The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-14
THE SCHOLAR AT NINETEEN =.

THE SCHOLAR AT NINETEEN.
Just as all the world loves lover, so all
the world looks with kindly eye upon the
youth who is spending his days in the accu-
mutation of knowledge. The student is an
object of interest not only to his associates
but to the public in general, especially to
that portion of it whose school days are in
the past. His importance in the eyes of his
elders is not due as he himself, perhaps, sup
poses to the fact that he, the student, is to
be, or is now, great factor in the problem
of Life-life is always capitalized in the
students vocabulary. They like him be-
cause, in watching him, they renew their
own YOUTH they enjoy his ardor and enthu-
sasm; they smile indulgently at his vagaries;
they like him, in short because he is young,
and youth is beautiful. Then elderly peo-
pie do not deny that the am bilious learner
may some day move the world with his wis
dom, but they smile quietly at his assump-
ton that he only needs an opportunity to
do so now. These lockers on see their own
reflection in this, They once seemed to
themselves to have attained to vast
degree of knowledge also, but know now
that they only stood on the steps of the
temple and had not yet entered beyond
the vestibule. They know the young man
will have a like revelation some day, and are
not agitated by his outbursts of immature
philosophy.
The oratorical contests which have come
to be the fashion furnish an opportunity for
study of the students peculiarities not
hitherto attainable by many. The elderly
person before referred to goes, listens to the
eloquent and elegant periods hears the i'm
FASHIONED voices, and comes away in a de-
pressed condition of mind. The immense
erudtion aired by the speakers does not
effect him; once upon time he knew almost
as much himself Their self-conceit, of
him. Once, perhaps, he too was just as COM
placent, but can it be possible that he was
ever so misanthropic? Has it been character
istic of all young students to give
utteTauCe W BlOoiuy anu uySpepVlc
views of the intricate questions of existence,
or is this singular tendency one of recent de-
velopment? The collegiate of eighteen or
twenty disdains as every one knows, to
touch upon simple matters of which others
may be as we'll informed as he, and attacks
none but the deep problems OF science and
philosophy. He wants to get at the
primal reasons of things. He
reaches into the illimitable and,
though he has an apparent grasp
of the infinite mysteries, he fails to elucidate
them to his satisfaction, and is in despair.
His horizon is boundless, but he wants to
look over the edge, and because he cannot,
is of the opinion that no thoughtful man
can be contented or happy, He touches del
evident that respect for authority alone re-
strains him, and that if he dared speak, only
the most hopeless and sorrowful views would
be expressed. Moral, social, financial ruin
await mankind, according to this youthful
JEREMIAH and the wonder to the listener is
that he allows himself to remain in such
miserable world. The elderly person is de-
pressed, not by the pessimistic utterances in
themselves but by the fact that boys are the
authors Of them. He would like to take the
speakers aside and whisper to them that the
world has little joy and brightness left.
lie privately doubts whether the hopelessness
has affected their digestion and suspects that
lobster salad has yet no terrors for them but,
nevertheless, he wants to offer consolation.
He could tell them that though life may not
seem worth living at nineteen, at forty, when
they have struggled with more temptations
and adversities than they dream of now,
they will not be half SO willing to leave it.
He could also whisper that while broad
outlook into the universe may be very desir-
able. they can do more for the amelioration
of the world when they cease to soar into the