The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-10-27

| having q day Of rest moro recently
than ever before. But l came because
| never like to decline an invitation to
be present at any place where an en-
deavor is being made to do good. And
| don't know of any work which is
better than that work which In done
for boys. We were all boys once-and
some of us not 30 very long ago-and
when l see boys l am reminded of what
one of our Presidents, ] think it was
Garfield, said that you could not tell
what possibilities were buttoned up
under the vest of boy.
We are not ourselves responsible
for the surroundings Of youth. We
are born into this world and the sur.
| rOundings meet us and to q certain
extent they affect us. But beyond that
we have much to do with shaping our
own course. What we amount to in
this world depends upon the ideas
which we have. Some one has said
that a person who aims at the stars
will shoot higher, which simply means
that those who have the highest ideas
will accomplish most. A meeting of
this kind where they teach you patriot
ism, whore they teach you regard for
each other, respect for leach others
rights, necessarily elevates your ideas,
gives you broader views of life, and
those views will help you to accom-
plish more. ONow, in this country in
which we live boys are more blessed
than in any other country on earth,
because the boy in this country has
everything open to him and the boy in
this country may accomplish more
than he can In any other country. Now
there are times when human life or
many human lives, will depend upon
the action OF one person there are
times when the welfare of the com
munity will depend On one person;
there are times when the welfare Of
the nation will depend upon one per-
son, and when you remember how in
tluential one person may become in the
destinios of thetnation, how useful he
may be to his fellows, to society, you
can see that if a kind word or act should
be the cause of getting that boy started
right, leading him up to take advan.
tage of his opportunities, what results
may follow.
- want you to remember that no
good ever comes to boys or men from
doing wrong, andthat the right always
pays. | know itis hard always to be-
lieve, but If yol,take the broad view
of life and its possibilities you will find
that it always pays to do what you be-
lieve is right 1t is always necessary
that you sh1ild try to find out what
right is. apf the education which you
receive in Ehe schools enables you to
see thingf/and understand things and
then the desire to do the best things
leads you to take advantage Of the OPP
portupites that are offered you. | feel
interested in you boys who are starting
out so young to make IL living. Some
of us, instead of having to depend on
our OWL eXertions, were carried for
ward by others. | am not sure that
you who begin this life of Independence
and Of rttGessery activity SO early, have
whether you had the advantage ui",snt
il you improve every opportunity that |
comes, and let your motto be, "Treat |
every one as you would have that per-
son treat you," and to make the best |
of everything that comes
within your reach, and to do nothing
that your conscience will condemn you
for, when you get to be old men you
will be able to look back and be CRATE
ful to Colonel Butler and to those who |
are associated with him in this effort
to give you higher ideas and to give |
you words OF encouragement in the |
years of your youth and unless [ am
the older you grow the deep
er will be your feeling Of gratitude
toward those who gave you this kindly |
when you were boys.
want you to remember this also :
That you are not the only ones who |
are benefited by these things, because |
the Creator has SO arranged the things |
of this world that when we try to help |
others we help ourselves. Those who
have tried 10 help you, those who have !
tried to do you good, find that they |
themselves are benefited by the opera
tion. While they are trying to make |
your lives happier their, own lives are
made happier. II can leave this idea |
with you, l think that it may be OF
use to you. That the highest good !!
that can come to you is from doing
for others, and you will |
find among your playmates that the
boy who does most for the boys around |
him is the boy VINO is liked best, and
is The boy who enjoys himself most"