What a curious fellow a boy is. I wonder if boys ever think about
themselves. A young monkey is full of mischief, a young puppy is full of
play, a young kitten is always ready for fun, but a boy seems to combine
the qualities of all three, and to have a stock of his own to jumble up
with them. A boy has so many sides, not only an outside and an inside;
he is a many sided being. See him at one time and you would hardly
suppose him to be the same creature that you had seen a little while
before. Now he is a bright nice spoken lad, in a few moments he is a
bullying tyrant, now he is courteously answering those who speak to him,
now words come from his lips that shock the hearer. Now he would scorn
to have his word doubted by a comrade, now he does not hesitate to lie to
escape punishment. Now fearless, now a coward, now full of spirits, now
in the depths of woe--sunshine or joy, wind and calm, silence and tumult,
all seem to have their place, and to make up that incomprehensible and
yet delightful animal a boy.
Now boys, I want you to think of yourselves--not to think how good or how
bad you are--what fine fellows you are, and what important persons, but
what you are capable of becoming. You will not remain boys always--you
are now, in the midst of all your oddities, forming your character, and
shaping your future course, drawing out of the midst of all your
contradictions the character that will make you honest God-fearing men,
like in your degree to the perfect pattern of manhood which God has set
before us in Christ--or you are letting yourselves be moulded into the
selfish sensual being, which too often degrades the name of man.
Thinking, I know, is not much in your line at present, but you will
perhaps spare me a few minutes, and give me a little of your attention
while I try to point out to you the way in which you may, if you will,
turn your powers to account, and avoid the dangers which have been the
shipwreck of many a lad's bright prospects.