Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-28

game preserving to a point which was
runous to the national life. Fox-hunt-
ing Is very good as pastimb, hut II Is
about as poor a business as can be fol-
lowed by any man Of intelligence. Ger
tain writer's about II are fond OF quot
ing the anecdote OF a fOx-hunter who,
in the days Of the English civil war,
was discovered pursuing his favorite
sport Just before a great battle between
the Cavaliers and the Puritans, and
had better abandon sport altogether.
No boy can afford to neglect his work,
and with boy work, as rule, means
study, OF course there are occasional
ly brilliant successes in life where the
man has been worthless as a student
when a boy To take these exceptions
as examples would be as unsafe as 1t
would be TO advocate blindness because
some blind men have won undying
honor by trlumphing over their physi-
cal inhrmity and accomplishing great
results In the world. | am no advocate
Of senseless and excessive examining In
studies, but a boy should work, and
should work hard at his lessons-in
the first place, for the sake of what he
will learn, and In the next place, for the
sake Of the effect upon his own charac-
lti VI ltHblhltl9 heAllllAk AONAl W ~
il. Shiftlessness, slackness, indiffer-
ence in studying, are almost certain 10
mean inability TO get on In other walks
in lie. OF course, as boy
grows older II is good thing
Il he can shape his studies In the
direction toward which he has a natu-
raj bent but whether he can do this
or not. he must put his whole heart
into them. ] do not believe In mischief
doing In school hours, or In the kind Of
animal spirits that results in making
bad scholars; and I believe that those
boys who take part IN rough hard play
outside Of school will not find any need
or horse play in school. While they
study they should study just as hard
as they play football in a match game.
Ii is wise TO obey the hOmely old adage,
work while you work. play while you
play"
boy needs both physical and moral
courage. Neither can take the place OF
the other. When boys become men they
viii find out that there are some SOL
dlers very brave in the field who have
proved timid and worthless as poiti-
clans, and some politicians who show
an entire readiness to take chances and
assume responsibilities In civil affairs,
but who lack the fighting edge when OPP
posed to physical danger In each case,
with soldiers and politicians alike,
there is but half a virtue. The posses
sion Of the courage of the soldier does
not excuse the lack OF courage in the
statesman and, even less does the pos
session Of the courage OF the statesman
excuse shrinking on the field Of battle.
Now, this Is all just as true Of boys a
coward who will take blow without
returning II Is a contemplate creature;
but. after ALL he Is hardly as contempt
IDLE as the boy who dares not stand up
for what he deems right against the
sneers Of his companions who are
themselves wrong Ridcule is one OF
the favoIite weapons Of weakness and
Il Is sometimes incomprehensible how
good and brave boys viii be influenced
for evil by the jeers Of associates who
have no one quality that calls for re-
speot, but who affect to laugh at the
very traits which ought TO be peculiar
~ the cause for pride.
There is no need TO be prig. There
Is no need for boy TO preach about his
own good conduct and virtue. If he
does he will make himself offensive and
ridiculous. But there is urgent need
that he should practise decency; that
he should be clean and straight. honest
and truthful, gentle and tender as well |
as brave II he can once get a proper
understanding Of things, he will have
far more hearty contempt for the boy |
who has begun a course Of feeble dis |
sipaton, or who Is untruthful. or mean, |
or dishonest, or cruel than this boy |