The Portland daily press., 1883-05-03
THE BOY OF TODAY.
Mrs. Livermore's Lecture Last Evening.

An audience, fair in numbers, but deplorably
short Of what the occasion demanded, greeted
Mrs. Livermore atl Congress Square church
last evening. The lecturer was introduced by
the Rev. Mr.. Blanchard who, in presenting her,
spoke few words on the temperance work Of
women. The lecture itself calls for the highest
praise; the fresh thought always marks her
lectures, an arrangement most interesting, and
a diction more than attractive made this one Of
her happest efforts aud held completely inter-
ested the audience till the speaker had ended.
A brief abstract must suffice for those SO un-
fortunate as not to be present:
Civilization progresses as an army, with
short marches and frequent halts. The differ
ent nations which have been in the van Of
progress have been those fitted TO be leaders,
as the names Of Egypt, Greece and Rome most
clearly show. For nearly 1900 years, however,
the nations OF Western and Central Europe
have led in tho way OF progress and the foun-
datious OF what IL great In intellect, art or sci
ence have been laid by them. A nation be-
comes leader because Of what IL has done for
humanity, and history repeats itself to-day,
and signs are given us which point 10 change
Of leadership from the Eastern to the Western
Hemisphere. Oar fathers cut loose from the
traditions, manners, customs OF the past, and
hood, made a history for this country which
we would call mythical could we not see the
great results. We are now second to but one
nation in wealth, and already 10 descending
upon US the mantle of England's commercial
supremacy, aud cupulsory education Is almost
universal.
We have developed a genius for religion.
Despite the myriad eects which our very free
dom makes possible, there 10 a deeper interest
in religion among as than abroad; it requires
no state support its believers alone sustain it.
People abroad say we are "big" not Large"
and they ask for proof OF our greatness in
tragedy, or painting or marble. 1t Is TOO soon
10 expect them, we must have wealth first. Al
ready we $50 promising signs OF activity in many
directions, and when wealth Is ours and time
softens our activities, we will witness among
us whatever tends 10 beauty, intellectual
development and artistic power. Then we are
made up OF many members, and all national
tiles are being poured with their genius, diff
ferent temperaments, capabilities and weak
nesses into one great crucible where an inter-
mingIing is going on which win in time result
ia the production of new and wonderful
type OF manhood.
Still il Is not all rose-color, we have some
pressing and pushing evils. We desire riches
and say 70 the boy, "get rich honestly II you
can, bat tget rich''; and this Is the first thing
he hears as he enters upon life. Again il we
cannot be rich we pretend TO be 50, and from
this wretched pretenee come moral disgust
and mental WEAKNESS.
Another besettlng sin, for all nations have
them, is our drunkenness. We come by it
legitimately, for two thousand years il has
been The sin OF our ancestors, we have inherit
ed IL, like a sleuth hound ii has pursued us,
and the fiery taint in our veins Is hard 10 be
withstood IL is into this maelstorm Of great
possibilities on the one hand and dragon evils
on the other that the boy Of today is thrown.
What will we do2 Wealth he can gain,
honest wealth untsinted by deceit or soiled by
fraud III he would have place in any OF
the many varied ways OF life, they lie open be-
fore him, high on the ladder he may climb If
we will. He must not forget that he has hard
work to do nor act as if be had a mortgage on
the future
Every nation has genius OF its own. The
genius OF the Anglo-Saxon race has been and
is. power. BY far the greater part of our i'm
sweeps in with steady Hood. We have always
been strong race; way back when Tacitus
Wrote We were distinguished for power Of body,
while in faculties, ls,senergies we have ever
shown strong mental power Our race has trod-
den down and pushed to the wall everything
which has come in its way; the phrase sur
yiyai Of the fittsst, is one Of our common ex-
pressions. We can excuse anything in man
save being afraid 10 fight; fear we can never
endure and have no sympathy with those who
display it, Yet in the last 100 years we have
taken in something Of kindness and tender
scofn il IN the man.
In thinking Of what to Go with the boy, we
lay stress on heredity while not forgetting the
wonderful force Of environment has upon as.
We must remember the awful influence We
have on poSterity, and look well to our boys
moral sralnlng ssH VS. WI ASake TOO late and
Here are orr boys, rough, careless, turning
things topsy turvy aud with tenderness, 10y
atty, sense Of nonor and manhood. What hap
pens batween the time when he stands before
you guitless, and the day when he is known as
q criminal, and where lies the blame?
The lecturer then spoke Of the infinite possi-
bilities which it is our duty TO evoke into traits
Of character and touched on a few points sell
dom noted. Boys shonld be trained in iperson-
al purity; the past cannot be repaired, the ear
IL whiteness once lost by sin will never come
back, Nature never forgives as God does; she
always associates sin and penalty. They should
be taught TO respect womanhood, TO be polite.
courteous, self-poised, manly.
So long as our country has such manly men
and womanly women viii its future be as se-
cure as its past