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 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM A. MOWRY, A. M., PH.D., 
 
 Fob Twenty Tears Senior Principal of the English 
 
 AND Classical School, Providence, R. I., 
 
 NOW Editor of "Education." 
 
 REVISED EDITION. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 EOBEETS BROTHEES. 
 
 1886.
 
 COPTHIGHT BT 
 
 WILLIAM A. MOWRT, 
 1885.
 
 ST4Tf HORmi $mf)\ 
 1(537 
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 ryO the three thousand boys whom I have had the 
 -* pleasure of calling "my pupils" during the 
 last thirty-eight years, especially to the two thou- 
 sand who, within the past twenty-three years, have 
 been members of The English and Classical 'School, 
 Providence, R. I., — of all of whom I have the 
 most pleasant recollections, and to all of whom, 
 scattered, as they are, over the whole world, I 
 desire to extend the most cordial and friendly 
 greeting, — this little book is respectfully dedicated 
 by their friend, 
 
 WILLIAM A. MOWRY. 
 
 [ill]
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THIS little volume has grown out of the practical 
 necessities of the school-room. During the 
 past twenty years daily contact, with from two 
 hundred to three hundred boys has often brought 
 the opportunity, and sometimes the necessity, for 
 special moral and pi-actical lessons not found in 
 the regular lines of study. 
 
 It has been the author's intention, whenever these 
 occasions have presented themselves, to frame 
 truth in such a setting as to make it attractive and 
 effective. There is a way of presenting a subject 
 which obscures, confuses, and repels, utterly failing 
 to win or convince; and there is another method 
 which is agreeable and attractive, and which seldom 
 fails to produce the desired effect. The occasion 
 has much to do with the choice of the subject, and 
 the circumstances largely govern the form of pres- 
 entation. 
 
 [V]
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 Ko logical order or philosophical arrangement, 
 and no special range of subjects has been followed, 
 since the talks were given as occasion demanded or 
 opportunity offered. 
 
 Young people excel in drawing inferences, and, 
 ordinarily, there is little need to append to a story, 
 after the manner of the ancient moralists, — Hoec 
 fabula docet. 
 
 Some of these talks have appeared from time to 
 time in The Journal of Education, several of them 
 in The Congregationalist, and two or three others 
 in different publications ; the remainder have never 
 before been printed. 
 
 ■ Should the book aid any teacher in his efforts to 
 present truth effectively to the young, especially 
 should it serve to encourage any of the pupils in 
 the schools. to seek a higher life and a nobler ambi- 
 tion, the writer will feel amply repaid for his labor. 
 
 W. A. M. 
 
 Dorchester, Mass., Jan. 1, 1886.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PACT 
 
 I. Concentration of Mind 9 
 
 *" II. Concentration: How to acquire it . 16 
 
 X III. A Purpose in Life 25 
 
 iV. "Black the Heels of your Boots" . 35 
 
 Y. Dogs and Boys 41 
 
 YI. Elements of Success 57 
 
 VII. What shall Boys do? 69 
 
 VIII. President Garfield's Election and 
 
 Death 81 
 
 IX. President Garfield's Election and 
 
 Death, Concluded ...... 88 
 
 X. What the Waterfalls said to me . . 98 
 
 XI. Be Exact in Thought and Word . . 113 
 
 XII. The Basket of Chip-Dirt .... 120 
 
 XIII. Wendell Phillips: The Lesson of his 
 
 Life 127 
 
 [vii]
 
 Vm CONTENTS. 
 
 PAQK 
 
 XIV. The Phonograph 137 
 
 XV. The Two Portraits 142 
 
 XVI. The Election of President ... . . 148 
 
 XVII. What do the Boys read? .... 163 
 
 XVIII. The Presidents of the United States 170 
 XIX. Facts and Dates in the Lives of 
 
 Distinguished Men 180 
 
 XX. Two Yankee Boys 189 
 
 ■ XXI. The Boyhood of Dr. Eliphalet Nott 199 
 
 XXII. Practical Christianity 206 
 
 XXIII. Habits of Industry 210 
 
 XXIV. A Lesson from History 227 
 
 XXV. What Geometry will do for a Boy . 243 
 
 XXVI. The Fall of Richmond 250 
 
 XXVII. The End of the Year.— A Christ- 
 mas Scene ........ 259
 
 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 I. 
 
 CONCENTKATION OF MIND. 
 
 "I T is snowing this morning, for the first 
 time this fall. That is a reminder 
 that winter, with its long evenings and 
 keen, bracing air, is near at hand. This 
 is the season for hard study. Now, I have 
 something to suggest to you, this morning, 
 boys. Of late I have often heard some of 
 you say, " I cannot get my lessons ; they 
 are too hard ; they take too much time ; 
 I have to study three and four hours out 
 of school." In these cases I have observed 
 what these lessons were, and have gener- 
 ally been satisfied that they were not too 
 long nor too difficult. In most instances the 
 [9]
 
 10 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 same lessons were well learned by some 
 members of the class, without unusual or 
 unreasonable hours of study. I wish to 
 tell you, therefore, how you may get these 
 lessons without spending too much time in 
 studying them. 
 
 It is related of a distinguished man, one 
 of the first scholars of America at the pres- 
 ent day, that, when he was fitting for col- 
 lege, he found himself spending two hours 
 a day in preparing his Latin lesson. He 
 determined that he would get that lesson in 
 an hour and fifty minutes. The next day, 
 and subsequent days, when he sat down to 
 learn his Latin, he bent every energy to 
 accomplish it in the shortest possible time. 
 He found by daily trials that he was getting 
 it in an hour and forty-five minutes, and 
 that the time required was growing daily a 
 little less. Concentrating all his powers 
 upon the task, day by day, he soon found
 
 CONCENTRATION OF MIND. 11 
 
 himself spending only an kour and a half 
 upon it, then fifteen minutes less, and soon 
 mastering it in an hour; and, continuing his 
 efforts, within a few months the daily lesson 
 could be learned in less than half an hour ! a 
 thing absolutely impossible with his habits 
 of study at the beginning of his efforts. 
 But, meantime, he had done something 
 more than to get his Latin lesson daily in 
 a shorter period of time. He had acquired 
 a different habit of study. He had learned 
 something of the value of i\iQ power of con- 
 centration. His philosophical mind formu- 
 lated it in this way : " The acquisition of 
 power is of more value than the acquisition 
 of knowledge.'^ 
 
 Many years ago, in Northern Massachu- 
 setts, a young lad of about fifteen years had 
 acquired such a habit of intense concentra- 
 tion of mind that he won a boyish wager 
 with some of his school-fellows in this
 
 12 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 way. Seven long stanzas of poetry were 
 given him to learn in twenty minutes, while 
 the boys were permitted to use all their 
 efforts to disturb and disconcert him, except 
 they were not to touch him. He com- 
 menced, and they kept up a most unearthly 
 din about his ears ; but all to no purpose. 
 He was totally oblivious to anything going 
 on around him. His whole mind. was con- 
 centrated upon the task of committing to 
 memory those verses, and before the twenty 
 minutes were up he had them so thoroughly 
 fixed that he could recall them with ease 
 years afterward. This lad was the Hon. 
 George S. Boutwell, afterward governor of 
 Massachusetts, secretary of the Massachu- 
 setts Board of Education, United States 
 senator, and secretary of the United States"^^ 
 treasury. 
 
 Horace Greeley was remarkable for his 
 power of concentration of mind. It is stated
 
 CONCENTRATION OF MIND. 13 
 
 that when an immense procession, with bands 
 of music, was passing up Broadway, the 
 streets lined with people to the number of 
 many thousands, he would sit down upon 
 the steps of the Astor House, and, using the 
 top of his hat for a writing-table, he would 
 write out in full one of those strong, terse, 
 pungent editorials which rendered the Trib- 
 une so famous during his palmy days. 
 
 I have heard another incident in relation 
 to his power of writing under disturbing cir- 
 cumstances. An article in the paper had 
 given great offence to a certain gentleman, 
 who immediately upon reading it went 
 straight down the street, and calling at the 
 office of the Tribune^ inquired for the ed- 
 itor. He was shown into a little seven-by- 
 line sanctum, where Mr. Greeley sat, with 
 his head down close to his paper, scribbling 
 away at a two-forty rate. The angry man 
 began by asking if this was Mr. Greeley.
 
 14 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 "Yes, sir. What do j^ou want?" says the 
 editor, quickly, without once looking up 
 from his paper. The irate visitor then be- 
 gan to use his tongue, with no reference to 
 the rules of propriety, good breeding, or 
 reason. Meantime, Mr. Greelej" continued 
 to write. Page after page was dashed off 
 in the most impetuous style, with no change 
 of features, and without paying the slight- 
 est attention to the visitor. Finally, after 
 about twenty minutes of the most impas- 
 sioned scolding ever poured out in an edit- 
 or's office, the angry man became disgusted, 
 and abruptly turned and walked out of the 
 room. Then, for the first time, Mr. Greeley 
 quickly looked up, rose from his chair, and 
 slapping the gentleman familiarly on his 
 shoulder, in a pleasant tone of voice said : 
 "Don't go, friend; sit down, sit down, and 
 free your mind ; it will do you good, — you 
 will feel better for it. Besides, it helps me
 
 CONCENTRATION OF MIND. 15 
 
 to think what I am to write about. Don't 
 go." 
 
 Sir Isaac Newton, near the close of his 
 life, said to a friend, "If I have accom- 
 plished anything above the average of men, 
 it has been by the power of patient work." 
 
 If your school proves of any value to you, 
 boys, it will be, not by giving you an oppor- 
 tunity to acquire knowledge, but to acquire 
 power by daily labor. And this will come 
 to you mainly from your acquiring, by dint 
 of dogged will and determination, tJie power 
 of concentration. It will give you the power 
 to do, — to bring it to pass, — which will be 
 of more value to you than gold. It is an 
 indispensable element of success. 
 
 Remember, then, that the " acquisition of 
 power is of more value than the acquisition 
 of knowledge." It is the man of gi-eat wis- 
 dom who says, in the sacred Scriptures, 
 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
 with thy might."
 
 16 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 n. 
 
 CONCENTEATION : HOW TO ACQUIRE IT. 
 
 YTOU have shown by your questions that 
 you appreciate the value and the neces- 
 sity of the power of concentration of the 
 mind, but some of you fail to see how it 
 can be secured. We shall have time for 
 but a few of the questions this morning. 
 
 Question I. — " Can the power to concen- 
 trate the mind upon one subject be cultivated 
 to any great extent ? Do not different per- 
 sons differ radically by nature in respect to 
 this power ? " 
 
 Question II. — " How can the power to 
 think upon one subject, to the exclusion of 
 irrelevant thoughts, be acquired? Is not 
 this power of slow growth ? "
 
 Los A(f,/p:„. 
 
 concentration: how to acquire it. 17 
 
 Question III. — " Dear Teacher : I liked 
 your remarks this morning about the power 
 of applying our minds to whatever we want 
 to, but I for one cannot do it. I have tried 
 again and again. It seems to me we are 
 subject to fits and moods, and when we can 
 we can, and when we can't we can't, and 
 there is the end of it. At any rate, that is 
 my case. 
 
 "Now, last Saturday, I wrote my essay 
 nearly all at one sitting, but I could not do 
 it again. I had been at work on it for many 
 days and had accomplished but little. Sat- 
 urday I was going away with Cyrus, and, 
 just as I was ready to start, he came over to 
 say that his brother had come, and therefore 
 he could not go. So, having nothing else 
 to do, I sat down to try my essay. The 
 thoughts came faster than I could write them 
 down, and in an hour or two I had it nearly 
 finished. True, I had to prune and trim it 
 
 2
 
 18 TALKS WITH MY BOTS. 
 
 afterwards, and, of course, I am not vain 
 enough to suppose that the thoughts after 
 all were worth anything. The paper had no 
 particular merit, but it was good for me. It 
 was better than I had thought I could do ; 
 better than I could have done by any ordi- 
 nary process. Now, is not the mind sub- 
 ject to fits and moods ? and when the mood 
 is on we can succeed, but if it is not on we 
 work in vain. Thomas." 
 
 These three questions represent nearly all 
 I have received. If I can answer them 
 satisfactorily, I am sure you will find the 
 time well spent. 
 
 Let us take the third first. Yes, the mind 
 is subject to fits and moods ; but we can cul- 
 tivate the moods. We can train the mind to 
 work or not to work. The thing for us to 
 do is so to ti'ain and school and discipline 
 the mind that it will do our bidding. In
 
 CONCENTRATION : HOW TO ACQUIRE IT. 19 
 
 other words, that the iviU shall govern and 
 control all the powers. You will observe 
 that when Saturday had come the burden of 
 the week's lessons was oif. Thomas's mind 
 was free and elastic ; then, when Cyrus could 
 not go, nothing was left for Thomas to think 
 about but that essay. The circumstances 
 were favorable to the entire concentration of 
 the mind's powers. The case illustrates, at 
 least, that when the mind is thus concen- 
 trated it acts with far greater power and 
 success than otherwise. The question that 
 concerns us especially is how to secure this 
 power, how to cultivate the habit. 
 
 1. In the first place, you must exer- 
 cise the full power of the will. By this I 
 mean that you must be determined to bring 
 it to pass. A student who cares but little 
 whether he succeeds or not, will not succeed. 
 It is the determination, the absolute will- 
 force, that finds a way or makes a way.
 
 20 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 You A7ill be surprised, by a little practice, 
 to see to what an extent this power may be 
 increased. Try it, and see for yourselves. 
 
 2. In the next place you must be method- 
 ical. Every lesson should have its own time. 
 If you try to learn your algebra or your 
 Greek to-day at nine o'clock, and to-morrow 
 at twelve, and the next day at three, and so 
 on, you will be lifting on the short arm of 
 the lever. The power, then, must be greater 
 than the weight, and, in this case, it never 
 is so ; consequently, the lesson is not learned. 
 Have a set time every day for the same les- 
 son, and adhere to it. Then again, if possi- 
 ble, have the same place in which to study, 
 the same chair to sit in, and the same desk, 
 in the same corner, and get your lesson from 
 the same book. 
 
 3. Learn by trial what circumstances are 
 favorable and what unfavorable, and, turning 
 aside from the less favorable, put yourself,
 
 CONCENTRATION : HOW TO ACQUIRE IT. 21 
 
 SO far as practicable, under the influence of 
 the most promising conditions. For exam- 
 ple, some will study better sitting, others 
 standing ; some in the morning or in the 
 evening; some alone, others, possibly, in 
 company ; some long before the lesson is to 
 be recited, others immediately before the 
 recitation ; some can learn faster by study- 
 ing aloud, others in the most perfect silence ; 
 some can learn mathematics best in the morn- 
 ing, others in the evening ; some take their 
 memory studies early in the day, some later. 
 Now, whatever moods you can find yourself 
 subject to, cultivate all favorable circum- 
 stances. 
 
 4. Then, if you are committing to mem- 
 ory, much aid is found in writing out the 
 points to be remembered. The use of the 
 pen or pencil is essential in fixing thoughts 
 in the mind. 
 
 5. Learn efiectually, I pray you, the
 
 22 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 secret of self-dependence. Do not lean upon 
 any one. Stand erect by your own power. 
 Whatever lesson you have to learn, rely 
 upon yourself, and not seek the aid of your 
 sisters or aunts. 
 
 The true office of education is to discipline 
 and develop the powers of the mind. It is 
 to give power, not to learn facts ; and he 
 who has learned how to get a lesson in an 
 hour that previously had taken two hours 
 has made no small acquisition. 
 
 One of the greatest benefits to be derived 
 from a course of school training is in acquir- 
 ing the power to bring things to pass; to 
 secure the habit of accomplishing your under- 
 takings. He can because he thinJcs he can, 
 feels sure he can, has learned to trust in him- 
 self, believe in himself, rely upon himself, 
 is the true translation of " Possunt^ quia 
 posse videntur.'* 
 
 It is related of two monks that one of
 
 CONCENTRATION : HOW TO ACQUIRE IT. 23 
 
 them expressed to the other his regrets that 
 he could not say his prayers without his 
 thoughts wandering to other topics. His 
 brother thought that was unnecessary. He 
 was not troubled in that way. 
 
 " Are n't you ? " said the other. " Well, if 
 you will recite the Pater JVbster without har- 
 boring any thought but that expressed by 
 the words of the prayer, I will give you 
 my horse." 
 
 "Agreed," said his brother; and, sinking 
 on his knees, he began : " ^ Pater noster, qui 
 es in coelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.'" I 
 wonder if he will give me the saddle, thought 
 the monk. 
 
 "Ah, brother, I was mistaken; I trusted 
 unwisely in my own powers. I cannot do 
 it." 
 
 Nevertheless, the lesson was not lost ujion 
 him, but applying himself to the task, he 
 soon acquired such a power of concentration
 
 24 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 as to become an earnest, devout monk, and 
 finally a great scholar with a world-wide 
 reputation. Promptness, punctuality, de- 
 termination, and correct habits of study and 
 work will give you the victory.
 
 A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 25 
 
 ni. 
 
 A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 
 
 T>ECENTLY was carried to the grave all 
 that remained of the Hon. Samuel G. 
 Arnold, LL. D. He was the author of 
 the " History of Rhode Island," in two large 
 octavo volumes, containing nearly six hun- 
 dred pages each. At the funeral services 
 addresses were made by Rev. Dr. Robinson, 
 president of Brown University, Rev. Dr. 
 Caldwell, formerly pastor of the First 
 Baptist Church, and Rev. Dr. Hague, who 
 was pastor of the same church when Dr. 
 Arnold was a boy. I desire to call atten- 
 tion to the address of Dr. Hague. 
 
 "The occasion which calls us together 
 to-day is to pay love and honor to our
 
 26 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 departed friend. There is nothing that so 
 touches the deepest fountains of feeling in 
 our nature, and calls forth from all, young 
 and old, the sentiment of genuine sorrow 
 as an occasion like this. For me the occa- 
 sion, associated as it is with remembrances 
 of a dim half-century, and taking in the 
 scope of the characteristics of his boyhood, 
 of its beginning and developments, to me 
 it is bewildering. My first knowledge of 
 my departed friend was in the year 1828, 
 when I, a student from a theological semi- 
 nary, transferred my relations to Newton, 
 and when, nine years after, I was called 
 to this pulpit, our life friendship began. 
 lie was then a boy of sixteen years of age, 
 and as regular an attendant on worship as 
 any member of the church. He was then 
 strongly intellectual, and could discuss any 
 topic, and often used to speak to me about 
 my sermons. What interested me in him
 
 A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 27 
 
 at that time was the prophecy of power, a 
 clear ideal already formulated of what he 
 was to become. At the age of seventeen 
 he was perfectly familiar with the history 
 of Rhode Island, and understood her 
 marine interests, and could elucidate the 
 questions as well as any man in the state. 
 When a young boy his plans of life were 
 formed, for his love for his state prompted 
 him to become its future historian. In the 
 ten months in which he and I were compan- 
 ions in Europe, I had good opportunities 
 to learn his character. I can surely say of 
 him that he was a lovable companion, 
 praiseworthy and reliable. Before leaving 
 home he was troubled with malarial fever, 
 and in consequence was very weak. I 
 have often said to him when he was writing, 
 'Drop your pen and rest.' But he would 
 reply, 'I cannot rest until I have finished 
 this letter to my mother.'
 
