Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-04-05
"As The Twig Is Bent. !"

cen pToNlueu az SIedL cOSJ anu Ia
Dor for the express purpose of guild
ing the young in the right way. The
stream that wanders through the
meadow in AN apparently aimless
course is directed by the gradients,
by the character Of the ground and
the nature of the distractions it
meets. Every turn that it makes
has accuse, though sometimes it may
have been SO Slight originally that it
has disappeared, or cannot now be
ascertained. Thus, also the course
Of men Is determined by vari-
iods causes Some Of them of seeming
insignifcance and by condolences of
events that at the time seem to have
no relation one to the other. A gen.
tleman passing. the college from
which he had graduated stopped for
q moment to look at the lads who
were playing ball in the yard during
a recess. The college had helped to
prepare him for a highly successful
career, and he gazed with affectionate
interestupon his SUCCESSORS, who were
intheir turn receiving the same bene-
iicient training. His thoughts had
scarcely taken form before drunk
en- man approached him, and, after
remarking the boys, said abrupt
~, " Some Of those lads will get into
jail by the time they are of my age"
The gentleman who had first stepped
had scarcely recovered from the
rude shock of this reversal Of his
thoughts when the stranger added /:
+" | spent four years there and gradu-
ated, but | was untitled for work,
could not earn living, and look
where / am now ~ The two men,
though not in the same class, had
been at college together. One as
cribed his success in life to his col
lege training, the other blamed it for
his life's failure. Neither was right.
Other influences bad been at work /;
influences that neither learning nor
the want Of learning can wholly over
come or control. The one had been
brought up in a moral home with
good associates; he had formed hab-
its of industry, was faithful to trusts.
and when opportunities of advance
ment presented themselves was fitted
to step higher. The other had been
of convivial disposition, spent his
nights away from home influences
and with bad associates. He was
indolent, disliked work and sought
to replenish his purse at the gaming
table. He went steadily down in the
social scale, and as he sank lower
and lower was tempted to commit
crime to gain the money that he
needed for the qualification of his
vices, but could not earn. Some
times he felt disposed to return, but
ne was not fitted by reason of his
habits to engage in such occupations
as his education had prepared him
tor, and yet could not bring himself
to manual labor because he has been
college, bred and felt himself above
such cailings IS those in which work
offered. 1t was this that led him,
when he had become drunken tramp
and loafer, to blame the college with
his downfall. Consideration Of these
two contested careers-they are ex-
treme types, though taken from life
shows that something more than
education in the ordinary sense is
needed to promote the moral and
physical welfare of men or to pre-
serve them from downfall. The most
potent of these, perhaps, is good as
sociatiohs. The twig is long time
growing. It may be inclined one
way or the other not only when it is
very young, but when it is strong
and sturdy. The inclinations that
may be aroused in the very young
are evanescent. They change with
the years. 1t is when the youth is
beginning to become man, while he
is at school or college or just enter