The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-10-06
MY YOUNG FRIENDS.

people; and now that the autumn of
life is reached, aud one might suppose
that age would have ripened a taste
for more soberness than is usually
found in youth, yet find the greatest
pleasure among my young friends.
Even the tollies and indiscretions that
belong to early years have an attrac-
ton for me, and far beyond l can see
time when they will be laid aside,
and the responsibilities and duties
that follow this joyous period be TAX
en- up just as faithfully as though they
had been born with sober, settled
minds. "You can not put old heads
on young shoulders" is the aid adage,
and none but fools would wish to do
so. Let the young he young and car
ry their light hearted cheerfulness as
far into mature years as they can.
There is only one path they need to
be taught to shun, and that is the path
of sin, the broad way that leads to de-
struction.
1t makes one young again to miugle
with the light-hearted and merry. and
if there were no other reason for the
existence OF these young spirits, it is
sufficient that they add cheer and hap
piness to the aged and declining. How
cherries must be the lot of an aged
pair trotting along the borders of an
other world, with no children or grand
children to cluster around them and
make the old home vibrate with mirth
again. 1t is sad sight to see gloom
and dependency on the countenances
of the young they are not filing their
mission when nature is thus pervert-
ed; something is wrong, and somebody
| must suffer when such is the case
| have always been especially fond
OF the boys and young men. There is
something sublime in the mischiefa a
real live boy can invent. 1t keeps one
constantly interested to see what he'll
be at next, and | can but admire his
reckless ventures: even when my heart
is standing almost lest he injure him
self by them. Even these wild esca-
pades indicate an energy which, if
trained into usefulness, will provide
bread and butter for family, and be
a moving power in the world of men.
There was time when | would not
have admitted that had any admira-
tion whatever for young men, but on
the contrary put on the air of digni-
fed Indifference to them; but can de-
clare it now boldly, and the Head Of
the Sidneys doesn't mind it all. He
says, at is not case Of reciprocity"
And be knows. Young men have no
love for women ''on in years" They
may be hundred, more or less, them
selves, and be marrying young wives
if they can get them, but the cases are
few and extremely far between when
they waste their sweetness on ladies
advanced in years. So the friendships
that exist between old ladies and young
men are of a nature quite apart from
the sentimental. There is no "ax to
grlnd,' no future hope for, it is simply
matter Of respect. esteem, or congo
niality.
just now two young men of my ac-
quaintance loom up before me. l set
high valuation on these young men,
and to meet and greet them is always
a delight. They are not at all similar
in style and make up, although their
Christian names are the same. One
is ccllege-bred, a universal graduate
preacher, a teacher, and popular
platform orator; ard the other is
carpenter, house builder, an expert
workman, willing to serve his fellow
men with his steady hand and kind
heart. If any should ask which of
these two | most admire, | could not
tell; but if an awnswer was pressed
would most likely rather guess the
one had last seen. 1t is no so much
what man does as what he is that
give character to him; not so much
his occupation as the way he pursues
it that gives him prestige and wins
him friends.
The chosen life work of these two
young friends of mine are as wide a
part as could be imagined, and yet
they stand on a CONN, IN ground, they
have courage and perseverance, and
good wishes for their fellowmcn-those
traits that elevate the race and inspire
brotherly love. The preacher speaks
the words that have need to be spoken
ldless Of the listeners prediction.
His words are against sin in every
form, and in favor Of removing the
stumbling blocks all along the way by
which weak brother may fall He
is fair and slight, but his grace and
bravery arc immcasurably.
sometimes fear that my young
friend, the carpenter, undertakes his
vocation. He should not forget that
the greatest leader and teacher of
men, the author of Christianity itself,
went from the carpenters bench to
proclaim to the world that we shall
be known by works rather than worlds,
and planted the seeds of right living
l.