 28 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 " There was another secret of his power : 
 he was a man of integrity, with a large 
 heart and a noble spirit. After his return 
 from Europe the second time, he devoted 
 ten years of his life to labor and toil in 
 writing the history of his state. I have 
 only to say to you, young men of Provi- 
 idence here, that while you bid farewell to 
 these remains, you must remember that 
 the sources of his power were recognized 
 in his youth and in his boyhood. And, 
 although a distinguished biographer says 
 that it is a characteristic with American 
 youth to wander aimlessly along, yet, when 
 we think of our deceased friend, we can 
 say there are some exceptions ; and in doing 
 this it makes our souls bound with joy, for 
 we can yet think there is still some hope 
 for our future. As expressive of that ideal 
 which our friend who has departed realized, 
 I would commend to the attention of the
 
 A PURl^OSE IN LIFE. 29 
 
 young men here present, some lines with 
 which I closed the second centennial histori- 
 cal address of this church on Nov. 7, 1839 : 
 
 " ' Some high but humble 
 
 Enterprise of good contemplate 
 
 Till it shall possess thy mind, . 
 
 Become thy study, pastime, rest, and food, 
 
 Bind thy whole soul to this thy purpose, 
 
 And thou an angel's happiness may know. 
 
 May bless the earth while in the world above. 
 
 The good begun b}^ us shall onward flow 
 
 In many a branching stream, and wider grow.'" 
 
 What a beautiful tribute to the boy that 
 he remembers so well for fifty years ! 
 Observe what he says: "A boy sixteen 
 years of age, and as regular an attendant 
 on worship as any member of the church. 
 . . . "VYhat interested me in him at that time 
 was the prophecy of power, a clear ideal 
 already formulated of what he was to become. 
 At the age of seventeen he was familiar 
 with the history of Rhode Island, under-
 
 30 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 stood her marine interests, and could eluci- 
 date the questions as well as any man in 
 the state. When a young hoy his plans in 
 life were formed. ^^ How well he carried out 
 those plans ! 
 
 And is it true that " it is a characteristic 
 with American youth to wander aimlessly 
 along ^^f If so, it is high time the error was 
 corrected. ^^ Aimlessly I '^ " Wander aim- 
 lessly I" What, with no purpose; shifting as 
 the wind, ebbing and flowing as the tide? 
 Indeed, I greatly fear this is true of too 
 many "American youth" of to-day. 
 
 Dr. Arnold had in early life the firm, fixed 
 purpose to write the history of his native 
 state, — a state small in area, but having a 
 history of importance to the world. He 
 lived to carry out that purpose, and the 
 execution of his plan has brought great 
 credit to himself and his native state. 
 
 It is not possil)le for every boy to know at
 
 A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 31 
 
 sixteen just what particular thing he is to 
 do in life, but every one ought to have some 
 purpose, some laudable ambition, some high 
 ideal, and then strive to attain to it. One of 
 your number asked me the other day, if I 
 thought every young man could become what 
 he chose to be. That was really asking 
 whether the old adage is true, "Where 
 there 's a will there 's a way." Did you ever 
 know an aphorism of the ages that was not 
 based on a deep truth? "Find a way or 
 make a way." In an important sense the 
 adage is true ; but the will must be full, thor- 
 ough, complete. It must permeate every 
 fiber of the boy's constitution. It must be 
 permanent and reliable. It must not be 
 ephemeral, superficial, or half-hearted. It 
 presupposes some knowledge of the diffi- 
 culties in the way, and a contempt for 
 them as difficulties. The means are essential 
 to secure the end. We cannot sit down,
 
 32 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 IVIicawber-like, waiting for something to 
 turn up, to put us in the place we wish to 
 occupy. If one wishes to become a rich 
 man, he must make up his mind to hard- 
 labor, early and late, year after year, till the 
 result is reached ; he must earn and he must 
 save every penny possible. Read the life 
 of John Jacob Astor or Stephen Girard, if 
 you wish to learn the way to wealth. Is it 
 your ambition to be learned, or eloquent, or 
 honored ? You must desire it with all your 
 soul, and strive for it as for dear life ; and 
 you must not get discouraged as the years 
 pass by. But you must have that kind of 
 an ambition which will admit of no refusal ; 
 it must be discouraged by no obstacles, 
 thwarted by no misfortunes, weakened by 
 no reverses. That kind of a purpose and 
 perseverance is what men are made of. I 
 have heard it stated that Lord Beaconsfield 
 in his boyhood aspired to the first place in
 
 A PURPOSE m LITE. 33 
 
 the English government, and so he attained 
 it. The story probably has no truth in it, 
 and yet has underneath it a truth worth more 
 than if it were true. You need have no 
 childish wish to become the President of the 
 United States, for generally he, who strives 
 after the place will never get it. The adage, 
 "The dark horse will win," has a deal of 
 truth in it. But you can and you ought to 
 have a high and laudable ambition to prepare 
 yourself for manJiood, and for the duties 
 which manhood shall bring to you. 
 
 Few men, perhaps, like Gov. Arnold, can 
 form so definite a purpose as he did in early 
 life, and carry it out. But if one will disci- 
 pline his mind by honor, fidelity, reliability, 
 by industry and perseverance ; if he can, by 
 mere foi'ce of will, learn his lessons faith- 
 fully day by day, and by that habit of indus- 
 trious faithfulness get control of the will, so 
 that it shall do his bidding, — then, indeed, 
 3
 
 34 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 has he prepared himself for success in what- 
 ever field circumstances, over which, often, 
 we have but little control, shall assign him 
 his lot and task. 
 
 To guide your lives aright, remember the 
 following apt rules which have come down 
 to us from the ages : — 
 
 1. ^^ Festina lente.''^ 
 
 2. " Whatever is worth doing at all is worth 
 doing well." 
 
 3. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
 with thy might." 
 
 4. "Patience and perseverance accomplish won- 
 ders." 
 
 5. "What man has done, man can do." 
 
 6. " In the morning sow thy seed." 
 
 7. " Never put off till to-morrow what can be 
 done to-day." 
 
 8. "Providence helps those who help them- 
 selves." 
 
 9. "He that by the plow would thrive 
 
 Himself must either hold or drive." 
 
 10. " E'ot enjoyment and not sorrow, 
 
 Is our destined end or way; 
 But to act that each to-morrow 
 Find us farther than to-day,"
 
 BLACK THE HEELS OF YOUK BOOTS. 35 
 
 IV. 
 
 BLACK THE HEELS OF YOUR BOOTS. 
 
 /^NE dajji^^wlien I was in college^ I heard 
 a young lady say, "I don't think much 
 of college fellows." 
 
 To my query as to the grounds of so sin- 
 gular an opinion, she replied, — 
 
 " They do not black the heels of their 
 boots." 
 
 When I protested that that charge could 
 not be true of them all, she responded, — 
 
 "Oh, no, I suppose not ; but the exception 
 proves the rule. I have noticed that most 
 of them only black the front part of their 
 boots ; and they like reversible collars and 
 cuffs." 
 
 I went away absorbed in a brown study.
 
 36 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 The philosophy of these reflections seemed 
 to adjust itself in the form of two queries : — 
 
 1 . Is the statement true ? 
 
 2. If so, what of it? 
 
 The second query appeared to be of the 
 gi'eater importance. What if a man does 
 not black the heels of his boots ? What does 
 it indicate? I have never ceased to moral- 
 ize upon this question. What sort of a man 
 is he who does not black the heels of his 
 boots ? What is the moral influence of " re- 
 versible cuffs and collars " ? I was reminded 
 of the old story that the Greeks, in building 
 a temple for worship, took as great pains to 
 finish neatly and completely all those parts 
 of the temple which were concealed from 
 human eyes as those plainly in sight of all 
 men. The reason assigned was, " The gods 
 see ever;y^'here." 
 
 Indeed ! is that true ? Do the gods see 
 everywhere ? Then what is the opinion of
 
 BLACK THE HEELS OF YOUR BOOTS. 37 
 
 the gods concerning "putty" and "varnish"? 
 Do these hide a multitude of sins fro7n them; 
 or really have they the power of seeing be- 
 hind the "putty" and "varnish"? Can God 
 see a boy playing ball in a back yard on 
 Sunday, in spite of the high fence? Does 
 He see the letters that a merchant writes in 
 his office on Sunday afternoon, with the cur- 
 tains down and the blinds closed ? Does He 
 see where stolen goods are secreted ? 
 
 " Man looketh on the outward appearance, 
 but the Lord looketh on the heart." What 
 does this mean ? What is the extent of its 
 significance ? What is the limit of it ? How 
 much would there be left of this world if all 
 the putty and varnish were taken out of it ? 
 Veneering is a wonderful art ; but then it is 
 a modern art. 
 
 A statesman, on being told that the Em- 
 press Eugenie wore paste diamonds, replied, 
 " That is consistent with the character of the
 
 38 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 reign of her husband, Napoleon HI." Was 
 that true ? Is this an age of shoddy ? Who 
 invented ^ocyl's, as used under the fifth mean- 
 ing of the word in Webster's dictionary, viz., 
 " The refuse of cotton and wool " ? How rap- 
 idly the use of the word "shoddy" has in- 
 creased within twenty years ! 
 
 What is the meaning of Attlehoro jewelry, 
 gold wash, gold plate, fire gilt, nickel silver, 
 single plate, double plate, triple plate, sugar- 
 coated, wooden hams, wooden shoe-pegs, and 
 wooden oats, straw paper, wood paper? Imi- 
 tations, shams, pretence, appearances, de- 
 ceptions ! Split peas for coffee, turnips for 
 horse-radish, sand in sugar, glucose in mo- 
 lasses, powdered limestone in flour, cotton 
 sold for linen and for silk ! What inven- 
 tions ! What sagacity in man ! How our 
 vocabulary, even, has of late been enriched ! 
 Is not this the age of shoddy ; the period of 
 putty, varnish, and veneering?
 
 BLACK THE HEELS OF YOUR BOOTS. 39 
 
 If Dio2:ones needed a candle in his time to 
 aid him in his search for an honest man, 
 surely in these days he would want to carry 
 about with him the most powerful electric 
 light and a microscope. But does it pay? 
 Does it pay to be false ? " An honest man is 
 the noblest work of God." " Honesty is the 
 best policy " ; not because it is policy, but 
 because it is honesty. "Behold, thou de- 
 sirest truth in the inward parts, and in the 
 hidden part thou shalt make me to know 
 wisdom." 
 
 All who have made human life a study, 
 know full well that truth, honesty, thorough- 
 ness, the solid gold of conduct, pay infinitely 
 better than sham, shoddy, and simulation. 
 It is very plain that broadcloth is more du- 
 rable than satinet, and that hickory makes a 
 better mallet than soft pine or poplar. 
 
 My young friends,^ habits, when once put 
 on and worn till they fit, are difficult to shake
 
 40 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 off. When cheating, veneering, exaggera- 
 tion, varnishing, pretence, and simulation 
 have once acquired common usage, it is 
 exceedingly difficult to cultivate the hardier 
 virtues of honesty, solidity, and downright 
 truthfulness. Beware of the besfinnino-s of 
 evil. The first lie is like the small break in 
 the dike. Be honest through and through. 
 Form no partnership with secret sins. Avoid 
 cant and make-believe. Be ingenuous and 
 wholly honest. "Black the heels of your 
 boots.'*
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 41 
 
 V. 
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 
 
 T\ID you ever think how much like boys 
 dogs are? Perhaps you think they 
 are not much alike. If so, it may be only 
 because you have not carefully considered 
 the points in which they are similar. 
 
 Let us, then, first try to find out in what 
 ways dogs and animals generally are like 
 boys or mankind. 
 
 1. In the first place dogs have the facul- 
 ties of perception, like men. They smell, 
 taste, hear, feel, and see as well or better 
 than any of us. What a wonderfully acute 
 sense of smell they have ! A friend of 
 mine had a dog, which was generally con- 
 fined at home when the master went down
 
 42 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 town, but one day he broke away and took 
 the scent, looking for his master. He fol- 
 lowed him by a circuitous route, through 
 many different streets, until he came to the 
 building where the master was. Here he 
 followed him up-stairs, and through several 
 rooms, till he stopped at a closed door. 
 When this door was opened he went in and 
 found his master, and exhibited great joy 
 at his success. We cannot, for a moment, 
 pretend to equal the dog in the acuteness of 
 our sense of smell. And what a keen, 
 quick, intelligent eye a dog has ! 
 
 2. They have consciousness, and here 
 we must include attention and reflection as 
 well. 
 
 3. Then they are endowed with mem- 
 ory, which faculty closely resembles the 
 same attribute in mankind. 
 
 These three sets of powers, dogs and the 
 higher animals generally plainly enjoy in
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 43 
 
 common with human beina-s. No aro^ument 
 is needed to prove it. It is not usually 
 denied. 
 
 4. But they have, also, the reasoning 
 faculty. Many remarkable stories are told 
 to illustrate this statement. Take up any 
 book of anecdotes of dogs, or horses, or 
 elephants, and you will find it filled with 
 incidents which prove that these animals 
 reason, and that they reason with much 
 force and sagacity. I have time to give 
 you but one instance, which I believe has 
 never been published. 
 
 A friend of mine had a large, shaggy 
 dog, of native breed. One day this dog 
 accompanied his master to a town half a 
 dozen miles away. On his return, just as 
 they entered a village two miles from home. 
 Carlo found a nice bit of fresh meat, which 
 had probably dropped out of a butcher's 
 cart 9;S it passed over the rough, stony road.
 
 44 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 The dog, of course, picked up the meat, 
 and carried it along in his mouth. But, 
 now, to his logical powers there appeared a 
 difficulty. He must soon pass through the 
 village, where, as he well knew, there 
 lived many naughty, unprincipled, selfish, 
 hungry curs, not one of which was his par- 
 ticular friend. These hungry dogs would 
 discover his prize, and would at once be 
 seized with an uncontrollable desire to pos- 
 sess it. They would all join in an attack 
 upon Carlo, and, in defending himself, he 
 would be obliged to drop the meat, and 
 some lucky fellow would immediately snatch 
 it up and run away with it. At any rate, 
 though he did not say as much, these 
 thoughts appeared to run through Carlo's 
 head, and he at once acted upon them. 
 
 As he passed up the hill, just entering the 
 village, he found by the roadside a large 
 piece of heavy wrapping paper. After
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 45 
 
 spreading out its folds with his paws, he 
 carefully laid upon it his choice piece of 
 meat, folded over it the paper, first on this 
 side, then on that, and then taking it in his 
 mouth, he passed quietly through the vil- 
 lage in safety. No one of the many dogs 
 he chanced to meet appeared to suspect the 
 precious burden he carried ; and the wag- 
 ging of his tail, after leaving the village 
 behind him, manifested his own hearty 
 appreciation of the success of his stratagem. 
 5. Need I stop to argue the question 
 with you, that dogs have imagination? Is 
 it not apparent to every one. Horses, too, 
 sometimes fear what they imagine is an 
 evil coming upon them, more than a real 
 danger which seriously threatens them. 
 You may, by playing upon the imagination 
 of these faithful animals, deceive them and 
 cause them to fear where there is no danger, 
 but only the suspicion of danger.
 
 46 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 .6. I will not take time to prove that 
 they are endowed with the ordinary pas- 
 sions, and appetites, and emotions, and 
 sensibilities which characterize the human 
 species. They love and hate, they fear 
 and dread, they manifest anger and revenge, 
 and often are skillful in inflicting punish- 
 ment upon their tormentors. 
 
 We must conclude, therefore, that the 
 higher orders of animals, nearest mankind, 
 are possessed of the same physical nature, 
 and have similar intellectual capacities. 
 They may, perhaps, be considered quite 
 similar to the human race, and the difier- 
 ence between boys and dogs may, therefore, 
 appear to be rather difficult to define or even 
 to discover. 
 
 But do not be deceived. Differences do 
 exist, and they are very important ones. It 
 IS true that dogs have bodies, with feet, and 
 eyes, and cars ; they have minds and can
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 47 
 
 perceive, remember, and reason. The intel- 
 lectual difference would appear one of de- 
 cree rather than of kind. Yet one essential 
 point of distinction is found just here. 
 
 1 . Whatever man learns he may transfer- 
 or transmit to the next generation. Brutes 
 cannot. If one invent a steam engine or a 
 telephone, he can transmit the knowledge 
 thus gained to those who come after, so that 
 no one need waste time and thought in again 
 inventing the same thing. Not so the dog. 
 He can never transfer or transmit to another 
 what he has learned. There may be an 
 intellectual difference in dogs or horses, but 
 it is one of degree rather than of kind. 
 "Blood will tell" in the lower orders, as in 
 man. The differences in breeds are as 
 marked and as clearly, manifest in animals 
 as are families and races among mankind. 
 But nothing can be found to contradict the 
 statement made above, that brutes cannot
 
 48 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 transmit intelligence. If a dog is taught a 
 trick, his descendants must be taught it in 
 just the same way. 
 
 2, But the great, the essential difference 
 between the highest type of the brutes and 
 the lowest man is the following : Man every- 
 where has a conscience, the brute has none. 
 Man alone, of all the animal creation, is en- 
 dowed with the moral sense. That moral 
 sense is conscience. 
 
 But you say, "Animals have this moral 
 sense." 
 
 "Do they?" 
 
 " Oh, yes ; I have a dog that always shows 
 it when he has done wrong. He will look 
 sheepish, and show plainly that he knows he 
 has done ^vTong, and expects a whipping. 
 Then, when he is whipped, he will come up 
 so penitently and lick your hand, as much as 
 to sa}'", 'I am very sony, and won't do it 
 again.' "
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 49 
 
 "Let us examine the case a little. What 
 does he do ? Give an example of his wrong 
 doing." 
 
 " Oh, well, for instance, he will steal meat, 
 when he can, and run away with it." 
 
 " You have whipped him for it repeatedly, 
 I suppose?" 
 
 "Yes, I have." 
 
 "Well, let me suggest a change in your 
 programme. You whip him for not stealing 
 when he has a chance, and when he does 
 steal praise him, and pat him on the head, 
 and call him a good dog. Soon he will learn 
 that you want him to steal, and expect him 
 to do it. Then, when he has stolen a bit of 
 meat he will bring it to you and wag his tail, 
 expecting to be praised for his smartness. 
 He will very soon forget that it is wrong to 
 steal." 
 
