Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-01-18
For the Nern
About Serving.

ne Master. True, but every man must serve
one. Did you think of that, young man,
when you refused to own Christ because
you did not want to part with your liberty
wished TO be your own master, ETC., etc. 7
Suppose you sit down and settle this very
hour in how far you are your own master.
You bought a new-style hat this winter.
1t is not nearly as becoming as last years,
but all the fellows wear them. Your old
suit of clothes ought to have carried you
through this season; or, if you INDUCED in
a new suit, it should have been one several
dollars cheaper than that you actually
bought. But that was no better than Blk
by's or Kingsley's, and you don't like to
appear in society less fashionably dressed
than they. The cigar you smoked last made
you desperately sick afterwards-always |
leaves bad headache behind, anyway you'd |
rather not smoke it, but fellow can't be a |
"muff." Lager beer is just detestable you
never did like the taste of it; but the boys |
would laugh at you for refusing to drink,
and mother needn't know anything about it.
You know father denies himself in every
way TO afford you the means Of an educa-
tion. You would like to do credit to your
self, and astonish the old gentleman by your
success, but "the fellows are always rails
ing some project that carries you away.
Who is "the boss " really, you or "the
fellows ?" Don't you admire the masterful
way you manage yourself Dear me, you
don't need a master
And that isn't the worst of it. You carry
an influence, every bit of which is against
that friend of yours who does try to govern
himself. You teach him by your example
to fear "the fellows" more than father,
mother, God.
And who, pray, are :" the fellows" who
make up this formidable creature to whose
authority all must bow? A set Of boys,
each of whom is as brilliant (not a whit
more SOY as yourself, each of whom is look
ing at you through exactly the same spec
tacles you use in viewing them, and quite as
apprehensive Of your adverse criticism as
you are of theirs. A parcel Of monkeys,
each mimicking the other-each one fear
ing this as the greatest evil of life-that he
should, si-ei. -----;--. at n 10 ha had
mind Of his own, or possessed jot more
of common sense than his mates
am reminded forcibly here of little
fellow know, who, with his brothers and
sisters, arranged a puppet-snow and invited
an audience. After the performance the
little fellow suggested that perhaps it would
not be best to have another, assigning as
reason that it looked too much like
"crowing.'
"Crowing" said his father "why, what
do you mean 7"
go, you know. Growing as if we felt that
we knew more than the rest of the boys"
The fun of the story lies here. Our little
friend was the only one who had made the
least motion toward "crowing" that even
ing, having taken the pains several times to
inform those present that his sister and he
had invented the whole thing. Boys, per-
haps it wouldn't do for you to resist cigars
and lager; it might be taken as token of
intellect, and be "crowing" over Z" the fel-
lows"
| l may be mistaken, but really believe
that " the fellows is, after all, one of the
most potent agents Of that suspicious indi-
vidual never named in genteel society, and
generally photographed with cloven foot
slowed away somewhere. The results aris-
ing from the fellows" advice leads me to
this conclusion-it smells Of the pit.
Satan has manifold agents. His wiliest,
smartest, are not those who deal out poor
whiskey over tumble-down counter or cut
the throat of some fellow rascal. Oh, no
His prime ministers are none of your So
called low chaps" They would scorn to
break into a gentleman's house and stife
him while they rob his safe; but it is by no
means beneath their dignity to introduce
themselves into his home and rob his
daughter of her virtue, something he priced
more highly than his dollars or his life.
When a man comes liveried as a servant
of the devil, with black Jug in his over
coat pocket, or low shanty in an obscure
street, it does not take much pluck for a
respectfully intelligent man to avoid him
He isn't exceedingly attractive to our boys
1t is the smoothfaced, oily tongued, sleek
haired gentleman (O who wears the finest
linen and broadcloth, real gold watch and
seal ring, whose saloon sports cut-glass
through which the liquor CLEANS delusively
and over whose marble counters he leans
with honeyed words and cheerful banter, who
is to be feared. He prides himself ON hi
gentility; the papers speak of his saloon a
quite " heightened" affair and himself a:
one of our " most respectable citizens" L
isn't his fault that men drink he does no
ask them to, he will tell you,-not he. But
his brilliant windows and elegant surround
ings mutely appeal to the senses and allur'
by thousand seductions. Men do not gel
"drunk" in his establishment--such Low
habits only pertain to cheap groggeries
/ His customers only get "set up" "sea
r soned," little top-heavy," ETC., etc, in |
genteel way but somehow it is way tina
! as surely leads to the poor-house and tn
states prison, the lunatic asylum and grave
yard as that more vulgar.
But we began by talking about masters
, Don't Judge that we have forgotten our text
we assure you it is still within sight Th
/ trouble is, we are all serving masters, whethe
= we know it or not-and some of us master
we would not have chosen had we used ou
!. privilege of choice-a privilege forgotten b
some and never known perhaps by Others
Boys for am writing to young men
J whom will you serve You must serve som
one. Humanity is not so made up that
can stand alone. 1t must serve and b
" served. Weigh my Words they are no
t spoken at random. We cannot associat
. long with others without assimilating some
what to them. The servant unconsciousl
imbibes his masters spirit Itbehooves u