Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-05
A WORD TO BOYS.

wide Awake. :
A WORD TO BOYS.
Nood Character the Result of tho Combi-
nations of Many Virtues.
A good, worthy character is not made
by the practice of any one virtue, boys,
but by the combination of many good
traits. So the boy who aims at some
day becoming a true, noble man (andI
hope that is the standard of every ono
of my young readers), has many tempt
ations open to boys, SO many paths of
evil into which they may walk, that it
requires q constant watchfulness and
care lest some habit will be acquired
that will ruin what might other
wise be a good character. l once heard
a man say in speaking of a boy: ''That
boy has one fault that ruins him. He
is Industrious, pleasant, kind-hearted,
but he is untruthful. He will tell a
falsehood any time to- shield himself"
There are many boys who will do
this. After they have disobeyed parents
or employers, or neglected some duty
assigned to them they try to cover their
actions with a falsehood. l can not
summon language strong enough, boys,
to tell you how bad this is. When q
boys conscience has become so scared
that he can engage in wrong doing and
then cover it by falsifying, there should
be a danger signal placsd ahead to show
him where he is tending. If he finds
that he can hide one sin by lying. he
will o1,pocf cy1raIr 1n tnyo,,{o1 s,,+o
others with the thought of concealing
them in the same way. And thus he
will gradually harden his conscience
until his whole character will become
ruined through the influence of this one
great fault.
1t is much better, boys, to confess to
the truth when you have done wrong!
There is something so honorable and
brave in a boy who will face punish
ment by confessing the truth rather
than stain his character with a false
hood. Only think how the world has
admired and commended the truthful
ness of George Washington when a
boy. He would endure punishment at
any time ooner than tell a falsehood.
Among other incidents illustrating his
strong regard for the truth his biogra-
pher gives the following: His mother
owned a beautiful pair Of spirited car
riage-horses, of which she was very
fond. Although accustomed to the use
of the harness they had never been
broken to the saddle. One day while
they were grazing on the lawn some
grown-up boys, in a spirit of frolic, at
tempted to mount one of them. None
could succeed until George, who was
thirteen years old, approached the
horse, and gaining an opportunity while
he caressed him, leaped upon the ami
malls back. The horse was terrified,
and %endeayored, by p1unging and kick
ing, to dismount the boy, but failing,
started off in amad race. George urged
the frightened beast onward, little
dreaming of the harm he was doing.
In his fright and excitement the horse
broke a blood-vessel, and falling be-
meath the boy died almost instantly.
There was no attempt on Georges
part to conceal his actions. He Went
directly to his mother and told her all.
Her reply was: '.My son, l forgive you,
because you have had the courage to
tell me the truth at once. Had YOU
skulked away l should have despised
you"
What a charm a kind, polite manner
gives a boy! There are so few boys who
seem to realize the beauty that it adds
to ones character to possess q courte-
Gus, pleasant spirit! 1 do not mean a
politeness that is practised with stran-
gers only, but that true politeness that
Is the outgrowth of akind consideration
for the feelings of others-an everyday
at-home politeness, that makes a char
acterloved and admired by all. am
very sorry to say it, but l know there
are many boys who seem to save up
their gruff, impolite, unkind ways for
their home. Father, mother, brothers
and sisters are often made unhappy by
their rude, unkind speeches, and by their
selfish impolite manners. When asked
to do anything, they growl and fret:
they are cross and snappish to the
younger children, and are rebellious to
the wishes and Judgment of their pa
rents. The boy who acts in this way is
his greatest enemy to his own happiness
In life. And he not only makes himself
unhappy, but he mar tho happiness of
those with whom he may live.
l would urge boys to cultivate a.
pleasant, kind spirit. To be courteous
IN their manners. 1t costs but little to
40 this: Little words and acts are
simple in themselves, yet what a power
Tor happiness they hold when SPOKEN
and done In kindness.
have sometimes heard persons saw
something like this: ''What is the nse
IN talking with a boy about his charac1
ter? 1t is Just time thrown away. Bows
viii be boys, idle, thoughtless, careless
with no thought for anything save
gratifying their love of fun"
Now, l do not believe this is a]wars
u " course there are lust such
boys. But then again there are bovs
whose thoughts often Turn ro,ls: oone