 The truth of the matter is that he learns 
 readily whether you wish and expect him to 
 
 4
 
 50 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 steal or not. He does wh.it he knows you 
 wish and expect him to do. It is the whip- 
 ping or the praise <hat he is looking for. 
 He has no idea of the risjht and Avrong in the 
 case. This is shown conclusively in this 
 way : There is no uniformity in the case of 
 all dogs by which they are impelled to show 
 apparent guilt or innocence, in every case, 
 for some particular act, irrespective of pre- 
 vious training. That is, they may at any 
 time be taught to look for a whipping for 
 doing any particular act, in which case they 
 will slink away looking guilty ; or they may 
 be taught to expect to be praised, in which 
 case they will appear to have done a right 
 and acceptable thing, and will expect to be 
 commended for it, because they have re- 
 ceived commendation before for the same 
 act. They appeared guilty in the other case 
 simply because a whipping had hitherto fol- 
 lowed the act they had now done. Their
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 51 
 
 highest idea of right and wrong was simply 
 rewards and punishmeats as an expected 
 sequence of the act performed. 
 
 But what is conscience? Various defini- 
 tions of this faculty have been given, and I 
 suspect very erroneous ideas prevail exten- 
 sively as to its oflflce and functions. Many 
 suppose conscience tells us what is rigid; 
 but, unless I am greatly mistaken, this fac- 
 ulty has no power whatever to answer the 
 question, "What is right?" or the other 
 question, " What is wrong? " We determine 
 what is right or what is wrong by judgment, 
 our reason, our prejudices, our early educa- 
 tion, and in various other ways. Conscience 
 tells us two things : — 
 
 1. There is a moral character to voluntary 
 actions. In other words, there is a right and 
 there is a wrong. Some things (if we only 
 knew what) are morally right, and otner 
 things are morally wrong ; and this in the 
 very nature of things.
 
 52 TALKS WITH IVIY BOYS. 
 
 2. There is a moral responsibiUti/. We 
 ought to do the right (when we have found 
 out what is right), and we ought to avoid 
 the wrong. It is the sense of " oughtness," 
 as Joseph Cook calls it. We have this fac- 
 ulty to tell us that voluntary actions have a 
 moral character ; not to tell us what the 
 moral character of a particular act is, but 
 that it has a character, either right or wrong, 
 and that when we have found out what this 
 character is, we should then act accordingly. 
 If it is right we should do it ; if it is wrong 
 we should not do it. Besides, conscience 
 does one more thing for us : 
 
 3. It approves us when we have done 
 what we believe to be right, and it condemns 
 us when we have done what we believe to be 
 wi^ng. 
 
 Accept this definition of conscience, and it 
 is always infallible. The great mistake is in 
 supposing that conscience tells us what is
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 53 
 
 rigid. A little thought will, I think, con- 
 vince any one that people are much influenced 
 in respect to what is right and what is wrong 
 by their early training, by their surround- 
 ings, by what others in whom they confide 
 believe to be right or wrong. But in their 
 best estate and condition their true guide 
 should be the dictates of their reason and 
 judgment. In fact, the reason and judgment 
 are given us to investigate, weigh the evi- 
 dence, and determine the moral character of 
 every act. Then, when these faculties have 
 pronounced upon the quality of an act, the 
 conscience steps up and says (if it be a good 
 act) , " Do it, do it ; you ougJit to " ; but if 
 it is pronounced wrong, then, "Do not do it ; 
 you ought not to." When conscience has 
 been obeyed it approves us, when violated 
 it condemns us. 
 
 It follows, without saying, that we should 
 exercise the utmost care to learn what is
 
 54 TALKS WITH MY BOYS, 
 
 right. We are too often influenced by preju- 
 dice and preconceived notions and biases. 
 When we do not and cannot know, we ac- 
 cept the dictum of parents and teachers, and 
 other friends, in whose judgment we have 
 confidence. But whenever it is possible for 
 us to do so, we ought to examine, investi- 
 gate, exercise our reason, our judgment, 
 "prove all things," and then " hold fast that 
 which is good." I suppose I must add, that 
 in many things we are all more or less influ- 
 enced (especially women) in determining 
 what is right or wrong by an intuition, 
 which is not easily accounted for. And it 
 is often found that the moral instincts are 
 quite as reliable as the most profound con- 
 victions evolved from the careful utterances 
 of reason. It is often said that in matters of 
 conscience the first thought is the best and 
 should be followed, but the second in mat- 
 ters of judgment. The obvious explanation
 
 DOGS AND BOYS. 55 
 
 of this is that our reason is so easily warped 
 and twisted by our desires, that we are apt 
 to bring the judgment to coincide with our 
 wishes. Hence, the old adage, "The wish 
 is father to the thought." 
 
 There are, then, two important points of 
 difference between dogs and boys, or be- 
 tween animals and men. But they are vital 
 points. They make the diflference heaven- 
 wide ; they unfold for mankind an endless 
 series of progressive movements onward 
 and upward ; discoveries, inventions, accu- 
 mulation of knowledge and wisdom, and ad- 
 vancement limitless and measureless. They 
 reveal to us, through conscience and its 
 moral responsibility, an immortality of end- 
 less happiness within our reach, if we will 
 but put forth the hand and grasp it. 
 
 Measure, then, if you can, the vast differ- 
 ence between the highest brute and the low- 
 est man. Then attempt to span the gulf 
 which separates that lowest man, the most
 
 56 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 ignorant and degraded, from the highest and 
 noblest specimens of our race. Who can 
 bridge the chasm? Who can adequately 
 conceive the contrast? Who can possibly 
 estimate the great distance, in this life or in 
 the life to come, between a degraded victim 
 of vice and crime and a noble, educated, 
 cultivated soul, filled with all good motives, 
 purposes, and actions? 
 
 When we consider, therefore, that we are 
 the architects of our own fortunes ; that the 
 future, for time and eternity, is to be shaped 
 by our own conduct ; that here we are on 
 probation, in a state of trial ; that all possi- 
 bilities are within our reach ; that even our 
 powers of greatness and goodness are prac- 
 tically limitless ; that " where there is a will 
 there is a way," how strongly should it 
 stimulate us to the putting forth of our best 
 powers to achieve all that is within our 
 reach, to elevate ourselves in the scale of 
 humanity to the highest possible point !
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 57 
 
 VI. 
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 
 
 T BELIEVE it was Dr. Young, the cele- 
 brated English poet, who said, — 
 
 " ITow sad a sight is human hai^piness! " 
 
 We see all around us so many examples 
 oi failure and mixery in life, that when a 
 clear case of prosperous happiness presents 
 itself the contrast is painful, and we are led 
 to ask, "What are the causes?" When we 
 do see a marked case of success, we instinc- 
 tively inquire, "AVhat produced that?" 
 
 The other day I read of one who has, of 
 late years, been well known in this commu- 
 nity. He was brilliant, talented, cultured ; 
 he associated with people of refinement and 
 education ; but, alas ! the newspaper report
 
 58 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 said be was arrested in a distant city and 
 locked up as a street beggar and vagrant ! 
 Wbatdid tbat? Wby sucb a failure? He 
 had become a drunkard. 
 
 Twenty-five years ago, in a New England 
 college were two young men. One was 
 poor, working bis own way for an education, 
 tbe otber was tbe son of one of tbe noblest 
 men in tbe state, wealtby, and an uprigbt 
 Cbristian gentleman, moving in tbe best so- 
 ciety. His son was ambitious and proud. 
 He would pass by tbe poor young man 
 upon tbe college campus witbout deigning 
 him any recognition, not even a nod of tbe 
 head. 
 
 Twenty years went by. Tbe rich young 
 man studied law, and was admitted to tbe 
 bar. After spending some years in a dis- 
 tant part of tbe country, be returned to bis 
 native state a confirmed drunkard. One 
 day he called upon bis former college ac-
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 59 
 
 quaintance and asked for three dollars to 
 pay his bill for lodging, that he might not 
 be turned out into the street. 
 
 His friend gave him the money, and hoped 
 he would put it to a good use. With that 
 money, as it afterwards appeared, he bought 
 the liquor which made him drunk ; he be- 
 came noisy and boisterous, got into a street 
 brawl, was arrested, taken to the lock-up, 
 and finally sentenced — and that not for the 
 first time — to six months at the house of 
 correction. 
 
 But how much more satisfactory to fall in 
 with incidents of the opposite character. 
 Some of you know something of the early 
 life of James A. Garfield, and of the secret 
 of his success. 
 
 Few men, probably, of late years have 
 had a nobler reputation, stood higher in 
 their profession, or fairer before the world 
 than Admiral Farragut, whose statue has
 
 60 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 lately been unveiled in Washington. Let 
 me read you a little incident which throws 
 great light upon his career, from which many 
 lessons may be drawn, but from which I will 
 only ask you to notice the underlying prin- 
 ciples which brought such signal success to 
 his life : — 
 
 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT'S CONVERSION. 
 
 In a recent conversation. Admiral Farra- 
 gut said : " When I was ten years of age I 
 was with my ftither on board a man-of-war. 
 I had some qualities that I thought made a 
 man of me. I could swear like an old salt, 
 could drink as stiff a glass of grog as if I 
 had doubled Cape Horn, and could smoke 
 like a locomotive. I was great at cards, 
 and fond of gaming in every shape. At the 
 close of dinner one day, my father turned 
 everybody out of the cabin, locked the door, 
 and said to me, —
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 61 
 
 " ' David, what do you mean to be ? ' 
 
 " '1 mean to follow the sea.' 
 
 " ' Follow the sea ! yes, to be a poor, mis- 
 erable, drunken sailor before the mast, be 
 kicked and cuffed about the world, and die 
 in some fever hospital in a foreign clime.' 
 
 "'No,' said I, 'I'll tread the quarter-deck, 
 and command as you do.' 
 
 "'No, David; no boy ever trod the 
 quarter-deck with such principles as you 
 have, and such habits as you exhibit. 
 You '11 have to change your whole course of 
 life if you ever become a man.' 
 
 "My father left me, and went on deck. 
 I was stunned by the rebuke, and over- 
 iv^helmed with mortification. 'A poor, mis- 
 erable, drunken sailor before the mast ! be 
 kicked and cuffed about the world, and die 
 in some fever hospital ! ' That's my fate, is 
 it? I'll change my life, and change it at 
 once. I will never utter another oath ; I
 
 62 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 will never drink another drop of intoxicat- 
 ing liquor; I will never gamble. I have 
 kept these three vows to this hour. Shortly 
 afterwards, I became a Christian. That act 
 was the turning-point in my destiny." 
 
 Now, my young friends, what underlies 
 this story? What do you discover besides 
 the simple narrative? 
 
 As I read this incident, and re-read it, 
 and pondered upon it, a profound impres- 
 sion of its hidden meaning, of its deep 
 significance, came over me. I could " read 
 between the lines" something not printed 
 on the page. I saw plainly stated three 
 important principles; and still further on 
 three more were discovered. The first three 
 were the fundamental principles of success, 
 the foundation upon which the super- 
 structure of a useful and prosperous career 
 was builded. The second three were like 
 unto them, and without which the first
 
 5'AT£ NOBftiAl SCHOOL,, 
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 63 
 
 would have been rendered null and void. 
 I read (1) that Admiral Farragut had a 
 good CHARACTER. Ah ! boys, character is 
 of primary importance. We can none of 
 us achieve much, worth achieving, without a 
 good chaTacter; that which can be depended 
 on in an emergency ; that which is pure and 
 bold, and true and good. Then (2) I no- 
 tice in his life, as it has been placed before 
 the world, that Admiral Farragut had real 
 ABILITY, — intellect, mind, brains. He was 
 no ignorant man. He was no common- 
 place man in his mental caliber. He had 
 talent. He also had (3) ambition. He 
 could never have acquired the world-wide 
 reputation he did, without a high and noble 
 ambitio7i. He proposed to accomplish 
 something worthy in life, and he did. Had 
 he not had a laudable ambition, he would 
 never have made such a brilliant record. 
 But these three important points are not 
 
 \
 
 64 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 the only ones that stand out in his life. 
 Three other qualities are apparent. It is 
 clear that - Admiral Farragut could never 
 have gained his remarkable reputation with- 
 out hard and laborious service. He had the 
 quality of (1) industry. He improved his 
 opportunities. He became familiar with all 
 history that related to his profession. It 
 is related of him that during a year's resi- 
 dence in Tunis, our consul, Mr. Charles 
 Folsom, directed his studies, and "gave him 
 a thirst for information," which, as Mrs. 
 Farragut says in a letter, " as his eyes were 
 not strong, kept all his household busy 
 readinor to him." His knowledge was 
 varied, and in matters relating to his pro- 
 fession, profound. He was one of the best 
 linguists in the navy. Success comes not 
 from chance, or from talent alone. It is 
 won by fighting for it. It is adiieved. No 
 great thing is done, no great prize won, no
 
 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS. 65 
 
 remarkable success attained, without hard 
 icork. 
 
 But I have known hard workers not to suc- 
 ceed. I have in mind several boys of my 
 acquaintance who work hard enough. They 
 will fire up like a rocket, and make a bluster 
 and a sputtering, and go off with a whiz 
 and a whir which you would think sufficient 
 to move the world ; but soon the light goes 
 out suddenly, and the result is a burnt stick. 
 They are at work to-day on one thing and 
 to-morrow on another. They lack (2) per- 
 severance. Not so, however, David Farra- 
 gut ; he had not only industry, but he had 
 persistence ; he was steady, earnest, perse- 
 vering, year in and year out ; he worked on 
 quietly and faithfully, till he had risen from 
 midshipman to lieutenant, commander, cap- 
 tain, and rear admiral. Still there is lacking 
 one other element to his success. He had 
 labored faithfully and perseveringly for many
 
 66 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 years, and had acquired no great reputation, 
 no fame. He had not made a great name, but 
 he had (o) patience to icait for the results. 
 
 The war finally came, and he was .thrown 
 into actual service. He could now exhil)it 
 the qualities he had been acquiring during 
 the long years of peace. He was now tried, 
 and was not found wanting. He had entered 
 the navy before he was ten years old, yet he 
 was past sixty when he found the opportunity 
 to distinguish himself, by exhibiting those 
 qualities and that breadth of judgment which 
 had been so long maturing. Ah ! my young 
 friends, we must learn to be patient, and to 
 wait for results. They will come in God's 
 good time. Many a young man wants to 
 jump at one bound to the top of the ladder ; 
 yet that is a dangerous experiment. It is 
 better to climb one round at a time, and the 
 lono^er the ladder the higher our contuiued 
 climbing brings us.
 
 ELE3IENTS OF SUCCESS. 67 
 
 Now Admiral Farragut had (1) character; 
 (2) ahilitij ; (3) ambition; and he had also 
 (V) industry ; (2) perseverance ; (S) patience. 
 He won great distinction, and, since there was 
 no proper rank in the navy for him, the 
 gi'ade of Admiral was created for him whose 
 name had become a household word throu2:h- 
 out the land. He died as he had lived, a 
 Christian gentleman, and mourned by the 
 whole nation. In battle he was as fearless 
 as Nelson, in public virtue and patriotism 
 not excelled by the gi-eatest heroes of an- 
 tiquity, while in his spotless purity of c7ia7'- 
 acter he rivaled the illustrious Collinsrvvood. 
 There are many naval names dear to the 
 American heart, but 
 
 " A brighter name must dim their light 
 With more than noontide ray, — 
 The viking of the river-fight, 
 The conqueror of the bay.
 
 68 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Shape not for him the marble form, 
 
 Let never bronze be cast, 
 But paint him in the battle-storm, 
 
 Lashed to his flag-ship's mast." 
 
 Let me assure you, one and all, that any 
 young man to whom God shall give life and 
 health, if he display these six attributes in 
 due proportion and extent, is just as sure of 
 success in life as the sun is to rise to-morrow 
 morning. 
 
 One may attain fair or even brilliant suc- 
 cess in some direction without a harmonious 
 development of all six of these attributes, 
 although it is by no means sure. But one 
 who has all of these qualities need give him- 
 self no uneasiness as to results. They are 
 certain ; but let him patiently bide the time.
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 69 
 
 VII. 
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 
 
 npHE choice of a profession is a very impor- 
 tant step for any young man. But that 
 is not what I propose to speak upon at this 
 time. It is necessary to go back of that and 
 discuss some principles which underlie and 
 which lead up to the choice of one's vocation. 
 In one of these " new-fangled," modern as- 
 sociations the executive committee is divided 
 into several working subcommittees. One 
 of these subcommittees is called the "Out- 
 look Committee." It is their business to 
 study the signs of the times and see what 
 subjects ought to be brought before the 
 society. They are the advance guard, the 
 pickets, the videttes, who go on in advance
 
 70 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 and study the ground, observe the "lay of 
 the land," and, like Caleb and Joshua, bring 
 back a report coupled with advice whether 
 to so forward and in which direction. 
 
 So with us this morning ; i we wish to look 
 ahead and observe the condition of things, 
 and see whether it is best to scale this moun- 
 tain, meander like the river through this 
 valley, or make a flank movement to the 
 right or to the left. What is best for boys to 
 undertake to do ? 
 
 A very good man of my acquaintance 
 really believes that we are educating the 
 boys too much. He thinks education makes 
 them proud and unfits them, mentally and 
 physically, for icork. I suppose he would 
 have a few — perhaps children of the best 
 families — educated to fill the highest places, 
 but the mass should be " hewers of wood and 
 drawers of water," and consequently should 
 not be educated above their sphere.
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 71 
 
 Col. Lockett, the largest cotton planter 
 in Georgia, said, last summer, that several 
 years ago he discovered that an intelligent 
 person would pick more cotton in a day and 
 pick it better than an ignorant one. In his 
 mind great results grew from that discovery. 
 If this merely mechanical work could be 
 done better by intelligence, then everything 
 else could, — hence, it follows that the mass 
 should be educated ; the prosperity of the 
 state requires it. ■ The blacks and the whites 
 must both be educated ; therefore, schools 
 must be established and supported for both 
 races. This is a far-reaching inference, but 
 it is a legitimate one.) 
 
 You often ask yourselves, "What shall I 
 do in life ? What shall I strive to fit myself 
 for ? What hind of a position shall I seek ? " 
 The answer must inevitably be, "Do your 
 best. Make the wosi of yourself. Aim high." 
 It was Daniel Webster that said to a young
 
 72 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 man, who hesitated to prepare to euter the 
 legal profession because it was so crowded, 
 "There is room enough up higher." And I 
 hope you will bear in mind that Webster's 
 answer has an application wider than the 
 legal profession. "There is room enough 
 up higher " in every distinct business of life. 
 What the world needs to-day is leaders, 
 — thoroughly educated, skilled, competent 
 leaders. There is more difficulty in securing 
 one first-class superintendent for a cotton or 
 woolen mill than a hundred first-class weav- 
 ers or spinners. There is more difficulty in 
 finding a first-class^ competent " boss " for a 
 gang of shovelers, who shall direct their 
 work skillfully and successfully, than in 
 getting the entire gang of men to shovel. 
 A few years ago a young man went into a 
 cotton factory and spent a year in learning 
 the work in the carding-room. He then de- 
 voted another year to the spinning-room;
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 73 
 
 still another in learning how to weave. He 
 boarded with the overseer of one of these 
 rooms, and was often asking questions. He 
 picked up all sorts of knowledge. He was 
 educating himself in a good school, and was 
 destined to graduate high in his class. He 
 became superintendent of a small mill, at a 
 salary of about fifteen hundred dollars a 
 year. He was sought for a higher place. 
 It happened in this way : One of the large 
 mills in Fall River was running behind-hand ; 
 instead of making money, the corporation 
 was losing. They wanted a first-class man 
 to direct the affairs of the mill. They ap- 
 plied to a gentleman in Boston, well ac- 
 quainted with the leading men engaged in 
 the manufacture of cotton. He told them 
 he knew of a young man that would suit 
 them, but they would have to give him a 
 good salary. 
 
