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GOLDEN STEPS TO RESPECTABILITY, USEFULNESS, AND HAPPINESS
Being a Series of Lectures to Youth of Both Sexes, on Character,
Principles, Associates, Amusements, Religion, and Marriage
by
JOHN MATHER AUSTIN
Author of _Voice to Youth_, _Voice to Married_, etc., etc.
Auburn:
Derby, Miller, and Company
1851
"Onward! onward! Toils despising,
Upward, upward! Turn thine eyes,
Only be content when rising,
Fix thy goal amid the skies."
[Illustration]
CONTENTS.
LECTURE I. THE VALUE OF A GOOD REPUTATION
LECTURE II. THE PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES OF LIFE
LECTURE III. SELECTION OF ASSOCIATES
LECTURE IV. THE HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS
LECTURE V. THE RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS
LECTURE VI. MARRIAGE
PREFACE.
The Lectures embraced in this volume, were written for the pulpit,
in the usual manner of preparation for such labor, without any
expectation of their appearing in print. The author is but too
sensible that they are imperfect in many features, both in matter
and style. It is only in the hope that they will be of some benefit
to the class to whom they are addressed, that he has consented to
submit them to public perusal. He has aimed at nothing eccentric,
odd, or far-fetched; but has sought to utter plain and obvious
truths, in a plain and simple manner. There is no class more
interesting, and none which has higher claims on the wisdom,
experience, and advice, of mature minds, than the young who are
about to enter upon the trying duties and responsibilities of active
life. Whatever tends to instruct and enlighten them: to point out
the temptations which will beset their pathway, and the dire evils
which inevitably flow from a life of immorality; whatever will
influence them to honesty, industry, sobriety, and religion, and
lead them to the practice of these virtues, as "Golden Steps" by
which they may ascend to Respectability, Usefulness, and Happiness,
must be of benefit to the world. To aid in such a work, is the
design of this volume. If it subserves this end--if it becomes
instrumental in inciting the youthful to high and pure principles
of action, in hedging up the way of sin, and opening the path of
wisdom, to any--if it drops but a single good seed into the heart
of each of its readers, and awakens the slightest aspiration to
morality, usefulness, and religion--it will not have been prepared
in vain. With a prayer to God that he would protect and bless the
youth of our common country, and prepare them to preserve and
perpetuate the priceless legacy of Freedom and Religion, which they
will inherit from their fathers, this book is given to the world, to
fulfil such a mission as Divine Wisdom shall direct.
THE AUTHOR.
AUBURN, June, 1850.
LECTURE I.
The Value of a Good Reputation.
"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against
the time to come."--1 Tim. vi. 19.
In this language St. Paul asserts a principle which should commend
itself to the mature consideration of every youthful mind. If the
young would have their career honorable and prosperous--if they
would enjoy the respect and confidence of community; if they would
have the evening of their days calm, serene, and peaceful--they must
prepare for it early in life. They must lay "a good foundation
against the time to come"--a foundation which will be capable of
sustaining the edifice they would erect. The building cannot be
reared in strength and beauty, without it rests on a secure
"corner-stone." The harvest cannot be gathered unless the seed is
first cast into the ground. A wise Providence has so ordered it that
success, prosperity, and happiness through life, and a respected and
"green old age," are to be enjoyed only by careful preparation,
prudent forecast, and assiduous culture, in the earlier periods of
our existence.
"True wisdom, early sought and gained,
In age will give thee rest;
then improve the morn of life,
To make its evening blest."
The youthful live much in the future. They are fond of gazing into
its unknown depths, and of endeavoring to trace the outline, at
least, of the fortunes that await them. With ardent hope, with eager
expectation, they anticipate the approach of coming years--confident
they will bring to them naught but unalloyed felicity. But they
should allow their anticipations of the future to be controlled by a
well-balanced judgment, and moderated by the experience of those who
have gone before them.
In looking to the future, there is one important inquiry which the
young should put to their own hearts:--What do I most desire to
become in mature life? What position am I anxious to occupy in
society? What is the estimation in which I wish to be held by those
within the circle of my acquaintance?
The answer to these inquiries, from the great mass of young people,
can well be anticipated. There are none among them who desire to be
disrespected and shunned by the wise and good--who are anxious to
be covered with disgrace and infamy--who seek to be outcasts and
vagabonds in the world. The thought that they were doomed to such a
condition, would fill them with alarm. Every discreet youth will
exclaim--"Nothing would gratify me more than to be honored and
respected, as I advance in years; to move in good society; to have
people seek my company, rather than shun it; to be looked up to as
an example for others to imitate, and to enjoy the confidence of all
around me."
Is not his the desire of the young of this large audience? Surely
there can be none here so blind to the future, so lost to their
own good, as to prefer a life of infamy and its ever-accompanying
wretchedness, to respectability, prosperity, and true enjoyment? But
how are these to be obtained? Respectability, prosperity, the good
opinion of community, do not come simply at our bidding. We cannot
reach forth our hands and take them, as we pluck the ripe fruit from
the bending branch. Neither will wishing or hoping for them shower
their blessings upon us. If we would obtain and _enjoy_ them, we
must _labor_ for them--EARN them. They are only secured as the
well-merited reward of a pure and useful life!
