Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-12-18
A Christmas Present to Young Men

Mr.. EDIroP.-This is present that
would like, il you please, to have present.
ed to the young men through your wor-
thy columns.
1t is without doubt ajoyous thought that
you have become young man. Your
spirits flow with the rich currents of feal-
ing, and your lively Imagination paints
the most inviting pictures of the future.
Great responsibilities stand in the pass
ages of every day life. Great dangers lie
hidden in the by-paths of life's great high
way. God has given you existence with
full power and opportunity to improve it,
and be useful and happy. He has given
you equal power to desplse the gift and
| be wretched.
Which will you do, is the grand prob
lem to be solved by your choice and con-
duct. The young man rs he passes
through life advances through long line
of temptations ranged on either side of
him, and the inevitable effect of yielding
is degradation in greater or less degree.
1t is great point for young men to begin
well, for it is in the beginning of life that
that system OF conduct is adopted which
soon assumes the force OF habit. Begin
we'll and the habit of doing we'll will be-
come quite as easy as the habit of doing
badly. "Well begun is half ended" says
the proverb, and a good beginning is half
the battle. There is many poor creature
now crawling through life, miserable
himself, and the cause of sorrow to those
around him, who might have lifted up his
head and prospered if, instead of merely
satisfying himself with resolutions of
well-doing, he had actually gone to work
and made good practical beginning.
To be above the necessity of labor, to
spend life in doing nothing is the fancied
Paradise of many youthful minds. Yield
ing to those delusive dreams, they cult
vate hatred for labor; hence to labor is
irksome. My dear young friends, permit
me to say that to be great is to be good,
to be good is to be wise, and to be wise is
to know thyselt. "Know thyseli" is a
precept which, we are informed, descend
ed from heaven. 1t is noble science to
know ones self, and noble courage to
know how to yield.
Man is not to be rated by his boards of
gold, not by the simple or temporary in
fiuence he may for time exert, but by
his unexceptionable principles relative to
both character and religion. Strike out
these and what is he? A brute without |
a virtue, a savage without sympathy. |
Take them away and his manship is gone,
he no longer lives in the image of his
maker.
do not wish to be understood that
young man should have no amusements,
for young man or woman would be con-
sidered dupes without them. But the
true end of all amusement is, as we have
seen, that recreation of the mind which
will enable it the better to perform it's
useful tasks when the hour of duty re-
turns. 1t should come up from them re-
nvigorated, and this can hardly be the
,ase If there should be in them ANYTHING
hat excites low, sensual or impure emo
ions, that insinuates false sentiments on
my subject.
Twill leave the above brief and pointed
efiections, trusting that they will receive
,our careful consideration.
Wishing you merry Christmas: /
Beyou to others kind and true,
As you would have others be to YOU:
Andneither do nor say to men,
What ere you would not take again. s