 " What salary will he require ? ''
 
 74 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 '^ I ctmnot tell ; but I think you "would 
 have to pay hhn six thousand dollars a year," 
 
 " That is a very large sum ; we have never 
 paid so much." 
 
 "No, probably not ; and you have never 
 had a competent man. The condition of 
 your mill, and the story you have told me 
 to-day, show the result. I do not think he 
 would go for less. I should not advise him 
 to, but I will advise him to accept if you 
 offer him that salary ; and I think he will 
 save you thirty per cent of the cost of mak- 
 ing your goods." 
 
 The salary was offered, the man accepted, 
 and he saved neavly fo7't7/ per cent of the cost 
 the first year. Soon he had a call from one 
 of the largest corporations in New England, 
 with whom he engaged as superintendent for 
 five years, at a salary of ten thousand dol- 
 lars a year. He had been with this company 
 only about one year before he had an offer
 
 WHAT SHALL. BOYS DO? 75 
 
 of another position with a salary of fifteen 
 thousand dollars a year. But he declined 
 the offer, saying that he had engaged where 
 he was for five years, and he should not 
 break his contract even for five thousand 
 dollars a year margin. 
 
 Two boys were in thk school not long 
 since, who were much interested in railroad- 
 ing. One of them had an intelligent ambi- 
 tion, and a definite plan before him. He 
 intended, after leaving here, to take a full 
 course of study at the Columbia College 
 School of Mines, and he fondly hoped some 
 day to be president of the great Southern 
 Pacific Railway. He may succeed, or he 
 may fail in that particular hope ; but I have 
 no doubt he will yet distinguish himself as 
 one of America's great railroad-men. 
 
 The other was infatuated with a desire to 
 be engaged in something which would place 
 him on a railroad train. He was tired of
 
 76 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 study, and had apparently no desire to con- 
 tinue in school. He left study, and ac- 
 cepted a position as brakeman upon a freight 
 train upon one of our shortest and most ob- 
 scure railroads. If he shall look for a thor- 
 ough knowledge of the business, and use his 
 best efforts to make himself master of all the 
 details of railroading, he will soon rise from 
 this undesirable position to something better, 
 and may eventually be successful and gain an 
 excellent position. But if he sits down con- 
 tented as a brakeman on a freight train, with 
 no plan or ambition for the future, very few 
 would envy him his position or his prospects. 
 What, then, shall the boys do? I went 
 down to Pettaconsett the other day to see 
 the foundations of the building that Mr. 
 Corliss is putting up there for the new 
 pumping engine which he has engaged to 
 put in for this city.* I found that, in digging 
 for the foundations, they came upon a deep 
 
 * Providence.
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 77 
 
 bed of quicksand. Mr. Corliss, ever fertile 
 in expedients to overcome obstacles, instead 
 of driving down wooden piles, sunk in this 
 quicksand great quantities of large cobble- 
 stones. These were driven down into the 
 sand with tremendous force by a huge iron 
 ball weighing four thousand pounds. I said : 
 
 "Mr. Corliss, why did not you drive 
 wooden piles on which to build your foun- 
 dation ? " 
 
 "Don't you see," said he, "that the piles 
 liave no discretion, and that the cobble-stones 
 have ? " 
 
 " I don't think I understand you, Mr. Cor- 
 liss," was my reply. 
 
 "If you drive a pile," said he, "tV goes 
 where you drive it, and nowhere else; but a 
 cobble-stone will seek the softest place and 
 go where it is most needed. It, therefore, 
 has some discretion, and bettor answers the 
 purpose."
 
 78 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 I went away musing that the wooden 
 " piles " and the " cobble-stones " represent 
 two classes of boys. "The piles," says Mr. 
 Corliss, "have no discretion, and go only 
 where they are driven." I think I have seen 
 boys who represented this quality. "But 
 the cobble-stones go luhere they are the most 
 needed." When boys fit themselves to go 
 where they are the most needed, they will 
 be pretty likely to meet with tolerably good 
 success in life. 
 
 In the olden time it was considered enough 
 for a boy to learn a trade. He then had, at 
 least, " something to fall back upon." Now- 
 adays, if a boy has only a trade, he may 
 prove to be badly off. Some morning he 
 may wake up and find that his trade is 
 utterly useless, owing to the genius of some 
 inventor, who has patented a machine which 
 will do his work at a tithe of the previous 
 cost, and in a tithe of the previous time
 
 WHAT SHALL BOYS DO? 79 
 
 required. These times require a young man 
 to be so intelligent that he will know how to 
 do business; and if the competition in one 
 kind of business is too great, he will imme- 
 diately and literally " turn his hand " to some 
 other occupation. 
 
 Years ago one machine shop made engines, 
 another lathes, another guns, another sewing 
 machines, etc., and no two of them could, 
 by any possibility, exchange works. Now, 
 a first-class machine-shop takes a contract for 
 making a large lot of lathes ; then changes 
 its machinery and manufactures a hundred 
 thousand rifles for some European power ; 
 then contracts to make as many sewing ma- 
 chines ; then commences the manufacture of 
 mowing machines, or horse rakes, or what- 
 ever the latest and most successful inventor 
 wants made. 
 
 But the boy needs two things, and to suc- 
 ceed he must have them : (1) He must
 
 80 TALKS WITH MY BOrS. 
 
 have an ambition to do his best ; (2) He 
 must improve his mind, and prepare himself 
 to have such " discretion " as will enable him 
 to " go where he is most needed." A man^ 
 in this age, should not be a machine, nor an 
 adjunct of a machine. He should under- 
 stand the machine that he is to run, be supe- 
 rior to it, not be run by it, but, if need be, 
 change it to do more, or better, or different 
 work.
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's election. 81 
 
 VIII. 
 
 PRESIDENT GARFIELD'S ELECTION AND 
 DEATH. 
 
 TT is just one year to-day * since Gen. 
 Garfield was elected President by the 
 votes of the electoral colleges in the various 
 states. That was a momentous day. It 
 was one of the sublimest spectacles the sun 
 ever shone upon. If a sublimer can be 
 found it was that which preceded it. 
 Thirty-eight states, extending from the 
 Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the lakes 
 to the gulf, had upon one day selected by 
 ballot these electors. With them lay the 
 power of choosing the chief magistrate of 
 a great nation for the next four years. 
 The ruler who was to bear sway over fifty 
 
 * Dec. 1, 1881.
 
 82 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 million people was elected as quietly and 
 with as little excitement as the most com- 
 monplace and unimportant afiair. The 
 several colleges of electors came together, 
 recorded their votes, made out and signed 
 their certificates, sent one to Washington 
 by mail, placed a second in the hands of a 
 special messenger selected by themselves, 
 gave the third into the keeping of the 
 United States District Judge, and returned 
 to their homes. Their stay together was 
 not necessarily an hour, and their act was 
 really but an executive one, or possibly it 
 might be called merely a clerical one. The 
 people had pronounced their judgment, and 
 they had but to record the decision. Yet 
 how sublime their duty ! They gave forth 
 their votes, which selected a man who had 
 risen from poverty and obscurity, who by 
 his own powers had become one of the 
 leaders in the land ; they had selected him
 
 PRESIDENT GARFIELD'S ELECTION. 83 
 
 and placed him in the position of the fore- 
 most man of the world. He now was to 
 occupy the most conspicuous post among 
 the rulers of the nations ; the highest, the 
 most enviable position among men. 
 
 Three months must intervene to give him 
 time to mature his policy, select his cabi- 
 net, and prepare to enter upon his high du- 
 ties. Quickly these three months pass by. 
 Four months in the discharge of the duties 
 of his office follow them. His plans and his 
 policy foreshadowed satisfy the people to a 
 remarkable degree. Evidently he is worthy 
 the place which he is called to fill, and 
 equal to the duties he is to perform. Famil- 
 iar with the wants of the country, versed 
 in affairs of the government, vigorous in 
 thought, decided in purpose, bold in execu- 
 tion, he will discharge the duties of his 
 position regardless of the selfishness of 
 political demagogues and shallow place-
 
 84 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 seekers. He is not to carry on the govern- 
 ment to reward friends, nor is he to be 
 deterred by fear of enemies. 
 
 But, alas! "Man proposes, God dis- 
 poses." The cowardly assassin, piqued 
 because not appointed to the position he 
 craves, with a morbid and half-insane desire 
 to win notoriety in some way, yet not insane 
 enouo;h to abridore or in the least interfere 
 with his moral responsibility, coming up 
 behind him, fires the fatal shot which is to 
 cause such prolonged sufiering, and finally 
 the death of our good President. 
 
 Then followed an experience the world 
 had never before received. By means of 
 the telegraph over the lands and under the 
 seas, the condition of the sufiering President 
 became the household talk of the civilized 
 world. At the breakfast-table, on change, 
 in the marts of travel, the tramway carriage 
 or the railway coach ; the English people,
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's election. 85 
 
 the French, Spanish, Italian, Cossack, 
 Turk, or Austrian ; in Jerusalem, Mecca, 
 Constantinople, Paris, London, or Berlin ; 
 as friend met friend, the first salutation, by 
 common impulse, was, "How is the Presi- 
 dent? Will he live? God grant that his 
 life may be spared ! " 
 
 Never before, probably, in the history of 
 the wide world was there manifested by all 
 nations so general a sympathy, such cordial 
 good-will, such earnest, heartfelt desires, 
 from Christian, Jew, or Mohammedan, that 
 the life of any one man might be preserved, 
 as was manifest for the recovery of Presi- 
 dent Gai-field. Among all Christians, not 
 merely in this land, but elsewhere, wherever 
 men worship the one God and implore 
 blessings through his Son, Jesus Christ, 
 prayers were sent up to heaven for the life 
 of Garfield. No such unanimity of Chris- 
 tian purpose and desire was ever observed.
 
 8G TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Many raen, good, pious souls, trembled, 
 being weak in the faith, lest God should not 
 grant a favorable answer to their prayers ; 
 and so the infidel would scoff, and the 
 unbeliever taunt, and say, " What good in 
 prayer ? " 
 
 In ancient times Uzzah was very zealous 
 for the safety of the ark of God : — 
 
 "And when they came to Nachor's 
 threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand 
 and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. 
 And the anger of the Lord was kindled 
 against Uzzah ; and God smote him there 
 for his error ; and there he died by the ark 
 of God." 
 
 These good people were very much afraid 
 the oxen would stumble and overturn the 
 ark. They must put forth their profane 
 hands lest God's ark should receive injury. 
 The impulse appears good, but the purpose 
 is neither wise nor reverent.
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's election. 87 
 
 God knows.. Man is ignorant. Let God 
 do as seemetLi him good. This should be 
 the spirit of all true prayer. In an age 
 given up to psychological speculation and 
 material philosophy, is it to be supposed 
 that the great God who presides over all the 
 world, and who rules in all ages, shall bend 
 his purposes to suit the short-sighted whims 
 of finite man ? Yet God heard every prayer, 
 and his answers were full of tender love and 
 pitying mercy. 
 
 President Garfield died Sept. 19, after 
 eleven weeks of intense pain and sufibring.
 
 88 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 rx. 
 
 PKESIDENT GARFIELD'S ELECTION AND 
 DEATH. 
 
 1 FEW days after President Gai-field's 
 death, I read in one of the daily papers 
 — a paper whose circulation is not broad, and 
 whose management is scarcely equal to its 
 circulation — that " undoubtedly the death of 
 President Garfield would prove a severe blow 
 to the Christian religion." The same day 
 I met a man, a lamplighter, who belonged 
 to that denomination of Christians of which 
 the President was a member. Like Presi- 
 dent Gai-field, also, he was a preacher. He 
 was a good Christian man, modest and quiet 
 in his work, and in the absence of a regular 
 minister he was in the habit of conducting 
 the worship in the little chapel which had
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's death. 89 
 
 the words "Church of Christ" over the 
 door. This good man was sincerely lament- 
 ing the death of the beloved President. 
 "Why," said he, "should he be taken who 
 had the capacity and the opportunity in his 
 high station ' and with his good heart and 
 brilliant intellect to do such a world of good, 
 while I, who am nothing and can do nothing, 
 am kept alive ? I would willingly have died 
 in his place ; but he has been taken and I 
 am left. I cannot understand it." And the 
 tear would obtrude itself, and did trickle 
 down his hard cheek. 
 
 I left him and walked away homeward, 
 musing. The great orb of the sun was 
 gently settling down towards the western 
 hills ; all nature was quiet and contempla- 
 tive. "Ah!" thought I, "how little short- 
 sighted man can comprehend the plans of the 
 great God ! " God is our father, we are his 
 children. We may always rest assured that
 
 90 TALKS WITH MY BOrS. 
 
 he is ever the true, loving, kind, and wise 
 Father toward us. If we are true, loving, 
 and obedient to him, and trust him with 
 filial confidence, then all right-motived re- 
 quests which go up to him from our loving 
 hearts will receive careful attention from 
 him and they will surely be answered. But 
 is it true that all requests, right-minded 
 requests, from the loving and obedient child, 
 which are well received by the parent, and 
 which the parent's love impels him to respond 
 to, are answered always in the very terms of 
 the petition? And if not thus answered, are 
 they, therefore, not answered at all? Every 
 one will say, " By no manner of means." 
 The child's request is often short-sighted, the 
 granting of which by the parent would inevi- 
 tably bring pain and disaster. Yet, in such 
 cases the parent may hear the request with 
 pleasure, approve the motive that prompted 
 it, and though, by his superior knowledge
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's death. 91 
 
 of cause and effect, prohibited from grant- 
 ing it specifically, yet he may show in a far 
 greater degree his love and his acceptance 
 of the request by bestowing another and a 
 greater blessing^ which goes further and does 
 more than the mere granting of the particular 
 favor asked for would have done. 
 
 A child desires a small sum of money, 
 say twenty-five cents, to purchase some use- 
 ful and necessary article ; he knows that his 
 father has just that amount in his pocket. 
 He begs that the father shall give him that 
 particular piece of money. His father does 
 not at once answer his request. He repeat- 
 edly importunes him for the gift. The father 
 is sensible that the child's object is a good 
 one ; his request is moderate. Had he asked 
 for a much larger sum the father would not 
 have deemed it at all improper, since it would 
 have been paid away for important and use- 
 ful articles. But the father finally says,
 
 92 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 "No, my child, for good reasons I cannot 
 gi'ant your request." Yet within a short 
 time he gives him a five-dollar gold piece, 
 saying, "I know your necessities, and you 
 may have this money which will buy what 
 you need. The quarter-dollar which you 
 wanted was a gift to me from a dear friend. 
 I did not want to part with it." Can any 
 one say that the child's request was not cor- 
 dially and joyfully received by the parent, 
 that it was not approved, or that it was not 
 granted ? He wanted the money for what it 
 would buy. He got more than he asked for. 
 He thought the quarter-dollar all the money 
 the father had. The father was richer than 
 he thought. The result aimed at was what 
 the money would buy. The result was at- 
 tained solely by the importunity of the child. 
 The Christians of this country prayed for 
 the life of President Garfield, because, pri- 
 marily, it seemed needful for the country's
 
 PRESIDENT Garfield's death. 93 
 
 well-being. Has not God in a remarkable 
 manner showered his blessings upon this 
 country and the world, by and through the 
 death of the beloved President, and in a 
 manner superior to and beyond anything 
 that Garfield could have done for it ? And 
 has not this been done in direct answer to 
 the loving and devout spirit of prayer which 
 Christians manifested during those sad weeks 
 of suspense? Of what value is that broad 
 and generous sympathy awakened by his 
 assassination, sickness, and death, over the 
 wide world ? It is of more force than stand- 
 ing armies. Its power is superior to tons of 
 tracts from the press of the Peace Society. 
 It has accomplished and is destined to accom- 
 plish what president's messages and congres- 
 sional action and diplomacy could never have 
 achieved. The ties which bind the nations 
 together have been strengthened as never 
 before by all human instrumentalities.
 
 94 TALKS WITH JIT BOYS. 
 
 How was our country rent by political 
 feuds and factions 1 How have they been 
 silenced, and in fact annihilated, by the 
 dumb lips of the dead President ! The war 
 of the Rebellion left gaping wounds and sec- 
 tional strifes which, as it has appeared during 
 the past twenty years, ages and new genera- 
 tions of men only could heal. The " South- 
 ern policy" of President Johnson was a 
 failure ; scarcely less so was that of Gen. 
 Grant ; and not much more could be said 
 of that adopted by his successor, President 
 Hayes. What might have been done by 
 Garfield, living, we cannot know, but what 
 has been done by him, dead, is known and 
 read of all men. But few Northern states 
 voted against Gen. Garfield for President, 
 and but few Southern states voted for him. 
 Yet, during those terrible weeks all Northern 
 people and papers were accustomed to speak 
 of him as ^^ the President." But in an ex-
 
 PEESiDENT Garfield's death. 95 
 
 tended tour through the Southern states, 
 while President Garfield was ^luifering, I 
 observed everywhere, from newspapers and 
 people, the tenderest expressions about ^^our 
 President." I hazard nothing in saying that 
 the " Answerer of prayer," He who is prop- 
 erly called a " prayer-hearing and prayer- 
 answering God," has heard and has answered 
 abundantly the prayer of his people, albeit 
 in a way they had not dreamed of; though 
 it is now evident to all that the answer is 
 far more advantageous to the country than 
 the simple and direct granting of the request 
 would have been. 
 
 And now what answer shall we make to 
 our worthy friend and brother, the lamp- 
 lighter ? Let us say to him : " Dear sir, God 
 lives and he reigns. He doeth Ins will and 
 not ours. 'For my thoughts are not your 
 thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, 
 eaith the Lord.' President Garfield in his
 
 96 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 death, through the kind providence of our 
 God, as we sincerely believe, in answer to 
 prayer, has accomplished not only more than 
 in his life, but more than he ever could have 
 accomplished by the longest life that our 
 good wishes could have assigned to him. 
 And as for thee, thou good lamplighter, 
 what shouldst thou do but light thy lamps 
 just the same as before. 'In the morning 
 sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold 
 not thy hand ; for thou knowest not whether 
 shall prosper, either this or that, or whether 
 they both shall be alike good.' Light thy 
 lamps, and leave not one in darkness. 
 How knowest thou but this very night the 
 liijht thou causest to stieam out from some 
 one lamp, over the highway, may prevent an 
 accident and thereby save the life of some 
 lad who in the after years will be a man of 
 more importance to this land and the world 
 than even President Garfield was ? Do not,
 
 PRESIDENT GAEFIELD'S DEATH. 97 
 
 I beseech thee, let a single lamp be dim, but 
 bright and burning ; and, withal, so let thy 
 'light shine before men that they may see 
 thy good works and glorify thy Father which 
 is in Heaven.'" 
 