The first thing to be aimed at by the young, should be the
establishment of a GOOD CHARACTER: In all their plans, anticipations,
and prospects for future years, this should form the grand
starting-point!--the chief corner-stone! It should be the foundation
of every hope and thought of prosperity and happiness in days to
come. It is the only basis on which such a hope can mature to full
fruition. A good character, established in the season of youth,
becomes a rich and productive moral soil to its possessor. Planted
therein, the "Tree of Life" will spring forth in a vigorous growth.
Its roots will strike deep and strong, in such a soil, and draw
thence the utmost vigor and fruitfulness. Its trunk will grow up in
majestic proportions--its wide-spreading branches will be clothed
with a green luxuriant foliage, "goodly to look upon"--the most
beautiful of blossoms will in due time, blush on every twig--and at
length each limb and bough shall bend beneath the rich, golden
fruit, ready to drop into the hand. Beneath its grateful shade you
can find rest and repose, when the heat and burden of life come upon
you. And of its delicious fruit, you can pluck and eat, and obtain
refreshment and strength, when the soul becomes wearied with labor
and care, or the weight of years. Would you behold such a tree?
Remember it grows alone on the soil of a good reputation!! Labor to
prepare such a soil.
Believe not, ye youthful, that God has made the path of virtue and
religion hard and thorny. Believe not he has overhung it with dark
clouds, and made it barren of fruit and beauty. Believe not that
rugged rocks, and briers, and brambles, choke the way, and lacerate
the limbs of those who would walk therein! No! he has made it a
smooth and peaceful path--an easy and pleasant way.--"Wisdom's ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."
The young who overlook these considerations--who lay their plans,
and cherish their expectations, in reference to their future career,
without any regard to the importance of a good character--who, in
marking out their course, lose sight of the necessity of laboring to
establish a worthy reputation to _commence_ with--who, in building
their hopes of success and happiness, are not convinced that "a good
name" is the only foundation on which such hopes can legitimately
rest--have commenced wrong. They have made a radical and lamentable
MISTAKE at the outset. A mistake, which, unless speedily corrected,
will prove most disastrous in all its influences, and be keenly felt
and deplored throughout life.
Those who fall into error on this point, who view a good reputation
as a matter of no moment--well enough if you can secure it without
much trouble, but not worth laboring for, with zeal and
perseverance--have placed themselves in a most critical position.
They are like a ship in the midst of the wide wastes of ocean,
without chart compass, or rudder, liable to be turned hither and
thither by every fickle wind that blows, and dashed upon dangerous
reefs by the heaving billows. Failing to see the importance of
establishing a good character, they fall easy victims to sinful
temptations, and, ere long, verging farther and farther from the
path of rectitude, they at length find every fond hope, every fair
prospect, blasted for life.
To a young man, a good character is the best _capital_ he can
possess, to start with in life. It is much better, and far more to
be depended on than gold. Although money may aid in establishing a
young man in business, under favorable circumstances, yet without
a good character he cannot succeed. His want of reputation will
undermine the best advantages, and failure, and ruin, will, sooner
or later, overtake him with unerring certainty!!
When it is known that a young man is well-informed, industrious,
attentive to business, economical, strictly temperate, and moral, a
respecter of the Sabbath, the Bible, and religion, he cannot fail to
obtain the good opinion and the confidence of the whole community.
He will have friends on every hand, who will take pleasure in
encouraging and assisting him. The wise and good will bestow their
commendation upon him; and parents will point to him as an example
for their children to imitate. Blessed with health, such a youth
cannot fail of success and permanent happiness.
But let it be known that a young man is ignorant or indolent, that
he is neglectful of business, or dishonest; that he is given to
intemperance, or disposed to visit places of dissipation, or to
associate with vicious companions--and what are his prospects?
With either one or more of these evil qualifications fixed upon
him, he is hedged out of the path of prosperity. To cover up
such characteristics for a great length of time, is a moral
impossibility. Remember this, I beg you. It is beyond the power of
mortals to _conceal_ vicious habits and propensities for any long
period. And when once _discovered_, who will repose confidence in
such a youth? Who will trust him, or encourage him, or countenance
him? Who will give him employment? Who will confide anything to his
oversight? Who will render him assistance in his business affairs,
when he is straitened and in need of the aid of friends? Behold his
prospects! How unpromising, how dark!! It is impossible for such a
young man to succeed. No earthly power can confer prosperity upon
him. He himself undermines his own welfare, blackens his own name,
and dashes down the cup of life which a wise and good Providence has
kindly placed to his lips, and calls upon him to drink.
* * * * *
If a good character, a spotless reputation, is all-essential to the
prosperity of a young man, what must it not be to a young woman?
