Don't agree with everybody. Have opin-
ions of your own, and-dOn't be afraid 10 ex-
press them. If you think they are right,
cling to them after everybody else has de-
serted them and until you have reasonable
proof that they are wrong. Then dOn't be
afraid to drop them. Never mind what peo-
pie may say about you. If you have strong
convictions half the world will call you
bigot; but If you have no convictions every
body will call you a nobody. See to il only
that they are not warranted. Heed nothing
but the testimony, and hang OF acquit on
that alone.
There will be times IN your life when,
standing out alone for a principle that you
think is right, you will feel lonesome. That
is an evidence of weakness. Fight ii off II
you are right you will not be a one. Ham
mer away with your arguments. Appeal to
the lesson of your hearers; or, if you can get
no hearers, keep appealing to your own rea-
son. But don't desert your principle because
all others do. 4 block of wood may drift
~s.l t1,a hrrf coraofhfr.r baff ;g
quired TO push against the current.
Don't live on the applause of your neigh
bors. 1t is an unwholesome diet. 1t means
that you are doing only what they want you
to; they applaud only that which is in their
own minds. Live rather so that when you
get ready TO give up breathing you may rest
in the consoing thought that you have done
what you believed TO be right
My boy, don't try TO pass for what you
are not. Remember the fable OF the jaCkaSS
in the lions skin: your ears and your bray
are very certain to be recognized.
when asked for information on a matter
of which you have none, say so. Don't pre-
sumo on the questioners ignorance. He
may be asking to get you to expose yours.
There are just such people in the world.
ut requires some bravery TO say you don't
know, but, if it the truth, out with IL, my
boy. Consider that what you don't know
can not be squeezed in between this planet
aud the sun, while what you do know rattles
around with room to spare in your own lit
tie head.
"A man once blew out the gas in city
hotel rather than confess 10 the landlord
that he was from the country, where they
burn candles. But the landlord knew him
all the time, and for that reason did'not eX-
act pay in advance Had the countryman
lived until morning. the landlord would
have made a proposition to trade the hotel
for his farm.
You see, my boy. when You are trying to
be something you are not you never know
where you are. If you knew the inside life
of every man whom you envy perhaps you
would not trade places with him for single
day. 1t was sagacious old King who said
he would give his domains for the shirt of
contented man; when he found the content
ed man he had no shirt and wanted no do
main. The King probably thought of that
so, my boy, when you look envious,y on
the man who fills the place to which your
ambition would carry you, remember he
may be regarding you in the same light III
you are a wood-sawyer and he an author, be
will be pretty likely 10 think wood-sawing
is easier than writing books. If you are
poor and he rich, he will think of the cares
which oppress him and from which you are
free.
when you shall have learned that you
are as well off as anybody else you will be
content to assume nothing beyond what be-
longs TO your nature, and when you have
reached that yoint you will begin to initiate
only yourself This is the originality that
this world likes"