The Tupelo journal., 1903-02-27
The Boys Answer to His Questions and
y His Mothers Part In It.

by his parents and others by him
self only. Forward urges the boy
to answer most of the great life
questions before he is twenty, and
boys responsibility upon the
mother for so shaping the boys
life that he will decide every ques-
ton nobly. 1t continues:
One of the questions which
should be answered by every boy
before he is twenty, is what he is
goins to make of his life Be-
fore him lie the long years, with
their burdens, their struggles,
their duties, their possibilities,
their hopes. In his teens, this
boy must think and decide what
he is going to be, what he is going
to do, through these long years.
The trouble is, too, that he is SO
young when he must make deci-
sions which will affect and shape
all his future. If he were fifty in
stead of fifteen or eighteen-that
is, if he could have the experience
of fifty or sixty in deciding the
questions of fifteen or eighteen, it
would be easier. Bpt we cannot
get the experience Of years until
we have lived through those years.
A boys questions, too, IRE ques
tons which the boy must answer
for himself. He may get advice
from his friends, but no one can
cho use for hlm-no one should
dare to choose for him. Whether
he will be Il carpenter or Il clergy
man, whether he will be a machin-
list or IA physician, whether he will
be an artisan or Il scholar-he
must decide. Very sacred is the
mother!s relations to these years
of her boys life. She mas Il great
deal to do in shaping his career,
and in leading him through this
responsibility. But she is not TO
decide his questions for him. Sic
is not to say, 81 want this boy to
be a merchant; this OLA | mean to
be an engineer, and | am going to
make ii minister of this one" Too
many life tragedies have been caus
ed by such over-zealous efforts to
direct young lives.
"What are you going to make
Of this boy?" one asked ii wise
mother. Nothing she answer
ed. 81 hope to give him ii good
education, to help him to built up
a worthy character, to teach him
true principles, aud then see what
he will make Of himself" That
was IA wise reply. Help your boy
to guide mis- life toward all beauti-
full things. Fill his mind with
noble thoughts. Inspire in him
all upward reachings, al heavenly
aspirations. Set before him, in
books and conversations aud friend
ships, and especially i'll your own
life and character, a lofty example
of living. Teach him to be brave,
true, Strong and manly, never to
quail supinely before difficulties,
never to be baked by obstacles or
hindraDces, but to take up life's
burdens AMI bear them heroically.
Teach him to be manly and to
shun everything that is mean.
Above all, lead him into fellow
ship with Jesus Christ. Then
having done these great things for
him, keep your hands off. Let
him decide for himself what he
will do, what occupation he will
follow, what place in life he will
choose, to what calling he will de-
vote himself. God has put into
his soul certain capacities, certain
gifts and powers-jnst the capaci-
ties and gifts and powers that will
enable him to live out the divine
thought and plan for his life.
You must not thwart Gods pur-
for him. There is danger
that you might do so, aud this
would be a terrible mistake. II
God designed aud gifted him for a
aud you make a doctor
Of him, do you not see that you
spoiled Gods thought for his
life aud probably made that life to
be a failure9
Every boy has many battles to
only with temptations,
hut with hiucolf He cannot ho