A well-established character for morality and virtue is of great
importance to people of every class, and in all circumstances.
But to a young lady, a "good name" is a priceless jewel. It is
everything--literally, EVERYTHING--to her. It will give her an
attraction, a value, an importance, in the estimation of others,
which nothing else can impart. In possession of a spotless
character, she may reasonably hope for peace and happiness. But
without such a character, she is _nothing_! Youth, beauty, dress,
accomplishments, all gifts and qualities will be looked upon as
naught, when tainted by a suspicious reputation! Nothing can atone
for this, nothing can be allowed to take its place, nothing can give
charm and attraction where it exists. When the character of a young
woman is gone--all is gone! Thenceforward she can look for naught
else but degradation and wretchedness.
The reputation of a young woman is of the most delicate texture.
It requires not overt acts of actual wickedness to tarnish its
brightness, and cast suspicion on its purity. Indiscreet language,
careless deportment, a want of discrimination in regard to
associates, even when no evil is done, or intended, will often
bring into question her character, greatly to her injury. Many are
the instances where a single word, spoken at random, in the giddy
thoughtlessness of youthful vivacity, without the slightest
thought of wrong, has cast a shadow upon the character of a young
woman which it required years to efface. How important that every
word uttered, and every deed performed, should be maturely weighed.
A discreet lady will not only be careful to avoid evil itself,
but will studiously refrain from everything which has even the
appearance of evil.
"Whatever dims thy sense of truth,
Or stains thy purity,
Though light as breath of summer air,
Count it as sin to thee."
Young women frequently err in their understanding of what it is that
gives them a good name, and imparts their chief attraction. Many
seem to imagine that good looks, a gay attire, in the extreme of
fashion, and a few showy attainments, constitute everything
essential to make them interesting and attractive, and to establish
a high reputation in the estimation of the other sex. Hence they
seek for no other attainments. In this, they make a radical mistake.
The charms contained in these qualities, are very shallow, very
worthless, and very uncertain. There can no dependence be placed
upon them.
If there is one point more than another, in this respect, where
young ladies err, it is in regard to DRESS. There are not a few who
suppose that dress is the most important thing for which they have
been created, and that it forms the highest attraction of woman.
Under this mistaken notion--this poor infatuation--they plunge into
every extravagance in their attire; and, in this manner, squander
sums of money, which would be much more profitably expended in
storing their minds with useful knowledge, or, in some cases, even
in procuring the ordinary comforts of life.
There is a secret on this point I would like to divulge to young
women. It is this--That any dress, which from its oddness, or its
extreme of fashion and display, is calculated to attract very
particular attention, is worn at the expense of the good name of its
possessor. It raises them in the estimation of none; but deprives
them of the good opinion of all sensible people. It gives occasion
for suspicion, not only of their good sense, but of their habits of
economy. When a young woman is given to extravagant displays in
dress, it is but publishing to the world, her own consciousness of a
want of other attractions of a more substantial nature. It is but
virtually saying, "I seek to excite attention by my dress, because I
have no other good quality by which I can secure attention."
Could a young woman who passes through the streets decked out
extravagantly in all that the milliner and dress-maker can furnish,
realize the unfavorable impression she makes upon sensible young
men--could she but see the curl of the lip, and hear the
contemptuous epithet which her appearance excites, and know how
utterly worthless they esteem her--she would hasten to her home,
throw off her foolish attire, and weep tears of bitterness at her
folly.
Parents are often much to be blamed for this indiscretion in their
daughters. They should give them better advice; and instruct them to
cultivate other and worthier attractions than the poor gewgaws of
DRESS! Do they not know that the worthless and abandoned of the
female sex dress the most gaily and fashionably? Should they not
urge their daughters to seek for a higher excellency, a more
creditable distinction than this?
Here is another secret for young ladies:--All the attraction they
can ever possess by means of dress, will be derived from three
sources, viz. Plainness, Neatness, and Appropriateness. In whatever
they deviate from these cardinal points, they will to the same
degree make themselves ridiculous--weaken their influence, and lose
the good opinion of those they are the most anxious to win. I beg
these truths to be impressed deeply on the mind.
Dress, personal beauty, and showy accomplishments, go but a short
way to establish the reputation on which the happiness of woman
really depends. Instead of placing reliance on these, they should
seek to cultivate those qualities, habits, and dispositions, which
will give permanent merit and value, in the estimation of those
whose attention and regard they are desirous to cultivate. A sweet
and gentle disposition--a mild and forgiving temper--a respectful
and womanly demeanor--a mind cultivated, and well-stored with useful
knowledge--a thorough practical acquaintance with all domestic
duties; (the sphere where woman can exhibit her highest attractions,
and her most valuable qualities,) tastes, habits, and views of
life, drawn not from the silly novels of the day, but from a
discriminating judgment, and the school of a well-learned practical
experience in usefulness and goodness:--these are the elements of a
good name, a valuable reputation in a young woman. They are more to
be sought for, and more to be depended upon, than any outward
qualification. They form an attraction which will win the regard and
affection of the wise and enlightened, where the fascinations of
dress, and other worthless accomplishments, would prove utterly
powerless.