 " At eventide there shall be light." 
 
 " God moves in a mysterious way 
 His wonders to perform." 
 
 " Blind unbelief is sure to err, 
 And scan his work in vain; 
 God is his own interpreter, 
 And he will make it plain."
 
 98 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 X. 
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 
 
 " Where the Falls of Minnehaha 
 Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, 
 Laugh and leap into the valley. 
 
 Wayward as the Minnehaha, 
 
 With her moods of shade and sunshine." 
 
 OO sang the poet, and the words rang in 
 
 my ears day after day, when I had once 
 
 seen that most exquisite picture 
 
 " Flash and gleam among the oak-trees; 
 Gleaming, glancing through the branches, 
 With her moods of shade and sunshine, 
 Minnehaha, laughing water." 
 
 I had but lately gazed upon the boiling 
 torrents of the Spokane, enjoyed the turbu- 
 lence of the Dalles and the cascades of the 
 Columbia, and marveled at the bold dash of 
 the falls of the Multnomah.
 
 ■\\aiAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 99 
 
 A few days later I had crossed the plain, 
 pushed through the forests, rounded the 
 south end of Lake JNIichigan, skirted the 
 shores of Erie, stopped to drink in the 
 gi'andeur and majesty of the king of water- 
 falls, Niagara, plunged down the rapids of 
 the St. Lawrence, and still later, driving 
 through the Hoosac Tunnel, I was whirled 
 along the banks of the Deerfield, rushing and 
 roaring over its rocky bed, across the Con- 
 necticut ; and the iron horse, blowing, wheez- 
 ing, puffing, lifted me up, up, the valley of 
 the Millers River, an elevation of seven hun- 
 dred feet between Greenfield and Gardner. 
 This up-gi"ade ride, bumping, turning, twist- 
 ing, now on the right bank, now on the left 
 of this turbulent stream, was in the night. 
 The moon shone brightly, serenely, weirdly, 
 now lighting up the rapid torrent, and anon, 
 throwing its black, dense shadows like a pall 
 over the seething mass.
 
 100 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 YON SILENT MOON. 
 
 That silver moon, with mellow light serene, 
 Shines through the clouds with tender, modest ray, 
 As if 't would hardly venture to appear 
 E'en in the absence of the orb of day. 
 And yet it shines; and peering through the clouds 
 It sendeth down a chastened, loving look, 
 As if, indeed, it were the mourners' friend, 
 And kindly wished to bind the broken heart. 
 
 Wlien, dense and thick, the clouds have gathered o'er, 
 
 And all is dark to mourning souls below. 
 
 The moon with solemn silence peereth through, 
 
 And seems to say, " There 's light for you above. 
 
 The earth is dark and full of troublous sin. 
 
 And sin's attendant, sorrow, walkethhere; 
 
 But courage take^ and look away from earth, 
 
 For, far above terrestrial clouds, appears 
 
 The light of heaven, which shines in cloudless sky, 
 
 These earthly clouds that dim the light of day, 
 
 And oft obscure the moon's more modest look, 
 
 Do but bespeak the heavenly light above, 
 
 And point to those bright realms of lasting bliss." 
 
 The silver moon that shines with borrowed ray, 
 Directs the soul to one great source of light; 
 And thus from earth would draw the mind away, 
 To God, the only source of light and love.
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 101 
 
 Weary, yet restless, I could not sleep ; 
 neither could I keep awake. I was in that 
 half-way condition in which visions come 
 flitting through the mind, and, the reason 
 asleep, the wide-awake imagination has full 
 play. The spirit of the water stood up be- 
 fore me, now shrinking and bashful, now 
 boldly riding forth upon the wings of the 
 moonbeams, and began to talk to me. At 
 first its tones were quiet and gentle as the 
 mild zephyrs of the summer day, but gradu- 
 ally increasing the power and decision of its 
 utterances, its rapid cadences became as 
 fierce and tempestuous as the hurricane or 
 the tornado. And this is what it said to 
 me : — 
 
 " Have you no pity for me, O man ; for me, 
 confined, imprisoned within these walls, and 
 made to drudge and drive by day and by 
 night without cessation? Who ever heard 
 of Millers Eiver? I have no name, no fame,
 
 102 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 no reward. I slave and drive, and hurry 
 and skurry, and get no thanks, no compli- 
 ments. If I could gather up my waters and 
 make a bold dash like the Connecticut at 
 Holyoke, pouring over the great dam, or 
 rushing through the giant wheel which drives 
 so many thousand spindles and throws so 
 many hundred shuttles, it would be of some 
 account ; I should be of some service. Or, 
 if I were like the grand old falls of Niagara, 
 captivating visitors from all parts of the 
 world ; or even like the dashing rapids of the 
 Lachine, over which the steamboats ride, 
 guided by the old Indian pilot, amid the 
 wonder of the many passengers ! But no ; 
 I must remain here forever, like a horse in 
 the tread-mill ; worse than that even, for the 
 poor horse is allowed to stop to eat and 
 sleep, but I must go on morning, noon, and 
 night, —
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 103 
 
 ' Never stop to think, 
 Never stop to drink, 
 Never stop to weep, 
 Never stop to sleep,' 
 
 but always working, pushing, crowding, 
 surging, ever onward, never lagging, and so 
 go down to oblivion, unappreciated, uncared 
 for, unknown." 
 
 Thus the waters of Millers River which 
 tumble down seven hundred feet from Gard- 
 ner — the highest point between Boston and 
 Chicago — to Greenfield, entered its com- 
 plaint and exhibited its envy of the Holyoke 
 mill-dam, the rapids of the St. Lawrence, 
 and the falls of Niagara. 
 
 Now, while I thought upon this complaint 
 my eyes grew dim, my head drooped, and I 
 was rapidly jostled from side to side, till grad- 
 ually the scene changed, and I was no longer 
 on Millers Eiver, but was quietly seated 
 upon the starboard bow of the steamboat,
 
 104 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 just floating into the very jaws of the La- 
 chine Rapids upon the St. Lawrence. 
 
 Suddenly the water-sprite stood up and 
 shook its whitened locks, and beckoned me 
 to listen : — 
 
 "Pity me, traveler; condole with me in 
 my misery ! I am the swelling mass of 
 waters from the great lakes. I have poured 
 over Niagara, and floated down through 
 the Thousand Islands ; and now I must 
 plunge and roar and foam and dash against 
 these sunken rocks just to make sport for 
 strangers who chance to come down the 
 river upon these steamboats. Chained to 
 this spot, shut up in this channel, confined 
 between these grassy banks, I must work on 
 like a pack horse, day in and day out, 
 doomed to perpetual slavery. If I could 
 only exchange places with that quiet, unob- 
 trusive ]\Iillers Eiver, or if I could be like 
 my predecessor, Niagara, and have the honor
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 105 
 
 of being the greatest waterfall in the world, 
 I should be happy. But, dear me, there is 
 no place for me ; no success, no opportu- 
 nity for even a modest, laudable ambition." 
 
 So complained the Lachine Rapids, and 
 vanished in thin air, or sunk beneath the 
 boiling flood. While I mused upon its 
 plaintive wail, dream-like, the scene changed, 
 and I was standing on the bank of the 
 Niagara River, just below the American 
 Falls. A low wail caught my ear, and on 
 turning around I saw, just rising from the 
 water, a weird and haggard form, which sent 
 forth a dirge-like moan in the following 
 words : — 
 
 "Woe is me I Faint and weary, torn and 
 bleeding, behold me, a prey to this surging 
 flood. Very fine it may be to you, good 
 sir, to look on and see this mighty down- 
 pouring ; but not so interesting is it to poor 
 me. Pouring, roaring, seething, tossing.
 
 106 TALKS With my boys. 
 
 plunging, lunging, here I am shut in fi'om 
 the rest of the world. My sisters, there, 
 above me, bask in the sunshine, and leisurely 
 float along day after day, and sleep in their 
 quiet eddies at night. If I had the variety 
 of the beautiful and picturesque landscape 
 of the quiet Millers River, or if I could 
 rush along the bed of the Spokane, or if I 
 could leap down an immense precipice like 
 the falls of Multnomah, I should be satis- 
 fied ; but here I am compelled to heave and 
 toss, and plunge and roar, from January to 
 July, and from July to December, only to 
 repeat again and again the same round ; 
 round and round, over and over, whirling, 
 swirling, fuming, foaming, rushing, gushing, 
 onward, over and over, till I vanish in the 
 mist, mocked at by the rainbow, and gone, 
 because I am not ! " 
 
 So complained the spirit of King Kataract, 
 and wished his fate was anything but his
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 107 
 
 own. Suddenly T was on the new bridge 
 that spans the Spokane Eiver, in Washington 
 Territory", just over the boiling torrent, look- 
 ing down into the water below. The mist 
 was rising and wrapping itself around me. 
 It soon shut out the landscape, and a voice 
 sounded in my ears ; it was hoarse and grim, 
 and I was startled, till I looked, and the 
 spirit of the waters was beckoning me, and 
 this was its plaint : — 
 
 " Would that I were elsewhere ! Would 
 that I were otherwise ! Would that I were 
 any else ! My task is hard, my life monot- 
 onous, my reward but small. Could I but 
 exchange places with the Dalles, or the Cas- 
 cades, or the Multnomah ; but this monoto- 
 nous life will be the death of me yet ! " 
 
 Just then a loaded team, drawn by two 
 braying mules, came thundering across the 
 bridge, and the frightened spirit of the water 
 was no more seen. Again, I was at the
 
 108 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Dalles of the Columbia, that wondrous piece 
 of nature's handiwork, and again the water- 
 spirit complained. While I looked and lis- 
 tened, another voice was heard, this time 
 the voice of the Cascades, when in the midst 
 of its complaint, behold the falls of the Mult- 
 nomah ! It was a little river, but fifty feet 
 wide, and after chasing its banks along a 
 ravine well up upon the mountains, it madly 
 plunges down a perpendicular rock eight 
 Jiundred feet, only to gather up its courage 
 and glide down another cliff several hundred 
 feet more, before minsflino; itself with the 
 waters of the Columbia. It is indeed a 
 charming waterfall, unique, beautiful, pleas- 
 ing in every particular, both in itself and its 
 surroundings. Yet here I found the same 
 spirit of discontent. The mist rose from the 
 foot of the falls, and wrapping its mantle 
 about itself, it assumed the form which had 
 already so often appeared to me, and thus it 
 spoke : —
 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. 109 
 
 "Frightened, benumbed, exhausted with 
 incessant labor, I have no peace in my life. 
 Could I exchange places with my sisters or 
 my brothers ; could I once visit the Spokane, 
 or ISiagara, or the St. Lawrence ; could I 
 be the quiet little Minnehaha, "Laughing 
 Water," there would be a beam of joy in my 
 soul ! But no such good fortune awaits me. 
 I am doomed to drag out a miserable exist- 
 ence in this damp and secluded spot. I am 
 half tempted to commit suicide." 
 
 " What ! " said I to myself, " is there no 
 contentment? Does every one wish to ex- 
 change places with some one else? Have 
 not these people ever read ' The Vision of 
 Mirza'?" 
 
 Lo, while I was speaking, another water- 
 fall appeared. It was no other than that 
 which had started my fancy at first. I was 
 sitting upon the little platform, looking upon 
 the "Laughing Water." Wisely named;
 
 110 TALKS WITH MY BOYS, 
 
 beautiful in its form, harmonious in its pro- 
 portions, elegant in its surroundings, it was, 
 indeed, a model. Cheerful and contented, 
 it displayed a true happiness, devoid of 
 onvy, and, innocent of impossible ambitions, 
 it flowed onward in its quiet and beautiful 
 harmony, scarcely inquiring whence it came, 
 or whither it was going. 
 
 Only after I had twice summoned its 
 spirit into my presence, did it quietly and 
 modestly present itself. It was wrapped in 
 a white veil of spray, and girded with a rain- 
 bow about its waist. Its face was the face 
 of beauty, and its features were those of 
 quiet contentment and happiness. 
 
 "Callestthou me?" 
 
 " Yes, I called thee. Now tell me, I pray 
 thee, how it is thou utterest no complaint? " 
 
 "Why should I complain? The Father 
 brought me here, and shall he not do right? 
 In beauty he made me, and I am content to
 
 ^^'■^ ^"geks Ca 
 WHAT THE WATERFALLS SAID TO ME. Ill 
 
 be just what he desires me to be. Whence 
 I came I know not, but that I shall go on- 
 ward to the great and boundless ocean, I well 
 know. I go, contented and happy. The 
 duty of the day I will do. Its reward is in 
 His hands ; he will not disappoint me." 
 
 " Happy, happy spirit ! " exclaimed I, " not 
 to envy its fellows ; not to wish for impossi- 
 ble things ! " 
 
 Here I heard a great noise and a confused 
 hum of voices, and awaking, I found that the 
 iron horse had stopped in the Fitchburg 
 station, in Boston, at one o'clock at night, 
 and the passengers were leaving the train. 
 
 So I knew that I had but dreamed ; and 
 
 that the lesson of the sleeping hour might 
 
 not be lost, I have here written it out. 
 
 " He, the master of life, descending, 
 On the red crags of the quarry 
 Stood erect, and called the nations, 
 Called the tribes of men together. 
 From his footprints flowed a river,
 
 112 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Leaped into the liglit of morning, 
 O'er the precipice plunging downward, 
 Gleamed like Ishkoodah, the comet; 
 And the spirit, stooping earthward, 
 With his finger on the meadow 
 Traced a winding pathway for it, 
 Saying to it, ' Eun in this wayl ' 
 
 And in accents like the sighing 
 Of the south-wind in the tree-tops. 
 Said he, ' O my Hiawatha! 
 All your prayers are heard in heaven; 
 For you prayed not like the others, 
 Not for greater skill in hunting, 
 Kot for greater craft in fishing, 
 Not for triumph in the battle, 
 Nor renown among the warriors.' "
 
 BE EXACT IN THOUGHT AND WORD. 113 
 
 XI. 
 
 BE EXACT IN THOUGHT AND WORD. 
 
 T^HE great teacher of America used some- 
 times to say to his pupils, "Young 
 gentlemen, there is a great deal of difference 
 between doing y^s^ right and a little wrong " . 
 
 It is often said that education is a double 
 work : it includes (1) the training and the 
 disciplining of the mind, and (2) the acqui- 
 sition of useful knowledge. The former is 
 the more important work, and, if the latter 
 have any value at all, the knowledge must 
 necessarily be exact knowledge. 
 
 The old lady felt very much delighted 
 
 when she found a recipe by which she could 
 
 always tell the good indigo from the poor. 
 
 " Take a lump of it," said she, " and put it 
 
 8
 
 114 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 in water, and if it is good it will — it will — 
 it will sink or swim, I have forgotten which ; 
 but no matter, you can try it for yourself 
 any time." I fear a great deal of knowledge 
 is acquired in that way, and it is just good 
 for nothing. 
 
 I heard a man telling about a gentleman 
 down in Maine who " owned one hundred 
 and twelve, or three hundred and twelve 
 thousand sheep," he could not quite remem- 
 ber which ; and as I heard his doubt I began 
 to question whether it was not " one hundred 
 and twelve " without the thousand. 
 
 A friend of mine was telling of a voyage 
 he took down to Newfoundland in a fishing 
 smack, and he said he "saw a whale fifty feet 
 long." 
 
 " Fifty feet long ! " was the response ; 
 " that is a big fish story. Do you expect us 
 to believe it ? " 
 
 " Why not ? That is my guess ; of course
 
 BE EXACT IN THOUGHT AND WORD. 115 
 
 we did not measure him, and if you are 
 going to guess it is just as easy to guess fifty 
 feet as anything else." 
 
 I fear much that passes for knowledge is 
 onl}^ my friend's guess. One may as well 
 " guess fifty feet as anything else." 
 
 Now, in the use of language there is often 
 a lamentable want of accuracy, and it is one 
 of the legitimate and important parts of the 
 school work to make the pupils exact in the 
 use of words. The accurate use of " shall " 
 and "will," "should" and "would," is so 
 important that it is worth spending consider- 
 able time to obtain an accurate knowledge of 
 the exact distinctions to be made in the use 
 of these little auxiliaries. ]\Irs. Partington 
 has become somewhat notorious for her 
 wrong use of words, or use of wrong words ; 
 and the colored people are frequently quoted 
 as making ludicrous blunders. 
 
 But the fear is that this sort of inaccuracy
 
 116 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 is not confined to these characters. Mrs. 
 Stowe, in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," makes 
 " Aunt Chloe " tell about going to make cake 
 and pastry at the " perfectioners " instead of 
 the " co7ifectioners." And John B. Gough 
 tells of the colored preacher who was desir- 
 ous of having the recess back of the pulpit 
 " frescoed," and he made his wish known to 
 his people in this way : One Sunday even- 
 ins: at the close of the sermon he shut the 
 Bible suddenly, and said, "There, my bred- 
 ren, the Gospel will not be dispensed with 
 any more from dis pulpit till the collection 
 am sufiicient to fricassee dis abcess." 
 
 How often we hear misquotations from the 
 Bible and other books ! and what strange pas- 
 sages are sometimes quoted from the sacred 
 Scriptures ! Many persons, well versed in 
 Bible lore, are yet unable to repeat the 
 Lord's Prayer accurately. I found a painter 
 some years since, at work in a church in
 
 BE EXACT IN THOUGHT AND WORD. 117 
 
 Boston, out on the Back Bay, painting in 
 elegant letters the Lord's Prayer upon the 
 wall of the church ; and the form of words 
 that he was using was not to be found in the 
 Bible or the prayer-book. 
 
 This habit of accuracy is an important ele- 
 ment in one's education. Knowledge, to be 
 of any worth, must be accurate ; and the 
 acquisition of knowledge, in order to be of 
 value as a disciplinary process, must be 
 equally accurate. Herein lies much of the 
 value of the study of Latin and Greek. It 
 obliges the student to be accurate in his 
 study, and in his modes of thought. The 
 future indicative and the present subjunc- 
 tive of the third conjugation, in Latin, are 
 to be carefully discriminated, since the 
 change of a single word will alter the entire 
 - jueaning of the sentence. The study of the 
 exact force of the subjunctive mood in Latin 
 is a matter of no slight importance to the
 
 118 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 boy as a disciplinary process. It is training 
 the mind, improving the reasoning powers, 
 sharpening the intellect, and acquiring accu- 
 racy of judgment. The application of this 
 may be made in a horse trade, in testing the 
 quality of cotton, in buying wool, or in put- 
 ting up a physician's prescription. 
 
 This constant striving after accuracy 
 greatly improves the power of memory ; 
 and it is to be feared that the importance of 
 this faculty has been seriously underrated 
 by many of our teachers, and multitutles of 
 scholars. " Whatever is worth doins; at all 
 is worth doing well." Herein lies a large 
 part of the value of an education. Many a 
 man inquires, " What good will these few 
 pages of history, or this study of algebra or 
 geometry, do my son ? He will never use it 
 in my business." 
 
