Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-21
Come With the Crowd.

See here, my boy! The bells have
rung the old year out and the new one
in, and a new watch has come on
deck. II you think you are going
right along in the same old grooves,
while the rest of us are making
changes, you are up q tree. You've
got to toe the mark along with the re-
mainder of the world.
Now, then; YOU are beginning life.
You are from 16 to q years old. You
fact is you aren't more than half-bak-
ed yet. What you don't know would
cover all Lake Erie, while your worldly
wisdom wouldn't knock an owl off his
perch. Suppose you make q resolve to
begin the year 1884 by not knowing
more than half as much as Plato. Do
genes and other wise men. If you
should condescend to admit that YOU
didn't even know more than your own
| father, it wouldn't greatly affect your
general standing with the world.
Perhaps you smoke and chew. What
for? What's the use of paying out
; 800 year to insure bad breath, head
aches, red eyes, decayed teeth and
nervous debility, when You can secure
| a broken leg, which is far nicer, by q
tumble-down stairs? Chewing is q
vicious, nasty habit, Smoking affects
the brain and nerves and stomach.
We admit that q young chap of Your
| age looks like great statesman when
he comes down the avenue putting
away at five-cent grab but suppose
you didn't look like anybody but your
self?
Maybe you drink little; very proba-
| bly, you do. A young man of your AGE
| is apt to think it smart to guzzle down
lager and tipple wine, but there is
where he is lame. Even old drunkards
would caution you against the practice.
| Drink not only wastes money, but it
sewers friendships, breeds anger, brings
| about quarrels, and there is no end to
the train of wretchedneSs it entails.
! Yes, great lawyers, statesmen, poets
and philosophers drink, but they lose
respect by it. Men have a contempt
for their weakness, and the world reads
| their epitaphs with sneers. Don t
make a persimmon of yourself because
! some one else has.
! Played poker or faro yet? If so we
| hope you got such 4 skinning as will
| last you your lifetime. Let gambling
alone. Fight as shy of gambling rooms
as you would of mad dog People
tell you about luck. That's all bosh.
The gambler has you by the throat the
moment you enter his door You can t
make any money out of him, but he
will see to it that you add to his capt.
| tai.
! Now, as 10 your personal traits.
| You may have come naturally by your
| egotism, but keep it in check The
world in general looks upon it as dis
ease. Even if you know all you think
you know the rest of US won't admit it.
Men hate boosters and braggarts.
| Buntness is good thing sometimes;
sometimes it isn't Civility and a con-
scientious regard for otner people,
feelings are trump cards in the game
of life Be charitable without encour-
aging vice; be honest in your opinions,
but don't imagine that it is your duty
to break up a family or start 4 church
| scandal; in your dealings be square.
You may lose by it for a time, but when
the public comes to understand that
you are just and upright man you'll
make money and keep friends as well.
In fact, young man, suppose you
square up with your tailor, pay the
balance at your boot-makers, part
your hair on the side and fall into pro-
cession with the rest of us. We don
claim to be pretty, and we don't own
all the brains in the country, but we
can teach you several things that may
come useful in future years, and we
guarantee TO prove that horse sense
and square dealing are certain to pay
a semi-annual dividend.-Detr0it Free
| Press.