I desire the young, of both sexes, to remember that it is one thing
not to have a bad reputation, but quite another thing to have a good
one. The fact that an individual does nothing criminal, or
offensive, although creditable in itself considered, does not bestow
the amount of merit after which all should seek. They may do nothing
particularly bad, and nothing very good. It is meritorious to
refrain from evil; but it is better still to achieve something by
active exertion, which shall deserve commendation. The Apostle
exhorts us not only to "cease to do evil," but to "learn to do
well." The young, while striving to avoid the evils of a bad
reputation, should assiduously seek for the advantages of a good
one.
How can the young secure a good character? Its worth, its
importance, its blessings, we have seen. Now, how can it be
obtained? This is a question, worthy the serious consideration of
every youth. Let me say in reply:--
1. That a good character cannot be _inherited_, as the estate of a
father descends to his heirs. However respectable and worthy parents
may be, their children cannot share in that respect, unless they
deserve it by their own merits. Too many youth, it is to be
apprehended, are depending upon their parents' reputation as well as
their parents' property, for their own standing and success in life.
This is an insecure foundation. In our republican land, every
individual is estimated by his or her own conduct, and not by the
reputation of their connections. It is undoubtedly an advantage in
many points of view, for a young person to have respectable parents.
But if they would inherit their parents' good name, they must
imitate their parents' virtues.
2. A good character cannot be purchased with gold. Though a man or a
woman may have all the wealth of the Indies, yet it cannot secure a
worthy name--it cannot buy the esteem of the wise and good, without
the merit which deserves it. The glitter of gold cannot conceal an
evil and crabbed disposition, a selfish soul, a corrupt heart, or
vile passions and propensities. Although the sycophantic may fawn
around such as possess wealth, and bow obsequiously before them, on
account of their riches, yet, in fact, they are despised and
contemned in the hearts even of their hangers-on and followers.
3. A good character cannot be obtained by simply wishing for it. The
Creator has wisely provided, that the desire for a thing does not
secure it. Were it to be thus, our world would soon present a
strange aspect. It is, undoubtedly, much better that it should be as
it is. We have the privilege to wish for whatever we please; but we
can secure only that which we labor for and deserve. Were the
traveller to stand throughout the day, at the foot of the hill,
wishing to be at the summit, his simple desire would not place him
there. He must allow his wishes to prompt him to proper exertion. It
is only by persevering industry, and patient toil, contented to take
one step at a time; that his wish is gratified, and he finds himself
at length upon the brow of the eminence.
In like manner, the youthful, to obtain possession of a good
character, must earn it. It must be sought for, by an earnest
cultivation of all the graces and virtues, which are commended by
God and man. It cannot be secured in a moment. As the edifice is
erected by diligently laying one stone upon another, until it
finally becomes a splendid temple, piercing the heavens with its
glittering spire, so a good name must be built up by good deeds,
faithfully and constantly performed, as day after day carries us
along amid the affairs of life.
Let the youthful fix their eyes upon this prize of a good
reputation--the only end worth striving for in life. Let them
studiously avoid evil practices, corrupt associates, and vicious
examples. Let them patiently and faithfully lay the foundations of
virtuous habits, and practice the lessons of wisdom and the precepts
of religion--and in due time the prize shall be theirs. The spotless
wreath of a virtuous character shall rest upon their brow. The
commendation, the confidence, and the good-will of man shall
accompany them; and the choicest of the blessings of God shall rest
upon them, and sweeten all their days.
LECTURE II.
The Principles and Purposes of Life.
"The heart of him that hath understanding, seeketh
knowledge."--Prov. xv. 14.
The practical wisdom of Solomon is seen in this simple precept. The
youthful, who have the slightest understanding of the journey of
life--who have been impressed, even in the smallest degree, with the
perils to which they are exposed; the trials to be endured; the
vicissitudes through which they must necessarily pass; the obstacles
they must overcome; the deceptions and allurements they will have to
detect and withstand--cannot fail to acknowledge the wisdom of
seeking for knowledge to enlighten and prepare for the exigencies
which await the inexperienced traveller through this world's wayward
scenes.
Those who commence their career without forethought, or
discrimination in regard to the moral principles by which they will
be governed, and without selecting the best and safest path of the
many which open before them, are involved in a blindness of the
most pitiable description. They would not manifest this want of
discretion on matters of much less importance. The commander of the
ship does not venture his voyage to sea without his compass, his
chart, and a full supply of stores. We would not sail an hour with
him, if we believed him ignorant or indifferent to the necessity of
these important preparations. How hazardous, how foolish the youth
who launches away on the momentous voyage of life, without compass,
or chart, or any preparation which extends beyond the present
moment. True, the ship destitute of all these essentials, may leave
the harbor in safety, with her gay pennons flying, her swelling
sails filled with a favorable breeze, a smiling sun above, a smooth
sea beneath, and all the outward indications of a prosperous voyage.
