The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-03
The Capabilities OF Youth.
BY REV. ROBERT II. WILLIAMS.

1
from the most adverse circumstances.
Luther, whose name ia ringing through
the Protestant world day, came from
miner, and his mother wGs employed in
hard, severe labor for the good of her
family.
If Blackstone, the great oxpouuder OF
tho law, had followed his fathers humble
occupation, he would have remained in
obscurity.
William Writ, one OF Maryland'a q
greatest lawyers. had very humble
| home, and was left without parents and
money at very early age.
was only eight years old. Blowing bel.
tavern, acting as cabin boy, cutting
wood and making the fire in printing.
office, were some Of the employments
passed boyhood.
tho most unpromising circumstances, and
took an honorable place among their fel-
low.men.
Then, home influences have done much
for young mon. The mother, who fol.
lowed her boy with the inquiry when he
Ha' sabbah sat sMsy Do you So yea yead 'gsna
Bible, Tom?' had it said Of that boy, as
Froude says of Carlyle. "The early
Impressions gotten at homo can be traced
through the whole of his writinga."
I: is said of Sir Walter Scott that the
stories told by his grandfather ard grand
mother made him the writer he became.
President Mott, clad in the clothes
which were the work of the hands of
his mother from the time wool was taken
from the back of the sheep until il COW
e:ed the back of her son, was the pro.
duct of home where the best influences
were found.
When DR.. Archibald alexander heard
from the lips of his father that learning
was to be his estate, it made deer and
lasting impression upon him.
Speaking of his fathers intention to
send him to college, Daniel Webster
said "The very idea thrilled my WI ole
frame. My father said that he live.2 but
for his children, and if / would do all
could for myself, he would do all he
could for me. l remember that I vas
quite overcome, and my head grew dizzy.
The thing appeared 30 high, and the ex-
pense and sacrifice it was 10 coat MY
father so great, l could only press his
hand and shed tears. Excellent parent
! caunot think of him now without
turning child again"
1t Was under the influence of Chris.
tian home that DR.. Bushnell declared,
even in boyhood, that he felt that he was
power in the world.
The man frequently ealarges upon
what pleases him in youth. Sixty years
of Sir Isaac Nswton's life were employed
in developing and celebrating what had
passed through his mind before he was
twenty FIVE. RI,
Calvin's theological views had taken
shape in his mind before he wrote his
Institutes" at the age of twenty.ssven,
and the rest Of his life was employed in
developing and perfecting them.
Il has been said of Macaullay: "What
he was as o scholar of Trinity College, he
was substantially as peer of the realm.
The boy, w. Z. Dodge, was interested
in the work of missions, and more than,
fhy yaazs ue prayer and ps;lesiy giving
did not bring Weariness in this noble
work. j,.l,.,r.
The Christian young man may become
many times more useful than the young
man of the world. Herlan Page, the
carpenter, had no money and no social
position to give him influence. But his
simple, earnest piety is perpetual to this
day in the life and work of Sabbath,
school teachers and ministers Of the gos.
pei. Ir} .a ~.
The youth, Ne:seton, was an earnest
Christian, and became one of the most
useful ministers that ever graduated from
Yale College. ga .a..
Now because there are thsae gsest Ca
pabiliLies in the young, there is grSat
encouragement 80 every one Who e sts:s=
ing to train them for usefulness. A triiie
may strengthen the heart for endurance
and earnestness in the most adverse cir
cumstances.
A word may make home influence ef.
fective, may perfect good WORK begun
in youth, and increase tho influence from
year to year through long life.-Pres.
b,1er;0o Yo,,ruoJ