Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-20

----------
Another story in Samuel shows US
Christians that the other fellows
sometimes play the man quite as
well, at least in part, for there they
got the victory. The enemies of
Israel shouted, be strong and quit
yourselves like men, o. We Philistines,
that We be not servants unto the He
brews as they have been to you; quit
yourselves like men and fight Some
times the children of this world are
wiser than the children of light and
Jesus found the greatest faith once
or twice outside of Israel. Shall the
men of the world today outclass the
men of the church? You boys are to
be men of tomorrow. You intend to
be truly great, and we expect that
you will be. May my words help.
Napoleon told his soldiers in Egypt
to be brave and fight, because 40
centuries were looking down on them
from the Pyramids. l urge you boys
to be great and good, for a cloud of
Elements of heaven and parents are
praying for power upon their chill
dren. Drums and flags in mere dress
parade amount to as little as march.
ing up a hill then marching down
again. but If you fight some good
fight, like that which is soon to de-
stroy the saloon, then all Gods world
above and below will clap their hands
and shout and sing for Joy. Sit on
the right side boys, the clean and
sane and sober side, and play the
man.
Early Manliness.
Boys want to be men, but can
they be men? Yes. they can, and
they can begin to be men very early
in life, by being manIike; even a
very little fellow can be manly. We
do not want a boy to become a man
before his time by putting an old
head on his young shoulders, for boy
hood is a playtime which no one
should miss. But playing the man
is not common child's play. Even
Paul was a real child once, and put
away childish things only when he
grew up. And every boy ought to
make up his mind to become a man
before his mother long enough. To
play the man is not to act a part in
pretense but in sincerity. Booth
used to say, I play Hamlet, and 1 act
Richard, but l am Lear So a boy
must be manlike in reality. and he
cannot do that by feeling big merely.
and acting smart, or by playing the
part of a bully. Suppose we now
agree on some of the main things
which it will make US manly to do or
not to do, and then you boys resolve
with Gods good help to carry out
such a program of life.
Quitting school for a job before
you really have to is one of the poor
est ways to begin to be a man. If
you have to work, then work with a
hearty good will and never shirk, and
never say that any task is too hard;
but still remember school is the best
place for a boy to learn what q man
needs to know. Grieving parents is
a sorry mistake. Honor thy father
and thy mother The God of
heaven cares how we treat our earth
ly parents, for He knows that if we
disregard those whom We ban see,
much more will we disregard him
whom we cannot see. Boy or man,
we owe lasting duty to our parents.
Despising Religion Disastrous.
''Despising religion is the rock on
which many a boy makes shipwrecll
of manhood at the very beginning of
life's voyage. Don't imagine 1t to be
manly to drop out of Sabbath school.
and to omit church-going. and to shy
at Christian Endeavor, and to leave
off praying. Manly men are devout.
Take care what goes into your mouth.
When you dive don't have your
mouth open; and when you take a
plunge into this evil world, hold your
yearning lips together as a no adj
mittance' sign to smoking, chewing
and drinking. 1t Is not manly to eat
dirt and poison, as long as good vic
tuals last Take care what comes out
of the mouth. Jesus insists that what
comes out is apt to defile more than
what goes in. Profane swearing is a
very unmanly abuse of speech. Utter
ing falsehood is folly gone mad. And
filthy talking makes of man beast
'Keep-the door of thy lips
Three chief things about a man a
boy covets: His strength, his wisdom
and his courage-his hand, his head
and his heart. The trained arm and |
brain and spirit come only with use
and years; but by earnest effort and |
strenuous exercise the boy grows into |
the man in body, mind and soul And |
while boys are ambitious to acquire the |
rugged qualities Of manhood, they |
should remember that this outer serv- |
iceahle garnent has an inner soft and |