 Ah ! there, my friend, is just where you 
 make a mistake. The accuracy with which
 
 BE EXACT IN THOUGHT AND WORD. 119 
 
 those history lessons are learned, the clear- 
 ness of perception and reasoning acquired by 
 those problems in algebra or those proposi- 
 tions in geometry, will give your son accu- 
 racy in whatever he will have to do in life, no 
 matter what his business may be. If " thor- 
 oughness " and " accuracy " are your watch- 
 words in the school days, you will never for- 
 get them afterward. But if you are careless 
 and inaccurate at school, it will be found 
 hard work to reform subsequently.
 
 120 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 xn. 
 
 THE BASKET OF CHIP-DIRT. 
 
 TT7E have had frequent talks, first and last, 
 upon the subject of "What Boys should 
 read." There is at this day such an abun- 
 dance of good reading matter that no one has 
 any excuse for indulging in objectionable 
 reading. The presses of our enterprising 
 publishers teem with good books, well writ- 
 ten, often beautifully illustrated ; books of 
 travel, adventure, biography, science, and 
 the like ; and so cheap that few need be 
 debarred the privilege of owning at least a 
 few choice ones. The libraries are full of 
 them, and most of you can get them from 
 the public library, the Christian Association 
 library, and other collections. Moreover, 
 there are now many juvenile periodicals, like
 
 THE BASKET OF CHIP-DIRT. 121 
 
 the YoutNs Companion^ St. Nicholas^ etc., 
 which furnish weekly or monthly the best of 
 reading admirably adapted to the young. I 
 think, therefore, there is not the slightest 
 excuse for feeding on husks. 
 
 The following incident illustrates the evil 
 effects of pernicious reading. I do not sup- 
 pose it occurred in this city, but I cannot 
 justly say about that. The scene of the in- 
 cident is supposed to be at the family fire- 
 side ; the time, "early candle-lighting," The 
 persons introduced are father and son. 
 
 "Charles, come here. What is the mean- 
 ing of such a report as this ? " 
 
 Heport of Charles M. Smith, for term end- 
 ing Nov, 27, 1884. Arithmetic, 57; Geog- 
 raphy, 69; English Grammar, 43; Reading ^ 
 85; Spelling, 71; Writing ^ 70; Average, 
 66. Deportment, 72; General Standing, 
 69. Whole number in Class, 19; Rank in 
 Class, 19.
 
 122 TALKS WITH JIY BOYS. 
 
 "No. 19 in class of nineteen. Foot of the 
 class ! Well, well. That is my boy Charlie, 
 is it ? How did this happen ? " 
 
 "I don't know, sir." 
 
 "Don't know, sir! Who does know? 
 When you first entered the Everett School, 
 a year ago last September, you ranked No. 3 
 in a class of thirty. The next term you were 
 No. 6, in the spring No. 10, and at the close 
 of the year you stood No. 14 in a class of 
 twenty-four ; and now you come home with 
 this report. No. 19 in a class of nineteen. 
 Well, where will you be next term?" 
 
 " I mean to do better next term, sir." 
 
 "Well, but just explain how this has come 
 about." 
 
 "I can't, sir." 
 
 " You can't I Has the teacher marked you 
 unfairly?" 
 
 "I think not, sir." 
 
 "Does he show partiality?"
 
 THE BASKET OF CHIP-DIRT. 123 
 
 "I don't think so, sir. 
 
 "Well, then, how is it that you are at the 
 foot of the class?" 
 
 "I can't tell, sir." 
 
 "Can't tell, /can tell you, Charles. Do 
 you see that basket filled with apples ? " 
 
 "I do, sir." 
 
 "Empty out the apples upon the floor, in 
 the corner of the room." 
 
 "I 've done it, sir." 
 
 " Now take the basket out to the wood-pile 
 and fill it half full of fine chip-dirt." 
 
 "Here it is, sir." 
 
 "Now put in the apples." 
 
 Charles piled on the apples till the basket 
 would hold no more. 
 
 "It will not hold them, sir." 
 
 "Will not hold them? But it did before. 
 Pile them on." 
 
 Charles piled up the apples as long as they 
 would stay on, and then said, —
 
 124 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 "It will not hold them all, sir." 
 
 "Pile them on ; pile them on. It held 
 them all before." 
 
 "Yes, father, but now the basket is half 
 full of chip-dirt" 
 
 "Ah, my son, there 's the mischief. When 
 a basket is half full of chip-dirt it will not 
 hold a basketful of apples. You have been 
 filling your mind with chip-dirt stories, and 
 how do you think you can then fill it with 
 arithmetic and spelling ? How many volumes 
 of Oliver Optic's works have you read?" 
 
 "I have read them all, sir." 
 
 "And how many dime novels?" 
 
 "I do not know, sir. I have read a good 
 many." 
 
 " What papers do you read?" 
 
 "27ie Fireside Companion^ The Boys of 
 New YorTc, and Tlie Boys' Oivn." 
 
 "Well, my son, that basket must be pretty 
 nearly full of chip-dirt by this time, and how
 
 THE BASKET OF CHIP-DIRT. 125 
 
 do you suppose you can now pile in the 
 geography and the grammar ? " 
 
 "I never looked upon it in that light be- 
 fore." 
 
 "Well, my boy, take the chip-dirt back 
 to the wood-house and see if the basket will 
 hold the apples then." 
 
 Charles quickly left the chip-dirt outside, 
 and filled the basket with the apples. 
 
 "Does it hold them now?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, sir; it holds them all now." 
 
 "Well, my son, it will not be so easy to 
 empty the chip-dirt from your mind. But I 
 caution you not to put any more in.'^ 
 
 Charles understood the meaning of this. 
 It was a good example of object teaching, and 
 the next term, although it cost him many a 
 severe efiort to keep away from the chip-dirt, 
 his record was far less unsatisfactory. He 
 was no longer below ranh. It is to be hoped 
 that Charlie will yet crowd out the chip-dirt
 
 126 TALKS WITH JIT BOYS. 
 
 from his mind by filling it with the good and 
 the true. 
 
 *^ That is the incident ; and if it applies to 
 any of you, I hope you will make the appli- 
 cation. It gives me great satisfaction, how- 
 ever, to say that I believe there is far less 
 chip-dirt in this school than there was a few 
 years ago. The last list of books that I 
 noted in my memorandum book, asking each 
 boy in school the title of the last book he 
 had read, was a very satisfactory list. There 
 was very little chip-dirt among the books 
 read. Some day, when I have collated them, 
 I may read you the list.
 
 WENDELL PHILLIPS. 127 
 
 xin. 
 
 WENDELL PHILLIPS : THE LESSON OF HIS 
 LIFE. 
 
 'THE life of Wendell Phillips presents to 
 the young several important lessons. 
 The most obvious of these is, probably, the 
 lesson of self-sacrifice for the truth. He 
 turned aside from the most alluring prospects 
 of wealth, social distinction, honor and fame, 
 to devote his life to the advocacy of an un- 
 popular cause ; and that from the pure mo- 
 tive oi the love of truth. 
 
 Born in 1811 ; entering Harvard College 
 in 1827, under sixteen years of age ; gradu- 
 ating before he was twenty ; admitted to the 
 Suffolk bar at twenty-three ; belonging to 
 one of the first families in Boston, of which
 
 128 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 city his father was the first mayor ; the most 
 cultured and polished society of the age 
 opening its doors to him, not only on ac- 
 count of his social position, but equally from 
 his own scholarship and culture, — few 
 young men in this country have ever had a 
 more brilliant future predicted for them by 
 admiring friends, or by a wide circle of ac- 
 quaintances. He had had every advantage 
 that wealth and social position could confer. 
 Moreover, in his college course he had ex- 
 hibited that native strength of intellect, and 
 those superior traits of mind and heart which 
 are the sure precursors of a brilliant career. 
 Widely read in the facts and the philosophy 
 of history ; his mind well stored with classi- 
 cal learning, and well disciplined by thorough 
 training in the foremost college in the land, 
 — what door of advancement or preferment, 
 what avenue of brilliant success, would be 
 closed to him ?
 
 WENDELL PHILLIPS. 129 
 
 At the early age of twenty-three, a prac- 
 titioner at the Suffolk bar, which was then 
 graced by such men as Daniel Webster and 
 Jeremiah Mason, and had been honored by 
 Joseph Story and Samuel Dexter, — he him- 
 self having already exhibited remarkable 
 powers of oratory, — surely the brightest 
 and most successful career is now opening 
 before him. It would require but little im- 
 agination to picture him a governor of that 
 ancient commonwealth, senator in the Amer- 
 ican Congress, or perhaps the chief execu- 
 tive of the nation. 
 
 Scarcely, however, had he entered upon 
 practice at the bar, when troublous times 
 began. William Lloyd Garrison, born in 
 1804, — apprenticed to a shoemaker, and 
 afterwards to a cabinet-maker, — had learned 
 the printers' trade, wrote for the press, be- 
 came an editor, was imprisoned in Baltimore, 
 and finally, on the 1st of January, 1831, had 
 9
 
 130 TALKS WITH INIT BOYS. 
 
 begun in Boston the publication of TJie 
 Liberator^ a paper which continued to advo- 
 cate immediate emancipation till the fact was 
 accomplished, and it was discontinued in 
 December, 1865. 
 
 On the 21st of October, 1835, a meeting of 
 the Women's Anti-Slavery Society in Bos- 
 ton was broken up by a mob of " gentlemen 
 of property and standing." Garrison, who 
 was assisting at the meeting, was seized, a 
 rope put around his body, and he was 
 dragged through the streets of Boston, and 
 only saved from the mob by being put in jail. 
 
 Wendell Phillips, then less than twenty- 
 five years of age, was a witness to these 
 transactions. These men, "well-dressed, 
 rich, and the inheritors not only of money 
 but of all that had been done for culture and 
 enlightenment in Boston for two hundred 
 years, yet still so sunk in essential ignorance 
 as to believe they could fight moral convic-
 
 WENDELL PHILIJPS. 131 
 
 tions with brick-bats and ropes." How was 
 the soul of the young man stirred I 
 
 His first distinguished mark as an orator 
 was made Dec. 8, 1837, when he was 
 twenty-six years old. It was in Faneuil 
 Hall, the " Cradle of Liberty," an appropri- 
 ate place for that first address of his in de- 
 fence of liberty of speech, liberty of the 
 press, and liberty of the slave. 
 
 Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy had been mur- 
 dered in his own home, in the city of Alton, 
 111., by a pro-slavery mob, losing his life in 
 defending the freedom of the press. This 
 meeting had been called to "notice in a suit- 
 able manner" this event. Resolutions, de- 
 ploring his death and denouncing the mob, 
 had been ofiered and were under discussion. 
 Hon. James T. Austin, attorney-general of 
 the Commonwealth, spoke in opposition to 
 the resolutions. He compared the slaves to 
 a menagerie of wild beasts, and the rioters
 
 132 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 at Alton to the " orderly mob which threw 
 the tea overboard m 1773 " ; called Lovejoy 
 presumptuous and imprudent; said that he 
 " died as the fool dieth " ; and asserted 
 (referring to Rev. William Ellery Channing, 
 who had spoken) that " a clergj^mau ming- 
 ling in the debates of a popular assembly 
 was marvelously out of place." 
 
 Wendell Phillips followed this specious 
 tu"ade with a speech at once bold, incisive, 
 and patriotic. " Imprudent ! to defend the 
 liberty of the press I Why ? Because the 
 defence was unsuccessful ? Does success gild 
 crime into patriotism, and .the want of it 
 change heroic self-devotion to imprudence? 
 Was Hampden imprudent when he drew the 
 sword and threw away the scabbard ? 
 
 "Imagine yourself present when the first 
 news of the battle of Bunker Hill reached 
 a New England town. The tale would 
 have run thus ; ' The patriots are routed ;
 
 WENDELL PHILLIPS. 133 
 
 the redcoats are victorious. Warren lies 
 dead upon the field.' With what scorn 
 would that tory have been received, who 
 should have charged Warren with impru- 
 dence! who should have said that, bred a 
 phj^sician, he was 'out of place' in that 
 battle, and ' died as the fool dieth.' 
 
 "As much as thought is better than money, 
 so much is the cause in which Lovejoy 
 died nobler than a mere question of taxes. 
 James Otis thundered in this hall when the 
 king did but touch his pocket. Imagine, if 
 you can, his indignant eloquence had Eng- 
 land oiFered to put a gag upon his lips." 
 
 The popular sentiment of the audience 
 was changed. The resolutions were adopted. 
 But more than that ; Wendell Phillips had 
 put his hand to the plow, and never after did 
 he look back. From that time till the day 
 of his death he was the " silver-tongued ora- 
 tor" for the slave and the oppressed.
 
 134 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 He threw up his commission as a lawyer 
 because he would not make oath to support 
 the Constitution of the United States so long 
 as it protected slave property. For twenty- 
 five years he was a firm, uncompromising ab- 
 olitionist, before success crowned the cause 
 he so ably advocated. His invective was 
 scathing ; his boldness was startling ; his elo- 
 quence was grand. He became the foremost 
 orator of his age, for his heart was in his 
 words. His soul was on fire, and it is fire 
 that kindles fire. Turning his back upon 
 riches, scorning honors, place, and power, 
 he held it to be his greatest honor, his chief 
 joy, to be called the friend of the poor and 
 the oppressed, to plead for the down-trodden 
 and the enslaved. 
 
 Finally came the slave-holders' rebellion. 
 The gun which sent the first shot against 
 Fort Sumter was heard in Maine and Mm- 
 nesota. The conscience of the North had
 
 WENDELL PHILLIPS. 135 
 
 been quickened by Phillips's eloquence. 
 There was to be no more compromise with 
 slavery ; the days of its apologists had gone 
 by forever. As a military necessity the 
 slaves of those in rebellion were declared 
 free. The rebellion was crushed. The 
 Union triumphed over secession. By con- 
 stitutional amendment slavery was forever 
 made impossible in this country, which for 
 eighty years had been called a free land. 
 Surely Wendell Phillips earned the right to 
 be named the defender of the oppressed; the 
 friend of the slave. He was true to the truth 
 as he saw it. To-day the pulpit, the press, 
 the people of the land call slavery a sin, just 
 as Garrison and Phillips did forty years ago. 
 The logic of events is potent to change the 
 opinions of men. Had Wendell Phillips 
 died thirty years ago, the verdict of the 
 American people regarding him would have 
 differed from that verdict to-day. The prin-
 
 136 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 ciples he advocated have succeeded ; hence 
 he dies a patriot, a philanthropist, a Chris- 
 tian. 
 
 " Be thou like the old apostle, 
 
 Be thou like heroic Paul; 
 If a free thought seeks expression, 
 
 Speak it boldly, speak it all. 
 Face thine enemies, accusers; 
 
 Scorn the prison, rack, or rod; 
 And if thou hast truth to utter, 
 
 Speak, and leave the rest to God."
 
 THE PIIONOGRArH. 137 
 
 xrv. 
 
 THE PHONOGRAPH. 
 
 JOU were amused as well as instructed, 
 the other day, by an exhibition of the 
 phonograph. To many of you it seemed 
 marvelous that you could talk into a ma- 
 chine, and that what you said could be bottled 
 i(j), and afterwards brought ovit, at will, and 
 the machine made to repeat exactly what was 
 said. But so it was. Moreover, different 
 things could be recorded by it, one after 
 another, and the machine made to talk off 
 three or four things at once. " Mary had a 
 little lamb," could be recorded upon the ma- 
 chine ; then upon the same grooves, " Hold 
 the fort " could be sung into it ; again, after 
 turning the machine back to the same start- 
 ing point, a call could be played to it upon
 
 138 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 the bugle, and finally, the machme would 
 register upon the same place the barking of 
 a dog, and the crowing of a cock. The op- 
 erator, as you saw, would then turn back the 
 diaphragm to the beginning, and the phono- 
 graph would at one and the same time tell 
 you the pathetic story of Mary and her lamb, 
 sing "Hold the fort," give forth, loud and 
 clear, the bugle call, and at the same instant 
 the cock's crowing; and the dojj's barkino;. 
 If you directed your attention to one or an- 
 other of these things, your ear would receive 
 the sounds and recognize them. 
 
 It is not strange that you should consider 
 this a marvelous feat of the phonograph. 
 Think of it ! You talk into a miachine a bit 
 of poetry, sing into it a song, harli into it a 
 bark, croio into it a crow, hloiv into it a bugle- 
 blast, one by one, and the little cylinder, by 
 the turning of a crank, shouts them all out 
 at you at once!
 
 THE PHONOGRAPH. 139 
 
 But, on reflection, is this any more won- 
 derful than that each one of you^wo hundred 
 boysVan hear what I am saying to you now 
 and here ? I thinli my thoughts ; I open my 
 mouth ; I suddenly expel air from my lungs ; 
 it strikes a blow upon the atmosphere, and 
 sets it vibrating. The vibratory motion of 
 the air induces a corresponding vibration be- 
 hind the drum of your ear. This afiects the 
 little nerve line, which telegraphs the same 
 vibration to the brain, and you find yourself 
 thinking the same thought that I am think- 
 ing. The telegraph, the telephone, and the 
 phonograph ; three wonders ! No more mar- 
 velous, however, than the human voice, with 
 its wonderful efiects. Of these three modern 
 inventions, the phonograph may be of the 
 least consequence practically, but theoreti- 
 cally its philosophical inferences are strangely 
 startling. 
 
 Imagine two culprits cast into the prison
 
 140 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 cell together for some crime which they have 
 committed, but of which no one else has any 
 positive knowledge. In the still hours of 
 the night, with no eye to see them and no 
 ear to hear them, they talk to each other of 
 their crime. Unknown to them, this little 
 revolving cylinder, with its tiny screw- 
 threads and its diaphragm and needle, is set 
 in the wall of the cell, and is noiselessly re- 
 cording every spoken word, every uttered 
 sound. 
 
 After long delays, no matter how long, the 
 prisoners are brought before the judge. The 
 little silent cylinder is also brought into 
 court. Its needle is set at the beginning of 
 the little tin-foil grooves. The cylinder be- 
 gins to revolve, and lo ! " every word spoken 
 in darkness is heard in the light, and that 
 which was spoken in the ear in closets is now 
 proclaimed upon the house-tops." Out of 
 his own mouth the culprit is condemned.
 
 THE PHONOGRAPH. 141 
 
 Do we understand the phonograph of the 
 Almighty? His omniscience, omnipotence, 
 and omnipresence appear incomprehensible 
 to us with such limited knowledge and 
 power ; but can we not conceive the possi- 
 bility of an ethereal wave vibrating onward 
 and onward until it confronts us at the final 
 judgment-seat? An impure word, a direct 
 or indirect falsehood, may come back to us, 
 and the judge himself may recognize our in- 
 dividual voices. A life of honesty and up- 
 rightness, a pure tongue, a generous spirit 
 that speaketh no ill and thinketh no evil, — 
 these things can never condemn us. But an 
 impure thought, a hasty word, may return 
 to torment us, we know not when or where.
 
 14:2 TALKS WITH MY BOrS. 
 
 XV. 
 
 THE TWO PORTRAITS. 
 
