The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-28
WHAT ARE YOU TO BE?
An Open Letter Well Worth a Careful
Reading BY Boys and Young Men.

An Open Letter Well Worth a Careful
Reading by Boys and Young Men.
Did YOU ever sit quietly down to con-
slider what are the possibilities for good
or evil that you possess? Did you ever
contemplate how much evil. sadness
and misery you might cause IN the
world if YOU should make that the con-
trolling purpose of your life? On the
other hand, did you ever try TO esti-
mate the amount OF good you NAV be
able to do in your life time, how much
happiness and sunshine you are ca pa
bic of adding to the world about you?
These questions have considerable i'm
portauce to you just now as you stand
at the threshold of manhood, and your
life's work, and it will profit you to
weigh them carefully. It is easy for a
young person to drift with whatever
current happens TO set in, but mere
drifting is never manly, and IS. more
over. extremely hazardous.
You have been advised many times,
OF course, TO decide upon some trade or
profession, and it may be that this mat
ter is fully settled; but that has refer
ence 70 what you expect to do. and not
what you expect to Dc. You may have
been told. in a general way, that what
a man does is, in large measure, the
result of what he is, but, perhaps, you
have not weighed this Statement as it
deserves. Many young man has
planned for the future, land his plans
seemed 10 besperfeet, humanity speak
ing; but these plans have not been car
ried out. Now there must be reason
for this, and if You will seek the
cause you viii find that their
plans were larger and better
than themselves. You are young
man of much promise. and.your friends
predict for you a successful career; but
please allow me to suggest that there
are dangers ahead of you. Many a
young man, whose prospects were as
bright as your own, has signally failed,
and | see nothing to prevent your fall
ing. unless Your course is different from
theirs. 1t is not my purpose to preach
you a sermon on the sins of gambling,
drinking ,and the' like, nor, Indeed, to
preach you a'sermon at all-but, mere
", in a friendly way to suggest few
matters for You to consider. From what
know of you, I'm inclined to think
that, in common with many young
men, your plans have entire reference
to what you hope to do, and the ques-
ton of what You expect to be receives
very small attention.
When you are considering the ques-
I s., Il
the money you are to make in your bust
ness. But, while this is right, and
proper enough, the question Of charac
ter ought not to be ignored.
As before intimated you have it in
your power to bring untold sorrow
upon those who are dear to you. II
you will, you can whiten your fathers
hair prematurely; you can cause your
mother to wear veil to hide her tears
and sadness from the world; you can
cause your sister to shun society for
fear of hearing your name; You can
cause your brother to leave home and
go far away that your career may not
hang as milestone upon him. or be
come blight to his prospects: and you
can cause those who are now your dear
est friends to shun you as they would
pestilence.
Or, you can bring honor. happiness
and comfort to your family aud friends,
and cause them all to rejoice in you.
Neither Of these series of results will
come as an oAtgrowth of what you do.
specially, but from what you are; and.
after all. that is the prime factor in life.
You may enter upon profession, or
engage in business, or pursue any other
houorab BILE vocation. and become
blessing to the world; or. you may do
these same things and still be posi-
tive detriment to the world.
It depends upon yourself, and whs
you do is not yourself at all. What you
are-that is yourself. If you viii plan
as carefully and as constantly for your
self. as you do for your work, there will
be small occasion for apprehension on
the part OF US all who are SO interested
il you.
Men have often tried TO i've by their
wits" as thev express II. but such
course is fraught with great danger,
not only to themselves, but also, to
others Let me emphasize the state
rnent that no amount Of so-called
shrewdness. nor sharp-dealing, nor
even OF brilliancy Of intellect can take
the place of sterling worth. IN short,
OF character.
Let me urge you, therefore, 70 give
stten ton 10 what you are 20 be, as well
as to what YOU are 70 do. r. Pear