But follow her a few hours. The terrific storm-king spreads abroad
his misty pinions, and goes forth in fury, ploughing up the waters
into mountain billows, and shrieking for his prey. The gloomy night
settles down upon the bosom of the mighty deep, and spreads its dark
pall over sea and sky. Muttering thunders stun the ear, and the
lightning's vivid flash lights up the terrific scene, and reveals
all its indescribable horrors. Where now is the gay ship which
ventured forth without needful preparation? Behold her, tossed to
and fro by the angry waves. All on board are in alarm! The fierce
winds drive her on, they know not whither. Hark to that fearful
roar! It is the fatal breakers! Hard up the helm! Put the ship
about! See, on every hand frowns the fatal lee-shore! Pull taught
each rope--spread every sail. It is in vain! Throw out the anchors!
Haste! strain every nerve! Alas! _It is all too late._ The danger
cannot be escaped. On drifts the fated craft. Now she mounts the
crest of an angry wave, which hurries forward with its doomed
burthen. Now she dashes against the craggy points of massive rocks,
and sinks into the raging deep. One loud, terrific wail is heard,
and all is silent! On the rising of the morrow's sun, the spectator
beholds the beach and the neighboring waters strewn with broken
masts, rent sails, and drifting fragments--all that remains of the
proud ship which yesterday floated so gaily on the ocean waters!!
Behold, O ye youthful, a picture of the fate of those who rush upon
the career of life, without forethought or preparation, and without
the light of well-selected moral principles to guide them. All may
appear fair and promising at the outset, and for a season. But
before many years can elapse, the prospects of such youth must be
overclouded; and ere long disappointment, overthrow, disgrace and
ruin, will be the closing scenes of a life, commenced in so much
blindness.
"Well begun is half done," was one of Dr. Franklin's sound maxims. A
career well begun--a life commenced properly, with wise forecast,
with prudent rules of action, and under the influence of sound and
pure, moral and religious principles--is an advance, half-way at
least, to ultimate success and prosperity. Such a commencement will
not, it is true, insure you against the misfortunes which are
incident to earthly existence. But if persevered in, it will guard
you against the long catalogue of evils, vexatious penalties and
wretchedness, which are the certain fruit of a life of immorality;
and will bestow upon you all the real enjoyments, within the earthly
reach of man.
As people advance in years, they perceive more and more the
importance of commencing life properly.
See that wretched outcast! Poor and miserable, shunned by all but
depraved associates, he drags out the worthless remnant of his days.
Does he think he has acted wisely? Hark to his soliloquy--"Oh, could
I begin life again:--could I but live my days over once more--how
different the course I would pursue. Instead of rushing on blindly
and mindlessly, without forethought or care, and allowing myself to
become an easy prey to temptation and sin, I would reflect maturely,
and choose wisely the path for my footsteps. Faithfully I would
search for the way of virtue, honesty, sobriety, and goodness, and
strictly would I walk therein!" The opportunity he so eagerly
covets, and to obtain which he would deem no sacrifice too great, is
now before every youth in the assembly.
This thought is beautifully elaborated in the following allegory:
"It was midnight of the new year, and an aged man stood thoughtfully
at the window. He gazed with a long, despairing look, upon the
fixed, eternal, and glorious heaven, and down upon the silent,
still, and snow-white earth, whereon was none so joyless, so
sleepless as he. For his grave stood open near him; it was covered
only with the snows of age, not decked with the green of youth; and
he brought with him, from a long and rich life, nothing save errors,
crimes, and sickness--a wasted body, a desolate soul, a breast
filled with poison, and an old age heavy with repentance and sorrow.
The fair days of his youth at this hour, arose like spectres before
his mind, and carried him back to the bright morning, when his
father had first planted him at the starting-point of life; whence,
to the right, the way conducts along the sunny path of virtue, to a
wide and peaceful land, a land of light, rich in the harvest of good
deeds, and full of the joy of angels; whilst, to the left, the road
descends to the molehills of vice, toward a dark cavern, full of
poisonous droppings, stinging serpents, and dank and steaming mists.
"The serpents clung around his breast, and the drops of poison lay
upon his tongue, and he knew not where he was.
"Senseless and in unutterable anguish, his cry went forth to heaven:
'Grant me but youth again! O, father, place me but once again upon
the starting-point of life, that I may choose otherwise!'
"But his father and his youth were far away. He beheld wandering
lights dance upon the marshes, and disappear upon the graveyards;
and he exclaimed, 'These are my days of folly!'
"He beheld a star shoot through the heaven, and vanish: it glimmered
as it fell, and disappeared upon the earth. 'Such, too, am I!'
whispered his bleeding heart; and the serpent-tooth of remorse
struck afresh into its wounds.
"His heated fancy pictured to him night-wandering forms slow-creeping
upon the house-tops; the windmill raised its arm, and threatened to
fell him to the earth; and in the tenantless house of death, the
only remaining mask assumed imperceptibly his own features.