 "VrOU have all heard, I dare say, the old 
 story of a distinguished artist who 
 painted a portrait of innocence. He took 
 for his subject a beautiful boy, with face fair, 
 frank, and friendly, his hair falling over his 
 shoulders in golden ringlets, his eye full and 
 large, his forehead high and noble, and his 
 whole expression such as would attract one 
 as a sweet face of innocent childhood. He 
 was his mother's love and hope and joy. 
 The painting was finished ; it was a great 
 success ; everybody praised it. The artist 
 soon became famous, and had a long career, 
 particularly noted for his skill in delineating 
 character.
 
 THE TWO PORTRAITS. 143 
 
 At last, when he was an old man, some 
 friend reminded him that he had never 
 painted the companion picture to this early 
 portrait of "Innocence." "You ought," said 
 he, "to paint a companion piece, represent- 
 ing 'Vice.'" The painter thought upon the 
 matter, and finally decided that if he could 
 find a proper subject he would paint the 
 counterpai-t for his "Innocence." One even- 
 ing, as he was returning home, he stumbled 
 over the prostrate form of a man stupefied 
 with intoxicants. Fearing the man would 
 perish, he kindly provided for his restoration 
 to consciousness. He was one mass of filth. 
 His hair long and matted, his face blotched 
 and dirty, his clothing torn and filthy, — he 
 was the unpersonation of wretchedness, vice, 
 and crime. "I have my subject," the painter 
 exclaiined ; and he painted a faithful portrait 
 of him, and hung it alongside of the picture 
 of "Innocence." Here, then, was the con-
 
 144 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 trast. On the one hand, childhood, inno- 
 cence, joy, hope, ambition. On the other, 
 age, vice, crime, of hope bereft, ambition 
 extinguished, absolute despair pictured upon 
 his every feature. The sot lived but a few- 
 days after the picture was finished, but long 
 enough, having seen the child's portrait, to 
 recognize it, in extreme anguish and self- 
 condemnation, as his own, taken in the early 
 days of his innocence and purity. 
 
 The story points a moral of great conse- 
 quence to every one of you. You are school 
 children, young, gay, joyful, happy, looking 
 forward to a long life of honorable labor and 
 success in the world. Will you all attain 
 the goal of your youthful ambitions and 
 aspirations? This is an important question 
 for you. It would be painful in the extreme 
 if one should have full knowledge of the 
 future, and should know and predict that 
 any one of you would fall into vice, crime.
 
 THE TWO PORTRAITS. 145 
 
 and despair. But neither virtue nor fortune 
 comes without the askinsr. There are laws 
 which govern life, laws as inexorable as those 
 of physics and chemistry. Nothing but a 
 miracle interferes with these rules of work- 
 ing. 
 
 To win success, to achieve usefulness, and 
 to secure happiness, require a well-spent 
 youth. The object and purpose of school 
 and school-life are to raise the young to true 
 manhood. The school is not, primarily, to 
 impart instruction, to cram into the young 
 minds a mass of knowledge, however useful 
 that might prove ; but the grand aim of the 
 school, of education, is to develop the genius 
 of manhood, to unfold the higher powers of 
 our being, to discipline the mind, to impJant 
 correct habits and accurate notions of thinsfs, 
 to gain true views of life, that the recipient 
 of this schooling may know upon what 
 depends life's success and what causes life's 
 10
 
 146 TALKS WITH IVIY BOYS. 
 
 failure ; in short, to prepare him to stem the 
 current and to resist temptation ; to acquire 
 those habits of probity, industry, and perse- 
 verance which alone Vill give him the ele- 
 ments by which he may command success. 
 
 It will be well for you all to bear in mind 
 what these elements of success are. No 
 man can secure true good fortune in life 
 unless he has firmly implanted within him 
 (1) firm adherence to the right, true prin- 
 ciple, an honest heart ; (2) fixed habits of 
 industry, with that control over his will, his 
 desires, his appetites, his passions, which will 
 permit him to attend steadily to his business ; 
 and (3) that perseverance, growing out of 
 his industry and self-control, which will per- 
 mit him to stick to his business or any object 
 he may wish to pursue till success has been 
 reached and his ideal realized. All these 
 things depend upon strict attention to the 
 duties of home and school at this period of
 
 THE TWO PORTRAITS. 147 
 
 your life. "As the twig is bent the tree is 
 inclined," is true if you give the right inter- 
 pretation to it. Not every one manifests in 
 the school days of youth what he afterwards 
 becomes ; but by a careful analysis of what 
 he was and what he did in his early days, 
 the germ, the elements of his future life will 
 generally be found apparent. Attention to 
 duty, loyalty to truth, industry, and fidelity 
 will invariably bring their reward. 
 
 " Honesty is the best policy " ; not because 
 it is "policy, but because it is honesty.''^
 
 148 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 
 
 1 N a few days the people of the United 
 States will elect the chief executive 
 officer for the next four years.* It is impor- 
 tant that all the boys, and the girls, too, 
 for that matter, since by and by they may 
 possibly or will probably vote as well as the 
 boys, should know exactly what the entire 
 process is for the election of a President of 
 the United States. Four years ago, on the 
 day of the election, the writer called 
 together his entire school, about two hundred 
 and fifty boys, placed the class studying the 
 United States Constitution, which had just 
 finished their consideration of the executive 
 department, on the front seat, and carried 
 through substantially the following exercise. 
 
 •November, 1884.
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 149 
 
 It is now published with the hope that a 
 similar plan may be used in many schools on 
 the day of election in coming years. 
 
 "John, will you state to the school what is 
 the first thing the United States Constitution 
 says about the election of a President ? " 
 
 " The executive power shall be vested in a 
 President of the United States of America. 
 He shall hold his office during the term of 
 four years., and, together with the Vice- 
 President, chosen for the same term, be 
 elected, as follows." 
 
 "What do you think, John, about the 
 length of the term, four years ? " 
 
 " I think it is too short. If the term were 
 six or eight years, and the President were 
 not eligible to a re-election, there would be 
 less disturbance incident to the contest, and 
 the President would not be trammeled in his 
 action, by the wish to so shape his course as 
 to secure a re-election."
 
 150 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 " James, state what the Constitution says 
 about the method of electing presidential 
 electors ? " 
 
 "Each state shall appoint, in such manner 
 as the Legislature thereof may direct, a num- 
 ber of electors equal to the whole number 
 of senators and representatives to which the 
 state may be entitled in the Congress ; but 
 no senator or representative, or person 
 holding an office of trust or profit under the 
 United States, shall be appointed an elector." 
 
 " To how many electors, then, is Massa- 
 chusetts entitled?" 
 
 "Massachusetts has twelve representatives 
 and two senators ; therefore she is entitled 
 to fourteen electors." 
 
 "To how many electors is Delaware en- 
 titled?" 
 
 "Delaware has only one representative 
 and two senators ; therefore Delaware is en- 
 titled to three electors."
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 151 
 
 "To how many, New York? " 
 
 " New York has thirty-four representatives, 
 and consequently has thirty-six electors." 
 
 "How many electors are there, at present, 
 in all the states ? " 
 
 "There are thirty-eight states, with seven- 
 ty-six senators, and three hundred and twen- 
 ty-five representatives. According to the 
 Constitution, the whole number of electors 
 would be four hundred and one." 
 
 "Thomas, you may give the clause of the 
 Constitution in relation to the time of choos- 
 ing the electors." 
 
 "The Congress may determine the time 
 of choosing the electors, and the day on 
 which they shall give their votes, which day 
 shall be the same throughout the United 
 states." 
 
 "Has Congress by law established the 
 day?" 
 
 "It has. In 1792 a law was enacted re-
 
 152 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 quiring electors to be elected by each state 
 within thirty-four days preceding the first 
 Wednesday in December ; but in 1845 Con- 
 gi'ess passed a law declaring that the electors 
 shall be appointed on the 'Tuesday next 
 after the first Monday in November.'" 
 " How are these electors appointed ? " 
 "At the present time in every state the 
 electors are chosen by the people. In the 
 earlier days of the Republic they were ap- 
 pointed in difierent ways in different states. 
 In some of them the Legislature appointed, 
 in others they were elected by the people. 
 South Carolina was the last state to change ; 
 she appointed her electors by her Legisla- 
 ture until the civil war. Under her new 
 constitution since the war, she has passed 
 a law providing for their election by the 
 people." 
 
 " Now, William, you may repeat the clause 
 in the Constitution which tells how these
 
 THE ELECTIOX OF PRESIDENT. 153 
 
 electors shall cast their votes for President 
 and Vice-President." 
 
 " The electors shall meet in their respective 
 states and vote by ballot for President and 
 Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall 
 not be an inhabitant of the same state with 
 themselves. They shall name in their ballots 
 the person voted for as President, and in 
 distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice- 
 President, and they shall make distinct lists 
 of all persons voted for as President and of 
 all persons voted for as Vice-President, and 
 of the number of votes for each, which lists 
 they shall sign and certify and transmit 
 sealed to the seat of the government of the 
 United States, directed to the president of 
 the senate ; the president of the senate 
 shall, in presence of the senate and house of 
 representatives, open all the certificates, and 
 the votes shall then be counted. The person 
 having the greatest number of votes for
 
 154 TALKS WITH MY DOTS. 
 
 President shall be the President, if such 
 nurober be a majority of the whole number 
 of electors appointed." 
 
 "When do these electors meet to cast 
 their votes ? " 
 
 "By the law of 1792 the electors are re- 
 quired to meet and give their votes on the 
 first Wednesday in December." 
 
 " At what place do they meet ? " 
 
 " At such place in each state as the Legis- 
 lature thereof shall have by law directed. 
 They usually meet at the capital of the 
 state." 
 
 "Is there such a thing, then, as the elec- 
 toral college ? " 
 
 " There are as many electoral colleges as 
 there are states ; the electors, therefore, 
 meet the same day in all the states and cast 
 their votes independently of each other." 
 
 " Henry, you may describe the certificates 
 they make and sign."
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 155 
 
 "The electors are required to make and 
 sign three certificates of all the votes given 
 by them, and to appoint a person to take 
 charge of and deliver one of the certificates 
 to the president of the senate at the seat 
 of the national government before the first 
 Wednesday in January next ensuing. 
 
 " K there should then be no president of 
 the senate at the seat of government, the cer- 
 tificate to be deposited with the Secretary of 
 State, to be delivered by him as soon as may 
 be to the president of the senate. Another 
 one of the certificates is to be sent by mail, 
 directed to the president of the senate at the 
 seat of government. The remaining certifi- 
 cate is to be delivered to the judge of the 
 District Court of the United States for the 
 district in which the electors are assem- 
 bled. 
 
 "The executive authority of each state is 
 also directed by the act to make out and
 
 156 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 certify three lists of the names of the 
 electors of such state, and the electors are 
 to annex one of those certificates to each of 
 the lists of their votes." 
 
 " Suppose, for any reason, the messenger 
 of any state does not deliver the certifi- 
 cate of the vote, and the certificate sent 
 by mail does not reach the president of the 
 senate." 
 
 " If a list of votes shall not have been re- 
 ceived at the seat of the government on or 
 before the first Wednesday in January, then 
 the Secretary of State shall send a special 
 messenger to the district judge in whose cus- 
 tody a list has been lodged, who shall imme- 
 diately transmit his list to the seat of gov- 
 ernment by this messenger." 
 
 "When, and how, and by whom are the 
 votes from the several states counted ? " 
 
 " On the second Wednesday in February 
 succeeding the meeting of the electors, the
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 157 
 
 certificates shall be opened by the president 
 of the senate, in the presence of the senate 
 and the house of representatives, the votes 
 counted, and the persons who shall fill the 
 oflSce of President and of Vice-President as- 
 certained and declared agreeably to the Con- 
 stitution." 
 
 " When is the President inaugurated ? " 
 " On the 4th of the following March." 
 "Stephen, what are the requisite qualifica- 
 tions for a President of the United States ? " 
 
 "The Constitution prescribes three qualifi- 
 cations, viz. : (1.) He shall be thirty-five 
 years old. (2.) He shall be a native-born 
 citizen of the United States. (3.) He shall 
 have been a resident in the United States 
 fourteen years prior to taking his seat." 
 
 " You saj' fourteen years a resident. If a 
 man should travel abroad during that time, 
 would it make him ineligible ? " 
 
 "No, sir. He would not lose his residence
 
 158 TALKS WITH BIY BOYS. 
 
 by a trip abroad, if he still retain(}d his 
 home and legal residence." 
 
 " Suppose he should be abroad on govern- 
 ment service ? " 
 
 " That does not cause him to lose his resi- 
 dence. James Buchanan was minister to 
 Great Britain, just prior to his election as 
 President. A government officer on foreign 
 service still retains his residence at his 
 home. Moreover, should he have children 
 born abroad, they will be considered as 
 native-born citizens . " 
 
 "Albert, suppose there is no choice by the 
 electors ; what then ? " 
 
 "The Constitution provides that the 
 house of representatives shall immediately 
 choose, by ballot, a President from the per- 
 sons having the highest number, not exceed- 
 ing three, on the list of those voted for as 
 President." 
 
 " How shall this vote be taken ? "
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 159 
 
 " The vote shall be taken by states, each 
 state haymg one vote." 
 
 " Well, now we have followed the method 
 of electing a President through, step by step. 
 But let us return and see if we altogether 
 understand it. Robert, what is the first 
 thing, practically, that is done toward the 
 election of a President ? " 
 
 "The election of the electors." 
 
 "That, I grant, is the first step provided 
 by the Constitution. But, practically, is 
 there nothing done preceding the election of 
 the electors?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; there are always at least two 
 great political parties in the country. Each 
 party calls a general convention from the 
 whole country to nominate a President, and 
 these political conventions put their candi- 
 dates in nomination. Then, in every state, 
 each party, by convention, nominates their 
 candidates for electors ; so that in voting for
 
 IGO TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 a particular set of electors it is understood 
 to be equivalent to voting for such a candi- 
 date for President." 
 
 " George, do not the citizens vote directly 
 for the President ? " 
 
 " No, sir. The printed ballots usually 
 have at the head the name of the party, 
 followed by the name of the candidate 
 for President and for Vice-President, and 
 then, below, the names of the proposed 
 electors." 
 
 "Now, Winthrop, is this all necessary for 
 the vote?" 
 
 "No, sir; all that is necessary is the names 
 of the electors. Each citizen votes only for 
 the electors, and not for President and Vice- 
 President. Their names might be torn off 
 from the ballot without affecting the value 
 of the vote." 
 
 The teacher, in carrying on this exercise in 
 his school, should have in hand specimens
 
 THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 161 
 
 of ballots, and exhibit them, and explain fur- 
 ther upon this point. 
 
 "Hollis, when is the President elected?" 
 
 " When the presidential electors cast their 
 votes for President, on the first Wednesday 
 in December." 
 
 "But is it not practically certain before 
 that time?" 
 
 "Yes, sir. The electors are substantially 
 pledged to vote for the party candidate pre- 
 A'iously nominated ; so that when they are 
 elected, on the first Tuesday after the first 
 Monday in November, it is practically certain 
 who is to be President, although he is not 
 then elected." 
 
 There are many other matters which would 
 make an interesting discussion for us, as the 
 whole question of the election of Vice-Presi- 
 dent by the electors or by the senate, the 
 succession to the Presidency and to the Vice- 
 Presidency, etc. ; but we have had enough 
 11
 
 1G2 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 for one lesson. Please consider for a mo- 
 ment what a grand sight it is to-day, to see 
 a nation of fifty millions of people placing 
 their votes quietly in the ballot-box for thcii 
 chief magistrate for the next foiir years. 
 Perhaps we can all now sing "America."
 
 WHAT DO THE BOYS READ? 163 
 
 XVII. 
 WHAT DO THE BOYS READ? 
 
 T?EW questions of more vital importance 
 to the proper growth, development, cul- 
 ture, and character of boys are now before 
 the public than the question, " W/iaf do tliey 
 read?" Perhaps few have been more neg- 
 lected in the past. It is gratifying to find 
 a new interest now being awakened concern- 
 ing this subject on the part of teachers, par- 
 ents, and the public generally. It is high 
 time this matter received a more careful at- 
 tention. When we find the most demoraliz- 
 ing tendencies and the most direct inculcation 
 of vice and vicious propensities spread broad- 
 cast through the mails and other channels, by 
 means of low and immoral papers and pam-
 
 164 TALKS WITPI MY BOYS. 
 
 phlets, wild and highly wi'ought stories, im- 
 probable adventures, prize fights, bi-utal and 
 vicious incidents, the details of crime spread 
 out in all its revolting features upon the 
 printed page, Indian and frontier life, 
 etc., we may not be much surprised if 
 youthful bands of robbers, burglars, and 
 thieves are found in all our cities and large 
 towns. 
 
 Moreover, there is, in the nature of the 
 case, no good reason for such a state of 
 things. There never was a time when the 
 young had easy access to so many and such 
 a variety of good books, suited to all classes 
 and all tastes. 
 
 Books, in great number and variety, both 
 new and old, of the very best quality, can be 
 had by all young people. It is gratifying, 
 now and then, to find teachers, as we fre- 
 quently do nowadays, who are taking great 
 pains to place before their pupils good books.
 
 WHAT DO THE BOYS READ? 165 
 
 In a school-room of forty boys, of the age 
 of nine, ten, and eleven years, the teacher 
 a few days ago inquired how many of them 
 were then reading some book. She found 
 by their answers that one half of them were 
 then engaged in reading the following books : 
 
 "Ai'abian Nights' Entertainment," "A Brave 
 Soldier," " A Family night through Egypt and 
 Spain," " Gulliver's Travel^," " The Young Eover," 
 " Little Men," " Little Women," " Zigzag — Classic 
 Lands," "Life of Washington," "The Little 
 Camp," " Hawthorne's Wonder Book," " Tom 
 Brown at Eugby," "From the Hudson to the 
 Neva," "Uncle Eemus — His Songs and Sayings," 
 "Kobinson Crusoe," "Pilgrim's Progress" (by two 
 boys), "Land and Game Birds of New England," 
 " Boys of Seventy-six," " Child's History of the 
 United States." 
 
 The above was not the result of any spe- 
 cial care. The pupils did not know that the 
 question was to be asked of them. No par- 
 ticular attention had been directed to the 
 subject before making this record, only the
 
 166 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 pupils had been under good general training 
 in relation to the subject. 
 
 In another room of the same school, con- 
 sisting of fifty or sixty older boys, anothei 
 record has been made up. A little ove" 
 seven years ago a record was taken, there 
 being then present just sixty boys of between 
 fourteen and nineteen years of age, of the 
 most popular books read by them. This 
 record was taken Nov. 15, 1876. Another 
 similar record was taken from the same 
 room, March 13, 1884, there being that day 
 present in the room forty-nine boys, no one 
 of whom was in the previous record. The 
 result will be given in the table below. 
 The fio;ures in the first column show the 
 number of boys out of sixty who, in 1876, 
 had read the books indicated ; the figures 
 in the second show the number, out of 
 forty-nine boys, who had read the same 
 books in 1884. All books are given which
 
 WHAT DO THE BOYS READ? 
 
