Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-02-28
WHAT MEN MOST PRIZE.
BY VIM. M. THAYER.

Lie tSGludlt WHICH men pace
upon different things usually crops
out. 1t is not easy to conceal the
value which they set upon this, that
and the other object. Hon. Edward
Everett met an Eastern Prince in
London, who praised the United
States generally, and the State of
Massachusetts in particular. He
was so extravagant in his eulogy of
Massachusetts that Mr.. Everett asked
him the cause of his admiration. Il
REFER" answered the Prince, {" to the
great quantity Of excellent ice we
receive from Boston,"
The Prince knew of no greater lux.
ury in his hot country than ice; and
the enterprising Yankee who con-
ceived the idea of transporting ice
from Boston to Calcutta, awakened
his profound gratitude. A mission
AIRY was less valuable to him than
ice. An ice-cart was more of lux
ury than school. 1t was quite evil
dent that the Eastern Prince had
bestowed little attention upon the
missionary enterprise or the system
of Common School Education of New
England. But ICE he appreciated.
The sea-captain who was cast away
upon an island of the Pacific ocean,
found that IA .jackknife was the best
circulating medium with the natives
in his possession. He had bank.
bills, and silver and gold coin; bat
that did not arrest their attention.
He offered a thousand pound note
for canoe, but the offer was spurn-
ed. The offer of his jackknife, how
ever, was accepted. The heather
were levelheaded; money had no
valne on their little island; they
could not use it; it was altogether
useless. AS for the thousand pound
note, it could serve them only to
kindle fire with. Bnt jackknife
was real godsend to them. They
could find use for that every day,
and every hour in the day. There
was money in it as we'll as comfort
and convenience. 1t could make
their lives happier than silver or
gold could make them. What ice
was to the Eastern Prince the jack
knife was to be untaught Islander.
Ice was valuable to one, and a jack.
knife to the other.
Young people in this good land of
ours are not always as mindful of
utility. They show what they prize
most, but it is not always the most
useful or necessary. Some patron.
lze the skating rink rather than the
Chatauqua Circle. There is exer-
else and pleasure in the former, but
it is not as useful as the latter. There
Is more fun in the former than there
is in the latter, perhaps, but it is not
OF so high an order. The mental and
moral qualities which choose Cha.
tauqua rather than roller skates are
OF a higher type. They denote more
OF the manhood and womanhood
SO that young people show theiI
true characters by choosing the
skating rink rather than Chatauqua
or vice versa.
Our advice to young people is to
choose the most useful rather than
the most pleasurable-tha which
Will prove most serviceable to them
IN the race of life. Character, good
and true, should be the aim ofevery
young person. That is the ultimate
object of all education. But the
boy has lost sight oft who reads only
dime novels, and finds pleasure only
III play and sport. And so has the
girl who values dress, parties, and
nothing to do" more than she does
disciplined mind and Christian
hearth