"At once, in the midst of this delirium, the sounds from the
steeple, welcoming the new year, fell upon his ear, like distant
church music.
"He was moved, but to a gentler mood. He gazed around, unto the
horizon, and looked forth upon the wide earth; and he thought of the
friends of his youth, who, happier and better than he, were now
teachers upon the earth, fathers of happy children, and blessed each
in his condition.
"'Alas! and I, too, like ye, might now be sleeping peacefully and
tearless through this first night of the year, had I willed so! I
too might have been happy, ye dear parents, had I fulfilled your
new-year's wishes and admonitions!'
"In the feverish reminiscences of his youth, it seemed to him as if
the mask which had assumed his features in the house of death arose,
and grew into a living youth, and his former blooming figure stood
before him in the bitter mockery of illusion.
"He could look no longer; he hid his eyes, a flood of hot tears
streamed forth and were lost in the snow. And he sighed, now more
gently, and despairing, 'Return but again, O youth, come once
again!'
"And youth did return; for he had but dreamed thus fearfully in the
new-year's night. He was still young; but his sinful wanderings,
they had been no dream; and he thanked God that he could yet turn
from the miry ways of vice, and again choose the sunny path which
leadeth unto the pure land of the harvest of righteousness.
"Turn thou with him, young man, if thou standest upon his path of
error. This fearful dream will in a future be thy judge; but
shouldst thou ever exclaim, in the bitterness of remorse, 'Return,
fair time of youth!'--youth will not come when thou dost call for
her."
It is much easier to start right and keep right, than to start
wrong, and then endeavor to get right. Although those who take the
wrong path at the commencement, should afterwards seek to obtain the
right one, and persevere until they find it, still the labor to
retrieve the early error will be difficult. It is painful to walk in
the way of wickedness--it is painful to break away from it, when
once there. It is painful to continue on--it is painful to turn
back. This is in consequence of the _nature_ of sin. It is a path
all evil, all pain, all darkness--everything connected with it is
fruitful of wretchedness. Those who stray therein, find themselves
beset with perils and troubles on all sides. Avoid it, as you love
happiness!
"Ne'er till to-morrow's light delay
What may as well be done to-day;
Ne'er do to-day, what on the morrow
Will wring your heart with sighs and sorrow."
A young man may, in early life, fall into vicious habits, and
afterwards turn from them. Some have done so. But they declare that
the struggles they were compelled to make--the conflicts and trials,
the buffeting of evil passions, and the mental agony they endured,
in breaking away, were terrible beyond description. Where one, who
has fallen into bad habits in youth, has afterwards abandoned them,
there are a score who have continued their victims, until ruin, and
a premature death, closed their career. How much safer, how much
easier and pleasanter, how much more promising and hopeful, to
commence life with good habits well established, with high
principles, sound maxims, enlightened rules of conduct, deeply fixed
in the soul. This is a plain, pleasant, prosperous path--readily
found, and easily followed. In no other can you secure true
enjoyment.
"We cannot live too slowly to be good
And happy, nor too much by line and square.
But youth is burning to forestall its nature,
And will not wait for time to ferry it
Over the stream; but flings itself into
The flood and perishes. *******
The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat
Oneself. **************"
There is nothing more essential to the young than to accustom
themselves to mature reflection, and practical observation, in
regard to the duties of life, and the sources of human enjoyment.
This is a task, however, which but few of the youthful are inclined
to undertake. The most of them are averse to giving up their
thoughts to sober meditation on the consequences which accrue from
different courses of conduct, or to practical observation on the
lessons taught by the experience of others. The Present!--the
Present!--its amusements, its gayeties, its fashions, absorbs nearly
all their thoughts. They have little relish to look towards the
future, except to anticipate the continuance of the novelty and
joyousness of the spring-time of life. The poet utters a most
salutary admonition in his beautiful lines:
"The beam of the morning, the bud of the Spring,
The promise of beauty and brightness may bring;
But clouds gather darkness, and touched by the frost,
The pride of the plant, and the morning are lost.
Thus the bright and the beautiful ever decay--
Life's morn and life's flowers, oh, they quick pass away!"
I would not cast one unnecessary shadow on the pathway of the young;
but they should be often reminded, that the season of youth, with
its romance and light-heartedness, soon, too soon, departs! Spring,
with its budding beauties, and fragrant blossoms, does not continue
all the year. It is speedily followed by the fervid summer, the
mature and sober autumn, and the dreary snows of winter. In order to
have thriving and promising fields in summer, rich and abundant
harvests in autumn, and bountiful supplies for comfort and repose in
winter, "good seed" must be sowed in the spring. So, also, if you
would have the summer of life fruitful of prosperity--its autumn
yield a rich and bountiful harvest, and the winter of old age made
comfortable and peaceful--the good seed of pure habits, and sound
moral and religious principles, must be carefully sowed in the rich
soil of the heart, in the budding spring-time of youth.
