AdvicetoYouth
佚名/Anonymous
BeingtoldIwouldbeexpectedtotalkhere,IinquiredwhatsortoftalkIoughttomake.Theysaiditshouldbesomethingsuitabletoyouth—somethingdidactic,instructive,orsomethinginthenatureofgoodadvice.Verywell.IhaveafewthingsinmymindwhichIhaveoftenlongedtosayfortheinstructionoftheyoung;foritisinone』stenderearlyyearsthatsuchthingswillbesttakerootandbemostenduringandmostvaluable.First,then,Iwillsaytoyoumyyoungfriends—andIsayitbeseechingly,urgingly—
Alwaysobeyyourparents,whentheyarepresent.Thisisthebestpolicyinthelongrun,becauseifyoudon』t,theywillmakeyou.Mostparentsthinktheyknowbetterthanyoudo,andyoucangenerallymakemorebyhumoringthatsuperstitionthanyoucanbyactingonyourownbetterjudgment.
Berespectfultoyoursuperiors,ifyouhaveany,alsotostrangers,andsometimestoothers.Ifapersonoffendyou,andyouareindoubtastowhetheritwasintentionalornot,donotresorttoextrememeasures;simplywatchyourchanceandhithimwithabrick.Thatwillbesufficient.Ifyoushallfindthathehadnotintendedanyoffense,comeoutfranklyandconfessyourselfinthewrongwhenyoustruckhim;acknowledgeitlikeamanandsayyoudidn』tmeanto.Yes,alwaysavoidviolence;inthisageofcharityandkindliness,thetimehasgonebyforsuchthings.Leavedynamitetothelowandunrefined.
Gotobedearly,getupearly—thisiswise.Someauthoritiesgetupwiththesun;somegetupwithonething,otherswithanother.Butalarkisreallythebestthingtogetupwith.Itgivesyouasplendidreputationwitheverybodytoknowthatyougetupwiththelark;andifyougettherightkindoflark,andworkathimright,youcaneasilytrainhimtogetupathalfpastnine,everytime—it』snotrickatall.
Nowastothematteroflying.Youwanttobeverycarefulaboutlying;otherwiseyouarenearlysuretogetcaught.Oncecaught,youcanneveragainbe,intheeyesofthegoodandthepure,whatyouwerebefore.Manyayoungpersonhasinjuredhimselfpermanentlythroughasingleclumsyandillfinishedlie,theresultofcarelessnessbornofincompletetraining.Someauthoritiesholdthattheyoungoutnottolieatall.Thatofcourse,isputtingitratherstrongerthannecessary;still,whileIcannotgoquitesofarasthat,Idomaintain,andIbelieveIamright,thattheyoungoughttobetemperateintheuseofthisgreatartuntilpracticeandexperienceshallgivethemthatconfidence,elegance,andprecisionwhichalonecanmaketheaccomplishmentgracefulandprofitable.Patience,diligence,painstakingattentiontodetail—thesearerequirements;theseintime,willmakethestudentperfect;upontheseonly,mayherelyasthesurefoundationforfutureeminence.Thinkwhattediousyearsofstudy,thought,practice,experience,wenttotheequipmentofthatpeerlessoldmasterwhowasabletoimposeuponthewholeworldtheloftyandsoundingmaximthat「Truthismightyandwillprevail」—themostmajesticcompoundfractureoffactwhichanyofwomanbornhasyetachieved.Forthehistoryofourrace,andeachindividual』sexperience,aresewnthickwithevidencesthatatruthisnothardtokill,andthataliewelltoldisimmortal.ThereisinBostonamonumentofthemanwhodiscoveredanesthesia;manypeopleareaware,intheselatterdays,thatthatmandidn』tdiscoveritatall,butstolethediscoveryfromanotherman.Isthistruthmighty,andwillitprevail?Ahno,myhearers,themonumentismadeofhardymaterial,butthelieittellswilloutlastitamillionyears.Anawkward,feeble,leakylieisathingwhichyououghttomakeityourunceasingstudytoavoid;suchalieasthathasnomorerealpermanencethananaveragetruth.Why,youmightaswelltellthetruthatonceandbedonewithit.Afeeble,stupid,preposterousliewillnotlivetwoyears—exceptitbeaslanderuponsomebody.Itisindestructible,then,ofcourse,butthatisnomeritofyours.Afinalword:beginyourpracticeofthisgraciousandbeautifulartearly—beginnow.IfIhadbegunearlier,Icouldhavelearnedhow.