Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-03-01


Jet q play II il Is rs-crs-a-tion. bat
1 d. Il il j. dissipation. The spirit
~ education il 4 spirit Of absolute
Concentration. The bow who gives
way % the indncement Of that feeling
which leaves ali to the fostering care
OF pArents will never become great.
The undevsloped brain will never set
the world On Ere. Cultivate self-con-
cenkration. Make the best Of every
faealty Try to do the best with
What has been given to Won. II that
b done the worlds plaudit Of "wsll
dora will BE- yours. Concentrate
gonr power upon that vocation to
which you are best fitted. Whatever
You have faculty for, deal with that.
Concentrate al Of your power upon
that one thing. When Won are told
that the Common School gives enough
education. that reading. writing and
arithmetic are enough to know. pay
no attention to if. There Is no truth
that il will not do a nam good to
know. While the Common School is
good enough for those who aspire to
nothing higher. it is not for those who
do. Society consists Of the few who
get 70 the top, Of the more numerous
who get half way and Of the more
numerous still who sink down to the
bottom. Aristocrat. young gentle
men. IN the true meaning of the word.
Is for the best to get to the top. It ia
duty You owe to American Society TO
attain the highest education possible
The dEone who won't work and won't
aspire q u highest place Is worthy Of
no consideration. Your schools. acad-
emies and colleges are for all-for
every fellow to go in and get his
share. There is no share for those
who won't 60 in. But, my young
friends. there Is better school than
all-the school of self communion, of
own thought. You cannot be taught
anything unless you think. The boy
who takes his gun and walks out and
terminates assimilates thoughts to him
self-that il the boy who succeeds-
and that is what / commend to you.
What / want to impress upon you is
this, learn to think over things until
you fix them'in your minds. These
are the means of education. Now |
will speak of the methods. Educa-
tion has two functions, one being TO
discipline. the other to strengthen
the mind. You may say, what is the
reason / learn Latin or Greek-no
one talks Greek now. and Latin is of
no practical use. Their study is the
finest discipline and it is to strength
en- you for your life work. 1t is like
the exercise in the gymnasium for
physical strength. When you learn
Latin and Greek, it is because their
study strengthens and sharpens your
mind for the great work Of life. /
learned Greek once. hardly know
the letters now. do not know c
single rule in Calculus and probably
couldn't do sum in Trigonmetry,
but my mind has never forgotten the
sharpening they gave it. Every tri-
umph made over a difficult passage of
Latin or Greek or a problem in Cal
culus is harbinger of a greater one
on the arena of life. God only can
say what is the object of education
hereafter. / may tell you what it is
here. / know nothing of the great
hereafter. Ifany man thinks that our
country is safe in its present quietness.
he is wrong. 1t Is the safety of man
asleep on the quiet waters just above
Niagara. What is to become of our
educational and moral system? All
society is fetid with corruption. Re-
ligion has its seat usurped by In6del-
ity. What is to become of US ? The |
object Of your education is to fit YOU
for opposing these tendencies. But,
you may answer, / am not ambitious.
/ am going TO settle down as a plain
country lawyer or doctor say to you
that the man in any station who up
holds right and strives against wrong |
is priest at the altar of God. Then
prepare to act well yonr part. There
all the honor lies. Have truth for
your end and ain. Don't say as
soon as | get home, | will run for the
Legislature. Don't run until you
are ready. Don't aspire for place
for gain but fitness. | have seen
many q man raised to very bal
eminence. Young men with undel-
oped powers, study well the means
by which your education may be pros
ecuted to fit you to be as great as God
intended you to be. One of the great
est troubles in this country is that
men say that / am going to do this or
that thing because it will pay Do
not start with that idea. Start right |
start with q purpose to do only |
what is just and right Where are
we to learn the great duties of life
From the commandments of God. |
tell you that the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is the only foundation upon |
which man can build the super
structure OF a good life. Look at
Stonewall jackson and Washington,
the twin names in whose honor your
Society is founded. Did not Stone.
wall pray TO God for that success
which His strengthening arm always
gave? Do not be afraid to live up
to yonr convictions If you act like
Washington and Stonewall you can
afford to let Others laugh. 1t has be-
come a habit in this latter and bet
ter day of the Republic to belittle
George Washington. / have heard
men say that be was q very respecta-
bic old gentlemen, but compared with |
the men Of to-day. he was not above
the average. 1t Is . part of cyclists |