Due observation and reflection will enable the young to sow the
right kind of seed at the right time. There is much in this. Those
who sow late will be likely to have their harvest blighted by
chilling rains and nipping frosts. The earlier the seed is cast into
the ground, the greater the certainty that it will produce an
abundant crop. Reflection and discrimination are all-essential to
the youthful. Those who think deeply will act wisely. They will
detect and avoid the dangers which beset their pathway, and into
which the thoughtless so easily fall. They will readily penetrate
the specious appearance, the harmless aspect, the deceptive veil,
which vice and immorality can so readily assume. They will
understand the old maxim, that "all is not gold that glitters."
This is a simple truth, and yet how few of the young practise upon
it. See this young man. How easily he gives way to temptation--how
readily he is led astray. Why does he thus turn aside from virtue's
path? Why thus trample upon the affectionate counsel and admonition
of wise parents and kind friends? Ah! he sees a glittering bauble
in the way of sin, and imagines it is the shining of the gold of
true and solid happiness. Eagerly he presses on to secure the
prize. He plunges into the wickedness to which, it tempts him--he
seizes the dazzling treasure, and finds--what? Pure gold?--true
delight?--unalloyed happiness? Alas, foolish youth! No! That which
he took for the glitter of gold, proves to be worthless ashes in his
hand. And the high pleasure he was anticipating, results in naught
but disappointment, disgrace, wretchedness.
"Teach me the flattering paths to shun,
In which the thoughtless many run;
Who for a shade the substance miss,
And grasp their ruin in their bliss."
A well-established habit of practical observation, enables the
youthful to guard against the mistakes of conduct, into which
others have fallen, and to make the shortcomings of their
fellow-beings, salutary admonitions for their own instruction. When
thoughtful, observing young persons, see an individual do a mean,
unmanly action, they will reflect much upon it. They will notice how
contemptible it makes him appear--how it degrades him in the
estimation of the honorable and high-minded--how it belittles him in
the view of society at large--and how unworthy it makes him appear
even in his own eyes. These observations, if faithfully made, will
guard them against like acts themselves.
When they behold one arraigned at the bar of public justice, to
answer to the offended laws of his country, they will make it a
salutary lesson of instruction. They will realize the deceptive and
ruinous nature of wrong-doing--how, while promising them the very
elixir of happiness, it pours naught but bitterness and poison into
the cup of life, entailing degradation and wretchedness upon its
victims. They will become satisfied of the solemn truth of the words
of the Most High, that "though hand join in hand, the wicked shall
not be unpunished."
When they see neighbors, who might promote each other's enjoyments,
by living peaceably together, fall out in regard to some trivial
misunderstanding, and engage in angry disputes, and a bitter
warfare, disturbing the harmony of the neighborhood, and destroying
their own happiness--the young who exercise practical observation,
will be instructed, to avoid similar troubles in their own affairs.
They will realize the folly and blindness of such a course, and the
necessity of exercising a forbearing and forgiving spirit, and the
wisdom of submitting to injuries, if need be, rather than to become
involved in angry recriminations and hostilities.
Thus by a constant habit of observation and reflection, the youthful
can turn the failings of others to their own account. As the
industrious bee extracts honey from the most nauseous substances, so
can the thoughtful and observing draw instruction not only from the
example of the wise, but from the folly of the wicked!
In preparations for future usefulness and success, the young should
establish certain fixed principles of moral conduct, by which they
will be steadfastly governed in all their intercourse with the
world. Without some well-defined landmarks, by which they can be
guided in emergencies, when everything depends on the course of
conduct to be pursued, they will be in imminent peril. Temptations
are strewed along the pathway of the young, and assail them at every
turn. If they could clearly contemplate the effects of giving way to
temptation--were all the unhappy consequences to stand out visibly
before them--they would never be induced to turn aside into sin.
Could the young man as he is tempted to quaff the fashionable glass
of intoxicating beverage, see plainly the ignominious life, the
poverty and wretchedness, and the horrid death by delirium tremens,
to which it so often leads, he would set it down untasted, and turn
away in alarm. But it is the nature of temptation to blind and
deceive the unwary, and lead them into sin, by false representations
of the happiness to be derived from it. Hence the young need to
establish, in their calm, cool moments, when under the influence of
mature judgment and enlightened discretion, certain fixed rules of
conduct, by which they will be governed, and on which they will
depend in every hour of temptation.
One of the first and most important rules of life which should be
established by the youthful, is the constant cultivation of purity
of heart. This is the great safeguard of the young. It is their
brightest jewel--their most attractive ornament--the crowning glory
of their character and being. It adds a captivating lustre to
all charms of whatever description; and without it all other
excellencies are lost in perpetual darkness. It should be a fixed
rule, never to violate the dictates of purity either in action,
language, or thought. Many imagine it is a matter of small moment
what their thoughts may be, so long as in action they do not
transgress the requirements of virtue. This, however, is a serious
error. The outward action is but the expression of the inward
thought. Wicked deeds would never have birth, were they not first
prompted by wicked desires. Hence if the young would have their
words and deeds characterized by purity, they must see that their
hearts and thoughts are constantly pure.
