Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-02-01
ADVICE TO YOUTH.
PhilanthrOpist Burdette Talks Some
More to Young Men.
| Burlington Hawkeye.

Don't be mean, my boy don't do near
things and say mean things. Cultivate 9
feeling of kindness, spirit of charity broad
and pure for men and things. Believe the
best of everybody, have faith in humanity
and as you think better of other people, you
will be better yourself. You can with some
accuracy measure mans character by the
esteem in which he holds other men. When
hear man repeatedly declaring that all
other men are knaves, want strong en-
dorsement on that mans paper before I'll
lend him money. When man assures me
that all the temperance men in his town take
their drinks on the sly, l wouldn't leave that
man and my private demJohn-if l had one
together in room five minutes. When a
man tells me that he doesn't know one
preacher who isn't hypocrite, have all
the evidence / want that that man is liar
Nine times in ten, and frequently ottner, you
will find that men endeavor to dlsfgure all
other men with their own weaknesses, fail
ings and vices. So do you, my boy, think
we'll and charitably Of people, for the world
is full of good people.
And if you are mean you cannot conceal
it, People will know it. Our unfortunate
human fondness for gossip always puts us in
possession of all the wOrser qualities OF each
other. Don't you and your intimate friends,
my boy, discuss the weak and evil points in
your neighbors' characters? OF course you
do and when you are the absent one be as
su1red, Telemachus, that your friends are in
like manner dissecting you. Indeed they
are They know all about you, and that
which you would have least known they
know the best.
At any rate, my son, you know it, and
that is enough Sometimes / wonder what
a mean man thinks about when he goes to
bed. When he turns out the light and lies
down. When the darkness closes in about
him and he is alone, and compelled to be
honest with himself. And not a bright
thought, not generous impulse, not a manly
act, not word of blessing, not grateful
look, comes to bless him again. Not penny
dropped into the outstretched palm of pow
erty, nor the balm of loving word dropped
into an aching heart; no sunbeam OF en-
couragement cast upon struggling life; the
strong right hand of fellowship reached out
to help some fallen man to his feet-when
none of these things come to him as the
God bless you" Of the departed day, how he
must hate himself. How he must try to
roll away from himself and sleep on the
other side of the bed When the only vic
tory he can think of is some mean victory
in which he has wronged neighbor. No
wonder he always sneers when he tries to
smile How pure and fair and good all the
rest of the world must look to him, and how
cheerless and dusty and dreary must his
own path appear. Why even one lone isola-
ted act of meanness is enough to scatter
cracker crumbs in the bed OF the average.
ordinary man, and what must be the feelings
of man whose whole life is given up to
mean act i? When there is so much suffering
and heartache and misery in the world any
how why should you add one pound OF
wickedness or sadness to the general burden
Don't be mean, my boy. Suffer injustice a
thousand times rather than commit it once