Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-02-09
A TALK TO THE BOYS.
nari Working. Thorough, obcdicnt, Am
bltiOnS nnd Truthful.

LARD d-WoriJnH. Thorough. Obodlent, Ann
| bltion1 nnd Truthful.
While all classes arc nowadays
being lecturcd through our col
umnS, II occurs 10 us that the boys will
appreciate talk that is not grand
iatherly, and not exactly fatherly, but
~ il were, older brOthelly Wkh thai
In view, VIC have been Try ing In imag-
nation to do what nlasl can not b.
done In fact turn back score and
more OF years and con ,truct tho boy
INTO whose place we would like TO put
ourselves We are going to draw The
picture OF the kind Of boy we would
like to bc, and trust that some Of our
boy readers may find some traces Of
their own characters, or ut least somo
answer Of their own wishes and hopes
II we wero boy we would like to bc
n hard-working boy. All success waits
on that Only fools and gamblers trust
10 "luck." We will never como To
much unless the habit OF hanl work
teaches US the right use Of our facul
ues. As all boys are not spec ally
bright boys, as the rank and file are
average sort Of boys, with ordinary
brains and opportunities II will be a
good thing II we can roalize how far
hard work will 90 10 make good tho
lack Of gifts and good chances Sir
Walter Scott was called the blockhead
OF the school at Edinburgh. Pernap,
calling him that walked him up. and lie
put himself to hard work. Isaac New
ton was the dull boy Mt school The
smart boy one day kicked this dull
boy. That kick stung him TO an iron pur-
pose. lie went To work, and never let up
wi the stars were ut his feet Oliver
Goldsmith was 50 STUPID that the pcr-
son who taught him the alphabet was
thought 70 have worked miracle. So
he did He walked up tho boy who
could by and BY astonlsh the world by
writing The Traveller" and The De-
serted Village" A friend said to us,
paIhetlcally, not long since: II used to
long for = library. Now | have it. and
can not use it" But hard work will
give US tho use Of everything that comes
10 us,
Again, II we wero a boy We would
want to be thorough boy. lit were
only 10 sharpen o pencil we would
want TO bring II to tho very best point
hot Tor ine writing, but Tor the sulf-
discipline. We are all well enough on
lowed II We only know how 10 use tho
indowments. A spirit that is self-ex.
lctng. and viii permit no slight In any
Kind OF work, will soon get tic habit oi
bringing largo and difficult undertak.
ngs 10 own lis mastery.
Again. We would want TO bo an obodl-
mt boy. Only those ara fit TO com.
nand who have learnol how TO obey ,
irant, after the battle OF Shiloh. wns ,
hsgraced and or>lered TO report, each {
morning, 10 an officer his lneerior in {
worth. lilo touched his hat to that
uD'htern every morning ms LOYALTY and c
vaiiod for his commands as deleren (
tally rs II he wero standing before the I
'ommandcr- n-Chief. That spirit helped c
Q make him an Irresistible commander. Q
'ho boys who begin life by throwing 4
ut Tags Of independehoe before they s
re fairly out Of the nursery are not
kely TO come to anything. II we were 4
Ioking for u Captain we would hunt s.
,r him among the boys who never dis. Q
bcyed their mothers. h
II we we're boy we would want to n
0 a boy with purpose. We would u
OF loaf or drift; we would set our r,d. q
Or; We would select some aim worthy a
our best energies and then we would Il
lick to it and, as Carlyle would say,
Work at 1t like Hercules. There
Ill be people who will lecture YOU
yainst ambition. But the boy without II
good ambition will be likely TO be the
~ without good record. And only
gh things are worth aiming at. AS al
aoEson said. "Hisch your wagon to m
Wo would also like to be truthful 70
". Truth Is q cardinal virtue. In o.
ebrew 1t means firmness; In Greak 1t C
cans that which can not be hid. A le
y at once open and firm commands m
livcrsal respect And when business cC
en- are looking for boy whom they d,
ny advance in their service, their most an
lportant question concerns truthful ke
IS. It makes good foundation. He ar
n build high who has that for corn to
stone. No
Great things are going to be done in an
lifetime Of the boys; and II we were WI
boy we would want to get the best SO
OILS for helping to do them. Among as
EN- are the things we have named, tr,
d, however small our gifts or our il
ivileges, we should feel pretty sure by
at our small gifts wrought out by an
rd work and discipline, directed to a de
cat aim and uplifted by true Chris be
n spirit would give us a good and to
,cessful standing in the lists Of the al
tile. = Chicago Interior. on