"Pure thoughts are angel visitants! Be such
The frequent inmates of thy guileless breast.
They hallow all things by their sacred touch,
And ope the portals of the land of rest."
The heart is the source of all actions. A dark, muddy fountain
cannot send forth clear waters. Neither does a pure fountain send
forth muddy waters. A foul heart, the receptacle of unclean thoughts
and impure passions, is a corrupt well-spring of action, which leads
to every vicious practice. Let the hearts of the youthful be pure as
crystal, let their thoughts be sanctified by virtue and holiness;
and their lives shall be as white and spotless as the driven
snow--winning the admiration of all who know them. With purity as
a shield, they are doubly guarded against sin. However enticing
temptation may be--however artfully or strongly it may assail
them--they are prepared to rise above it, in any and every
emergency.
Another of the fixed rules of conduct should be to _aim high_ in all
the _purposes_ of life. The great obstacle to success with many of
the young, is that they adopt no standard of action for their
government; but allow themselves to float along the current of time
like a mere straw on the surface of the waters, liable to be veered
about by every puff of wind and whirling eddy! If the current in
which they float happens to waft them into the smooth waters, and
the calm sunshine of virtue and respectability, it is a matter of
mere fortunate chance. If they are drawn into the dark stream of
sin, they have but little power to resist, and are soon hurried into
the surging rapids, and hurled over the boiling cataract of ruin!
True, they may not utterly perish even in plunging down the
cataract. They may possibly seize hold of some jutting rock below,
and by a desperate effort drag themselves from the raging waters.
But they will come forth bruised, bleeding, strangling, and
half-drowned, to mourn the folly of their thoughtlessness. How much
wiser and better to have taken early precaution, and guarded in the
first place against the insidious current, which compelled them to
purchase wisdom at so dear a rate.
To avoid this great folly, the youthful should establish a fixed
purpose for life. They should set their mark, as to what they wish
to become; and then make it the great labor of their lives to attain
it. And let that mark be a high one. You cannot make it too
elevated. The maxim of the ancients was, that although he who aims
at the sun will not hit it, yet his arrows will fly much higher than
though his mark was on the earth. A young man who should strive to
be a second Washington or Jefferson, might not attain to their
renown. But he would become a much greater and better man, than
though he had only aspired to be the keeper of a gambling-house, or
the leader of a gang of blacklegs. In all your purposes and plans of
life, aim high!
"Again a light boat on a streamlet is seen,
Where the banks are o'erladen with beautiful green,
Like a mantle of velvet spread out to the sight,
Reflects to the gazer a bright world of light.
The fair bark has lost none of its beauty of yore,
But a youth is within it,--the fair child before;
And the Angel is gone--on the shore see him stand,
As he bids him adieu with a wave of the hand.
Ah! a life is before thee--a life full of care,
Gentle Youth, and mayhap thou wilt fall in its snare.
Can thy bark speed thee now? without wind, without tide?
Without the kind Angel, thy beautiful guide?
Ah! no;--then what lures thee, fair youth, to depart?
Must thou rush into danger from impulse of heart?
Lo! above in the bright arch of Heaven I see
The vision, the aim so alluring to thee:
'Tis the temple of Fame, with its pillars so fair,
And the Genius of Wisdom and Love reigneth there.
Advance then, proud vessel,--thy burden is light,--
Swift speed thee, and guide his young steps in the right;
For in life's 'fitful changes' are many dark streams,
And paths unillumed by the sun's golden beams."
Cherish self-respect. Have a deep regard for your own estimation of
your own merits. Look with scorn and contempt upon low and vicious
practices. Cultivate pride of character. I care not how proud the
youthful are of all their valuable attainments, their correct
habits, their excellings in that which is manly, useful, and good.
The more pride of this description, the better. Though it should
reach even to egotism and vanity, it is much better than no pride in
these things. This pride in doing right is one of the preserving
ingredients, the very salt of man's moral character, which prevents
from plunging into vice.
Live for something besides _self_. Build with your own hands, the
monument that shall perpetuate your memory, when the dust has
claimed your body. Do good. Live for others, if you would be
embalmed in their recollections.
"Thousands of men breathe, move, and live--pass off the stage of
life, and are heard of no more. Why! They did not a particle of good
in the world; and none were blessed by them; none could point to
them as the instruments of their redemption; not a line they wrote,
not a word they spoke could be recalled, and so they perished;
their light went out in darkness, and they were not remembered more
than the insects of yesterday. Will you thus live and die, O man
immortal? Live for something. Do good, and leave behind you a
monument of virtue that the storm of time can never Destroy. Write
your name by kindness, love, and mercy, on the hearts of the
thousands you come in contact with year by year, and you will never
be forgotten. No, your name--your deeds--will be as legible on the
hearts you leave behind, as the stars on the brow of evening. Good
deeds will shine as brightly on the earth as the stars of
heaven."[1]