The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-12-01
D A-TALK Io-TH 9 BOYS.

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While all classts are now.a-dsys being
lectured tsiough oui columns, it occurs
to Us that ibesboys Win spprecia,e talk
that 10 not grsndfNheis, sud not exactly
fatheriy, bu.. as it ssre, older brolherly.
With that in s!eA, We have. been Try ing
lin imsginaiicn 10 do what, alas cannot
be done 10 fact-turn back score aud
more OF years and construct the boy into
whose place We womb ike 70 put our.
selves We are gotugto draw the pic
ture of the kind OF . hoy we could like
to be, and trust that some Of our boy
readers may Ind some traces OF thelr
iown chsrs>s es q ieast. sofrs answetl
OF their own wishes and hopes.
Ii we were boy we would like to be
hard. working boy. All success waits
on that. OILY fools and gamblers trus,
to "luck. ~ We will never come to much
unless the habit OF bard work teaches Us
the right use Of our faculties. As oil
boys a'e not specially bright boys, as
the rank and file are average sort OF
boys, with ordinary brains and opportu-
mites it will be q good thing IL We can
reaIiz, how far hard work will 90 to
make good the lack OF gifts and good
chances. Sir Walter Scott was called
the blockhead OF the school at Edin.
burgh. Perhaps calling him that walked
him up and he put himself to hard work.
Isaac Newton was the dali boy at school.
The "smart' boy one day kicked this
dull boy. The kick stung him 10 an iron
purpose. He went TO work and never
: let ur till the stars we're at bis feet. o.
: liver Goldsmith was 30 stupid that the
person who taught bin the alphabet was
> thought to have worked q miracle. So
! he did. He walked up the boy who could
nv and by astonish the world by writing
The Traveller" and "The Deserted VII
age" A friend said to Us, psthetically
not long since: 81 used to long for H.
brary. Now have It. and cannot use
1T" But hard work will give rs tbs use
Of everything that comes TO us.
Again, II we were boy we would
want to be thorough boy. II 1t we're
only TO sharpen pencil, We would wan,
10 brIrg It to the very best point--nol
, for fine writing but for the self-discipline,
, We are all well enough endowed II we
only know how to use the endowments
A spirit that is self-exacting, and will
permit no slight in any kind OF work,
will soon get The habit Of bringing large
and difficult undertakings TO own its mas
terry.
;, Again, we would want to be an 6he-
dient. boy. Only those are fit to com.
mand who have learned how to obey.
Grant, after the battle OF Shiloh, was
disgraced and ordered to report, each
morning, to an officer his inferior 10
worth. He touched his hat to that sub
sltern every morning % loyalty and
Waited for his commando as deferen'lsily
as il he were standing before the Com.
mander-in Chief. That spirit helped to
make him an irresistible commander.
, The boys who begin life by throwing ou'
flags Of independence before they are
tairly out OF The nursery are not likely
10 como to anything. II we we're look.
ing for captain we would hunt for him
among the boys VIII, have never disc.
nsved their mothers.
II we were boy we would want TO
be boy with purpose. We would not
loaf or drift; We would set our rudder
we would select some aim worthy OF oui
best energies and then we would stick to
it. and. as Carlyle would say, Nv Work q,
i. like Hercules" There will be people
who will lecture you against ambition.
But the boy without good ambition
will be likely to be boy without good
; record. And only high things are worth
aiming at. As Emerson said, "Hitch
yonr wagon to star" .,..s =,
4 We would also like TO be a truthful
boy. Truth is . card nal virtue In
) Hebrew II means Hrmness; in Greek ii
means that which cannot be hid. A boy
at once open and arm commands univer-
sal respect. And when bu .iness men
are looking for bov whom they may
advance in their service, their most i'm
portant question concerns truthfulness.
1t makes good foundation. He can
| bu Id high who has that for q corner
stone.
Great things are going to be done in
the lifetime Of the boys; and Il We were
q boy We would want to get the best
tools for helping to do them. Among
them are the things we have named, and,
however small our gifts or our privileges,
we should feel pretty sure that our small
gifts wrought out by hard work and dr.
cipline, directed to great aim and up
lifted by trne Christian spirit would
give us good and successful standiog
/ IN the liata of the hattte