The Russellville Democrat., 1884-01-17

Rich n,er, i sons have "a easy time ~
n. VI. and hard time, too. The
vo,113r man with his own way 70 hoe
soon realizes the worth Of money and
fi,e yaItle of time. The rich mans so11
realizes neither. His wants are all at
tended ID by Others. He learns to
exnet.t this as the natural course Of
things, white his poor neighbor learns
BY hard experience that for him nothing
turns up unless he goes and turns lt up.
Thrown out upon the world, one 10
totally unprepared to cope with adver-l
sity; to the other, il Is an old story. 1t
q Ill very well to begin at the top Il you
are likely to remain there; but when a
Young man has begun at the bottom,
and climbed up till he reaches the top,
he il far more certain to stay there.
Punch tells good story Of young
man who has made shipwreck saying to
his father, aIt's precious easy to keep
straight on nothing year" but when
Il comes to five hundred pounds, there's
the rub. It's not so easy then.
To have money to spend is very
pleasant for all young men; but to
spend money wisely which one has
never earned is not an easy matter for
the average collegian. Surrounded by
numerous temptations, as young men
in most colleges are, it Is very easy to
spend; it is equally hard to resist the
temptation to spend. Governor But
Ter 4 son NAV act with discretion with a
blank check in his hand and parental
advice to draw all he deems necessary.
Ingersoll's children may 60 as they
like. to the ever-open money drawer,
and not be the worse for it. But can
all children do So? Would it be safe
to make this the custom even in we'll
regulated familiesp We think not.
The young man in college feels .
new sense OF manhood. He is about
free from home discipline and home re-
straint. The desire to prove his free
dom and assert his independence, and
make the impression on college friends
that he has money and is generous, is
very often too strong for his prudence.
He strikes high the first time, and later
he must keep up appearances. And
then q lot of young reprobates are
usually on hand in every college to
assist rich young men into every kind
Of revelry and debauch under the
specious claim that this is a manly,
and about the only manly, course to
take. And by parity of reasoning the
severe studies of the curriculum are
too often ignored, while athletic sports
are given i higher place. Hard study
will do for poor young fellows, bnt gay
sports and high reyelry better become
men of means.
Delusiye reasoning, but too often
followed. And so it becomes an open
question whether rich mems sons in
college are not more to be pitied than
those who are poor. And once out of
college, they certainly are. We do not
look to them for great soldiers, great
statesmen, great poets, or men great in
any department of thought or action.
Exceptions may be noted, but excep-
tons simply serve to prove rules. The
rule is that great men start poor, or at
least are not rich.
1t is always well to help young man
who is doing his best to help himself;
but be sure that he is helping himself
first. A few hundred dollars judicious-
ly invested in q resolute youth may
help him up to otherwise inaccessible
heights. 1t serves as spur and an in
centive to great exertions. But how
different is this from making pampered
young fellow feel that all the rough
places in life are to be smoothed for
him; that he need only to lie down and
beckon success to his side. Not so.
Success is coy damsel, and belongs
only to him who pursues her with pa
tient,. undated ardor.
If you have sons, whether in college
l. ~ II
which it will not do to bear heavily
upon. 1t is of secondary value. The
fully equipped man is grandly self-re-
liant. For other men will respect most
and honor most those who are strong
and self conferred. In its place, money,
like fire, is exceedingly useful. But too
much Of either tends to ruin and de-
struction. Therefore put not you rtrust
in money, nor, if you lack it, bemoan
too much the absence of it, Golden
RuIe