Daily Republican., 1889-08-14
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THE RISING GENERATION


lacking IN the young people of our tim,
IL Is force OF character, self-reliance
courage to meet and grapple with th,
stern realities OF life.
Never, perhaps, were young people &c
well cared for, so well clad, so well edu.
Gated, In the technical sense; never was
the path OF lie made SO smooth before
them; and yet there seems to be feeling
that they are wanting In the endurance
independence and force which belonged
to former generations.
| Education, so called seems to be nile.
mating the rising race from manual labor
aud even from skilled mechanical nur
suits.
What to do with our sons and dauch-
tiers when they leave school is a problem
pre- sing very heavily on many minds
But too few of the rising generatiop-
OF the male sex we are speakinp-sbov
that seif-reliance and sterling manliness
which characterized the younger DAYS of
our merchant princes and men of means.
VINO started upon nothing, who really
faced the world, and were often footsore.
nuuRfy and roofess; who, ashamed to be
dependent upon ",he old folks" left
their homes, not knowing whittier they
went, with staff In one hand aud litt'e
othtr, ana who are now the owners of
houses. land, aud those much-abusoi but
very DIT sirable "bonds.n
ln other days young people had In
rough It. They had not Only to 20 to
school, but to get up very early In the
morning, just when the sun was peepinY
over the tops OF the hills, and in W liter
before Its rosy face could be seen.
Ihey had to milk the cows and saw the
wood, and weed the onions, and fetch the
water from the well; and very likely thew
had too hard time OF 1t, and too little
frollc and fun.
Still. one cannot help thinking that
such physical exercise as these tasks I'm.
VOWED was a good antldote to the CON
hnement and studies of the school. and
rs possibly better training for all tha
practical purposes of life than base bali
CLUBS and croquet parties; and Il nav
wei be That In rebel,lng and protesting
as 1T Is right that we shouli-aeainst The
harsh Old ways of bringing the children
up, we have swung around to tn, onpo.
SITE extreme, and are in great danger of |
coudiing the young people so much, OF
smoothing their way and making THINGS
80 easy Tor them, that they will he like
Hose puny and delicate oaks which we
irt told the Chinese raise IN pots in their
lighthouses, Instead Of like those at lrjy
lud handsome trees that stand explsei
o all the storms that blow.
Does the fault lie with the young sonsl
" 10 cannot see that parental indulgence,
orethought and care carried to excess
IRE sure to make children Inefficient and
yeaki
There are many instances of parents
Tho have inundated themselves on the
ltar OF love, who, by their very kid
ess and self-denial, have made their off
prihg supremacy selfish, exacting and ,
lie. "4o
ihey have acted on the principle that !
othing could be tao good and no way :
DO easy Tor a child, that no rough breeze :
iust ever strike his cheek, and that he .
lust be saved from all unpleasant tasks :
Parents wear themselves out, DENY :
lemselyes, and reduce their own wants
the minimum OF bare existence, and
lcceed ip making their chili.en vain
40 selfish, lacking In nerve and yipor {
nd disqualified for those commoa duties +
ID cars which are the common lot of 81
i. ~ Vi 9
Our first aim should be TO teach our 7
iildren selfrelanee. p
Our main anxiety should be not to re- n
owe all Obstacles and difficulties from r,
cir pathway, but to aid them In de. /,
hoping their own resources, and to en- h
urage them to remove obstacles aud ID
ives. ~ ~
The way must not be made too smooth -
en- Tor young anu tender feet, else thoss
ct will never be able to tread .'the
.ep and rugged pathway" up which cl
noble lives must ascend ri
Let there be plenty OF love and tent "
ness let there be an abundance of light Il,
u gladness shed around our boys and Ii,
us; but let them be IN Ide early to I'M II
rstand that even love itself cannot
leld them from difficulties or excuse
en- from unpleasant and irksome tasks.
Next in dealing with our children m
cir should be the most careful discrim- ~
ltlon, a palnstaking anxiety to find out n,
cultivate their individual tastes and al
Is. s 81
child is like lump of clay which ar a.,
artist holds IN bis hand, and out of H..
ieh he can mold e Mephistophe!es or is
aint. 10
some take no special pains to mold ~
$ plastic human clay into lovely shapes
me Issues. John is treated exactly M
james, and no more consideration is ho
'wn Ter Mary, the sensitive, than for
ra, the gay; no particular pains are 10
en- TO iind out the tastes, ap!tules or Co
ings of either. wa
hus great opportunities arc missed. !
at injustice Is done, great pain in. eie
ted, and the intentions of nature yio- Ole
10. az
'ur young people must be taught what "B
means In world like this-that there PEE
othipg more beautiful or noble than do
k well done, in how lowly soeyer a no
n or sphere.
hey must not be allowed to vegetate
merely exist, but taught and inspired Kit
i've. for
hey must be made ashamed of being str,
e dronej In this busy hive of humanf.
and to feel 1t a dishonor merely to re-
Q and enjoy, without giving and i'm bri
Wing In return. reu
here is no shoit and easy way through sat
There Is no tragic wand to wave
y the homely, the needfui, and the
monplace; no slight of hand by A
oh We can place ourselves In perfect G.
leal co 3ditions. But the common est
8 and lowliest sphere may be beauti.
by engaging In them In noble way, at
realizing that the distant and the
en- are affected by the work of our
Is and the words OF our lips, and that Apr
things" manual labors aud Mar
este duties, rightly done, help o es-
sh the reign OF health, wholesome A
hsautv and truth in tho ,pa,id n.