The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-02
a Word of Encouragement for Bad Boys
and WayWard Girls.

A Word of Encouragement for Bad Boys
and WayWard Girls.
One can never tell where a mountain
rill is going from the way it starts.
Sometime it runs in one direction and
then in another. It tumbles over ledge
of rocks here and winds round preci.
pice there. Now and then moves slowly
and again it rushes over shoals, bending
this way and that, and it looks to all the
world like it vas never going to amount
to anything but noisy, crooked, useless
mountain stream. Follow its course till
you strike the plain below and there you
will find the steady flowing river, irri.
eating lands on both sides, turning mills
here and moving factories there. Its
course also becomes settled and you can
tell that it is going to take up in the
great ocean below, after it has made the
earth rejoice on account of its presence.
TIE man would be very foolish to expect
the babblipg brook of the mountains to
turn great wheels and to bear heavy
boats, but without these noisy, crooked
rills there would be no rivers in the
plains and no grass covered meadows.
As these little streams are, 80 are our
young men and women. They do a
thousand things that they will not do in
later life. They must gamble aud frolic
like lambs and kittens, and rush head.
long at their plays and sports and amuse.
ments as though they never thought or
cared for anything. The fact is young
person with old ways is not lovely
sight. There is a want of harmony about
it. Do not despair of boys and girls
because they are wayward and frolic.
some. You know il is the boast of some
preachers that in their youth they have
been drunkards, outcasts from society,
the most wicked wretches that ever lived.
They show very bad taste in making
these boasts, and their statement, how.
ever damaging to themselves, warns no
one else, but it still shows that very base
men may occupy very exalted positions.
Then do not despair of your girl, if she
does not take to steady regular work.
Do not scold her because she builds air
castles now aud then, instead of darning
her stockings. She may be a little for.
ward in company, or what some of the
very discreet saints of the earth call
"light.headed," but be assured when she
settles down she will be as nearly right
as most folks. The fact is these ire.
pressible girls, that are always planning
and scheming for fun and frolic, aud
ready for picnic to day, an excursion
to. morrow and q round of entertainments
night after night, are the very ones that
make our most active and beautiful
women. Their elasticity and vivacity
carry them through the serious work of
life when it comes. They are fouod in
the front ranks where woman's work is
to be done. There are also many boys
that seem to be "no account" They
fool around the streets, OF saunter around
country stores, and it looks as if they
would never amount to anything. Pro.
vided they never form any vicious habits
and do not settle down into dishonest
practices, there is hope for them. One
of these days you will see these boys that
some older people look upon as abso.
lutely worthless, at the head of the farms,
stores, railroads and other great enter.
prises. Lend the worst boy in your
neighborhood q helping hand. Encour-
age him by kind words and good wishes.
Do not strive, after tie manner Of some
very good people, to make these boys
social outcasts. Help them, trust them,
drop a word of encouragement now and
then. It will do them good. Get in
sympathy with them. Show them that
you are not austere, unrelenting, war.to'
the.knife enemy of all boys. 1t comes
Just as natural for boy to have his fun,
and play pranks and cut up all sorts Of
"didos," as it does for him to stand on
his head, play in gullies and have the
measles. IF all boys and girls were
demure, discreet, quiet, old fashioned in
their ways, sober, net given to merriment,
caring nothing for May parties, picnics,
entertainments, sports and the comic
side of life, the race would soon play out.
There is hope for boys and girls, how.
ever careless and light-headed they may
seem. Help them, sympathize with
them, lift them up, and one day you will
| not regret it.-Spartan6urg Spartan.