 .167 
 
 had over jive readers 
 
 amon 
 
 g the 
 
 number 
 
 present : — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In 1876 
 
 In 1884. 
 
 Robinson Crusoe . 
 
 
 52 
 
 38 
 
 Uncle Tom's Cabin 
 
 
 46 
 
 23 
 
 Swiss Family Robinson . 
 
 
 38 
 
 27 
 
 Ragged Dick . 
 
 
 36 
 
 27 
 
 Arabian Nights 
 
 
 34 
 
 29 
 
 Life of P. T. Barnum . 
 
 
 33 
 
 12 
 
 Life of Daniel Boone . 
 
 
 30 
 
 12 
 
 Twenty Thousand Leagues Undei 
 
 
 
 the Sea . 
 
 . 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 One volume of Jack Harkaway 
 
 27 
 
 6 
 
 School Days at Rugby . 
 
 . 
 
 25 
 
 30 
 
 Tom Brown at Oxford . 
 
 . 
 
 17 
 
 8 
 
 Round the World in Eighty Days 
 
 24 
 
 18 
 
 Helen's Babies 
 
 
 19 
 
 21 
 
 Gulliver's Travels . 
 
 
 19 
 
 18 
 
 The Mysterious Island . 
 
 
 18 
 
 14 
 
 Cudjoe's Cave 
 
 
 16 
 
 10 
 
 The Last of the Mohicans 
 
 
 16 
 
 10 
 
 Cooper's Pioneers . 
 
 
 15 
 
 13 
 
 Cooper's Deerslayer 
 
 
 14 
 
 10 
 
 A Journey to the Center 
 
 of th€ 
 
 
 
 Earth 
 
 . 
 
 13 
 
 8 
 
 Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad . 
 
 11 
 
 13 
 
 Ivanhoc .... 
 
 , , 
 
 12 
 
 14
 
 168 
 
 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Waverley .... 
 Seven Oaks .... 
 Pickwick Papers 
 Red Eover .... 
 The New Testament through 
 Lossing's Civil War in America 
 
 In 1876. 
 
 In 1884. 
 
 10 
 
 3 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 8 
 
 11 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 3 
 
 To this list the following were added in 
 the last examination (March, 1884), which 
 were not included in the former record : — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In 1884. 
 
 Peck's Bad Boy 33 
 
 CofBn's Boj-s of Seventy-six . 
 
 
 
 24 
 
 Little Men .... 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 Vicar of Wakefield 
 
 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 Life of Kit Carson 
 
 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 Oliver Twist . 
 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 Old Curiosity Shop , 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 Little Women . 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 Roughing It 
 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 Talisman . 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 Rob Roy . 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Quentin Durward 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 Kenilworth 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 Barnaby Rudge 
 
 
 
 
 
 5
 
 WHAT DO THE BOYS READ? 169 
 
 A careful examination of the alcove list, 
 observing the number of readers for each 
 book, and the change in number from the 
 1876 record to that of 1884, will prove of 
 much interest to teachers. It should be re- 
 membered that the former record was from 
 sixty pupils, and the latter from orAy forty- 
 nine.
 
 170 TALKS WITH IIY BOYS. 
 
 xvin. 
 
 THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 "I T is my purpose to give to you this morn- 
 ing a series of facts in reference to the 
 several distinguished men who have been 
 elevated to the high office of President of the 
 United States. You will not foil to remem- 
 ber that this is the highest political office 
 that can be given to a man in the whole 
 world. 
 
 To be chosen by popular suffrage — for it 
 amounts to that, although by a little circum- 
 locution — to be the chief executive officer 
 for a term of four years of this great nation, 
 probably the strongest, undoubtedly the 
 most active and energetic, and perhaps the 
 most intelligent nation on earth, — a nation
 
 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 171 
 
 now numbering nearly sixty millions of free 
 people, — this is, without dispute, the greatest 
 political honor that can be bestowed upon a 
 man. The list of names of the men who 
 have attained to this high rank is a worthy 
 list. From George Washington to Chester 
 A. Arthur, we need not be ashamed of the 
 rulers of our people. I wish to name to you 
 a series of facts which will show to you, in 
 ver}^ brief epitome, their lives. These facts 
 will include something about their education, 
 the age at which those who had a collegiate 
 course of study gi-aduated, their age in enter- 
 ing active life, the age at which they became 
 President, and their age at death. By pla- 
 cing these facts also upon the blackboard in a 
 tabulated form, you can gather important 
 suo;2:estions from them. That I shall leave 
 to be done in the several rooms. 
 
 1. George Washington. At 13 wrote 110 
 maxims of civility and good behavior ; began
 
 172 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 surveying at 16 for a doubloon a day; ad- 
 jutant at 19 ; commanded a regiment at 22 ; 
 married at 27 ; commander-in-chief at 43 ; 
 President at 57 ; died at 68. 
 
 2. John Adams. Graduated at Harvard 
 at 20 ; admitted to the bar at 23 ; married at 
 29 ; interested in political affairs at 30 ; 
 elected to Massachusetts Legislature at 3o ; 
 delegate to Continental Congress at 40 ; sec- 
 onded a motion by Richard Henry Lee in 
 Congress for the independence of th^ United 
 States at 41 ; negotiated the treaty of peace 
 with England (with Jay and Franklin) at 
 47; minister to St. James at 50; Vice- 
 President at 54 ; President at 61 ; died at 
 90. 
 
 3. Thomas Jefferson. Entered colleo;e 
 at 17 ; admitted to the bar at 24 ; married at 
 29 ; Continental Congress at 32 ; drew the 
 Declaration of Independence at 33 ; gov- 
 ernor of Virginia at 36 ; minister to France
 
 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 173 
 
 at 41 ; Secretary of State at 48 ; Vice-Presi- 
 dent of the United States at 53 ; President 
 from 57 to 65 ; died at 83. 
 
 4. James Madison. Entered college at 
 18 ; Continental Congress at 29 ; delegate to 
 the Constitutional Convention at 36 ; Con- 
 gress from 38 to 46 ; President at 58 ; died 
 at 85. 
 
 5. James Monroe. Graduated at college 
 at 18 ; entered the army at 18 ; Continental 
 Congress at 25 ; United States senator at 
 32 ; governor of Virginia at 41 ; envoy ex- 
 traordinary to France, and purchased Louisi- 
 ana at 45 ; President at 59 ; died at 73. 
 
 6. John Quincy Adams. At 11 attended 
 school in Paris ; entered the University of 
 Ley den at 13 ; graduated at Harvard at 21 ; 
 admitted to the bar at 24 ; minister to the 
 Hague at 27 ; married at 30 ; minister to 
 Berlin from 30 to 34 ; United States senator 
 at 36 ; professor rhetoric at Harvard at 38 ;
 
 174 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 minister to Prussia at 39, and to St. James 
 at 48 ; Secretary of State at 50 ; President at 
 57 ; representative to Congress 63 to over 
 80, when he died. 
 
 7. Andrew Jackson. Commenced study 
 of law at 18 ; admitted to the bar at 19 ; 
 married at 24 ; representative in Congress at 
 29 ; senator at 30 ; major-general in the 
 United States Army at 47 ; won the battle 
 of New Orleans at 48 ; Seminole war at 50 ; 
 President of the United States at 61 ; died 
 at 78. 
 
 8. Martin Van Buren. Was admitted to 
 the bar at 21 ; United States senator at 39 ; 
 governor of New York at 46 ; President of 
 the United States at 55 ; died at 80. 
 
 9. William Henry Harrison. Lieuten- 
 ant at 19; captain at 22;, governor of Ter- 
 ritory of Indiana at 28 ; battle of Tij^pe- 
 canoe at 38 ; United States senator at 52 ; 
 President at 67.
 
 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 175 
 
 10. John Tyler. Graduated at college at 
 16 ; admitted to the bar at 19 ; Vh-ginia 
 Legislature at 21 ; governor of Virginia at 
 35 ; United States senator at 37 ; President 
 at 51 ; died at 72. 
 
 11. James K. Polk. Graduated at college 
 at 23 ; admitted to the bar at 25 ; Tennessee 
 Legislature at 28 ; governor of Tennessee at 
 44 ; President of the United States at 49 ; 
 died at 54. 
 
 12. Zachary Taylor. Was on his father's 
 plantation till 24 ; first lieutenant at 24 ; 
 captain at 26 ; major at 28 ; lieutenant- 
 colonel at 35 ; colonel at 48 ; brigadier-gen- 
 eral at 54 ; major-g;eneral at 62 ; war with 
 Mexico from 62 to 64 ; President of the 
 United States at GG ; died at 67. 
 
 13. Millard Fillmore. Spent four years 
 at wool-carding ; commenced the study of 
 law at 19 ; commenced practice at bar at 23 ; 
 admitted attorney at 27 ; admitted counsellor
 
 176 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Supreme Court at 29 ; member of Congress 
 at 33 ; President of the United States at 50 ; 
 died at 74. 
 
 14. Franklin Peirce. Graduated from 
 college at 20 ; admitted to the bar at 23 
 member of Congress at 29 ; man-ied at 30 
 United States senator at 33 ; colonel at 42 
 brigadier-general at 43 ; President of the 
 United States at 50 ; died at 65. 
 
 15. James Buchanan. Was admitted to 
 the bar at 21 ; member of Congress at 30 ; 
 minister to Russia at 41 ; United States 
 senator at 43 ; Secretary of State at 54 ; 
 minister to England at 62 ; President of the 
 United States at 65 ; died at 77. 
 
 16. Abraham Lincoln. On his father's 
 farm till 17 ; made a trip to New Orleans on 
 a flat-boat as hired hand at 19 ; commanded a 
 company in the Black Hawk war at 23 ; 
 soon after began to study law ; Legislature 
 of Illinois at 25 ; licensed to practice law at
 
 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 177 
 
 27 ; member of Congress at 38 ; canvassed 
 Illinois with Douglass at 49 ; President of 
 the United States at 51 ; died by the hand 
 of the assassin at 56. 
 
 17. Andrew Johnson. Apprentice to a 
 tailor from 10 to 16 ; taught himself to read 
 while apprentice ; journeyman tailor from 
 16 to 18 ; married at 19 ; alderman at 20 ; 
 mayor at 23 ; Legislature at 27 ; state sen- 
 ator at 33 ; member of Congress at 35 ; 
 governor of Tennessee at 45 ; United States 
 senator at 49 ; President of the United 
 States at 57 ; died at 67. 
 
 18. U. S. Grant. West Point at 21; 
 Mexican War at 24 ; brevet first lieutenant 
 and captain ; captain in Oregon at 31 ; colo- 
 nel 21st Illinois Volunteers at 39 ; brigadier- 
 general at 39 ; major-general at 40 ; Lee's 
 surrender at 43 ; President at 47 ; died at 63. 
 
 19. Rutherford B. Hayes. Graduated 
 from college at 20 ; admitted to the bar at 
 
 12
 
 178 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 23 ; city solicitor at 36 ; major at 39 ; lieu- 
 tenant-colonel at 40 ; bre vetted major-gen- 
 eral at 42 ; member of Congress at 42 ; gov- 
 ernor of Ohio at 45 ; President at 56. 
 
 20. James A. Garfield. Driver on Ei'ie 
 Canal at 17 ; boatman before 18 ; entered an 
 academy, boarding himself, at 18 ; taught 
 school at 18 ; entered college at 21 ; gradu- 
 ated at 25 ; president of Hiram College at 
 26 ; state senator at 28 ; colonel at 30 ; com- 
 manded brigade at 30 ; brigadier-general at 
 31 ; major-general at 31 ; member of Con- 
 gress at 32 ; President at 49 ; died by the 
 hand of an assassin at 49. 
 
 21. Chester A. Arthur. Graduated at 
 18 ; admitted to the bar at 21 ; quartermas- 
 ter-general state of New York at 32 ; col- 
 lector of New York at 43 ; elected Vice- 
 President at 50 ; President at 51. 
 
 Average dates, so far as given above, of 
 the Presidents : —
 
 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 179 
 
 Average age. 
 
 11 Graduated from College . . 20 jts. 5 mos. 
 
 12 Admitted to the bar . . . 23 " 6 " 
 D Married 27 " 
 
 11 Member of Congress or Conti- 
 nental Congress . . . 32 " 11 " 
 6 United States senator . . . 39 " 
 3 Member of Cabinet . . . 50 " 8 " 
 21 President of the United States . 54 " 3 " 
 
 19 Died 71 " 
 
 Youngest President, U. S. Grant 47 " 
 Oldest President, W. H. Harri- 
 son . . . . . . 67 " 
 
 Died youngest, James A. Gar- 
 field 49 " 
 
 Died oldest, John Adams . . 90 " 
 
 Married youngest, A. Johnson . 19 ** 
 Married oldest, J. Q. Adams and 
 
 Franklin Pierce . . . 30 "
 
 180 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 FACTS AND DATES IN THE LIVES* OF 
 DISTINGUISHED MEN. 
 
 A FEW days ago I gave you some facts 
 and dates in regard to the Presidents of 
 the United States. Today we will consider 
 similar facts and dates in regard to eighteen 
 distinguished men, scholarly men, a majority 
 of them presidents of colleges, others men 
 in public or political life. By placing these 
 facts upon the blackboard in a tabulated form, 
 in the several rooms, your teachers will be 
 able to draw important generalizations from 
 them. 
 
 I have selected prominent men who have 
 attained distinction within the last fifty years, 
 in political and educational life.
 
 FACTS AND DATES. 181 
 
 1. Francis Wayland. Graduatcid from 
 Union College at 17 ; studied medicine three 
 years ; theology at Andover one year ; tutoi! 
 Union College at 21 ; pastor First Baptist 
 Church, Boston, at 25 ; professor mathe- 
 matics and natural philosophy at Union 
 College at 30 ; president Brown University 
 at 31 ; died at 69. 
 
 2. Barnas Sears. Graduated from Brown 
 University at 23 ; finished theological course 
 at Newton at 27 ; pastor in Hartford 2 years ; 
 professor theological institution at 29 ; went 
 to Europe at 31 ; professor at Newton and 
 president from 34 to 46 ; secretary Board of 
 Education of Massachusetts at 46 ; president 
 Brown University at 53 ; agent Peabody 
 Educational Fund at 65 ; died at 78. 
 
 3. E.G.Robinson. Graduated at Brown 
 University at 23, in the famous class of 1838 ; 
 ordained at 27 ; professor in Theological 
 Seminary at Covington, Ky., at 31 ; and at
 
 182 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Rochester at 37 ; editor of Ghrifitian Review 
 at 44 ; president Rochester Theological Sem- 
 inary at 45 ; president of Brown University 
 at 57. 
 
 4. Henry B. Anthony. Graduated at 
 Brown University at 18 ; governor of 
 Rhode Island at 34 ; United States senator 
 from 44 to 69 ; died at 69. 
 
 5. Ambrose E. Burnside. Graduated 
 from West Point at 23 ; major-general vol- 
 unteers at 37 ; governor of Rhode Island at 
 42 ; United States senator from 49 to 56 ; 
 died at 56. 
 
 6. Timothy D wight. Graduated from 
 Yale at 17 ; tutor at Yale at 19 ; licensed to 
 preach at 25 ; then worked on farm four years ; 
 Connecticut Legislature at 29 ; ordained min- 
 ister at 31 ; president of Yale from 43 to 
 65 ; died at 65. 
 
 7. Jeremiah Day. Graduated from Yale 
 at 22 ; tutor in Williams at 23 ; tutor in
 
 FACTS AND DATES. 183 
 
 Yale at 25 ; professor in Yale at 26 ; presi- 
 dent of Yale from 44 to 73 ; died at 94. 
 
 8. Theodore D. Woolsey. Graduated 
 from Yale at 19 ; tutor in Yale at 22 ; pro- 
 fessor in Yale at 30 ; president from 45 to 
 70. 
 
 9. Cornelius C. Felton. Graduated from 
 Harvard University at 20 ; tutor in Harvard 
 University at 22 ; professor in Harvard 
 University at 25 ; president of Harvard 
 University at 53 ; died at 55. 
 
 10. Charles William Eliot. Graduated 
 from Harvard University at 19 ; tutor in 
 Harvard University at 20 ; assistant professor 
 in Harvard University at 24 ; professor of 
 chemistry in Massachusetts Institute of 
 Technology at 31 ; president of Harvard 
 University at 35. 
 
 11. Jared Sparks. Graduated from Har- 
 vard University at 26 ; minister at Baltimore 
 from 30 to 34 ; editor I^orth American Re-
 
 184 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 view from 34 to 41 ; professor in Harvard 
 University from 50 to 60 ; president of Har- 
 vard University from 60 to 63 ; principal 
 writings from 39 to 65 ; died at 77. 
 
 12. Edward Everett. Graduated from 
 Harvard University at 17 ; tutor in Harvard 
 University at 18 ; ordained at 20 ; appointed 
 professor in Harvard University at 21 ; 
 studied two years in Europe ; commenced 
 duties as professor of Greek at 23 ; mar- 
 ried at 28 ; member of Congress from 31 to 
 41 ; governor of Massachusetts from 42 to 
 46 ; minister to England from 47 to 52 ; 
 president of Harvard University from 52 
 to 55 ; Secretary of State from 59 to 60 ; 
 United States senator from 61 to 62 ; died 
 at 71. 
 
 13. Daniel Webster. Graduated from 
 Dartmouth College at 19 ; admitted to the 
 bar at 23 ; member of Congi*ess from 31 to 
 35 ; famous Dartmouth College case at 35 ;
 
 FACTS AND DATES. 185 
 
 Plymouth anniversaiy discourse at 38 ; dis- 
 course at laying the corner-stone of the 
 Bunker Hill Monument at 43 ; discourse at 
 the completion of Bunker Hill Monument at 
 61 ; eulogy on Adams and Jefferson at 44 ; 
 United States senator from 45 to 57 ; great 
 speech in reply to Hayne at 48 ; Secretary 
 of State at 58 ; 7th of March compromise 
 speech at 68 ; died at 70. 
 
 14. Henry Clay. Admitted to the bar 
 at 20 ; Kentucky Legislature at 25 ; United 
 States senate at 29 ; in senate at different 
 times sixteen years ; Secretary of State at 48 ; 
 died at 75. 
 
 15. Rufus Choate. Graduated from 
 Dartmouth College at 20 ; began the practice 
 of law at 25 ; member of Congress at 33 ; 
 United States senate from 42 to 46 ; died at 
 60. 
 
 16. Horace Greeley. Learned printer's 
 trade from 15 to 19 ; went to New York at
 
 186 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 20 ; began Morning Post, the first penny 
 daily ever published, at 22 ; founded the JSFew 
 Yorker at 23 ; edited the Jeffersonian at 
 27 ; edited Log Cabin at 29 ; founded the 
 jSfew Yorh Tribune at 30. He had no 
 great success till he was 30 ; wrote " History 
 of the American Conflict " from 53 to 55 ; 
 candidate for President of the United States 
 at 61 ; died at 61. 
 
 17. Louis Agassiz. Studied at Brienne, 
 College of Lausanne, Zurich Medical 
 School, 17 and 18 ; Universities of Heidel- 
 berg and Munich four years ; professor of 
 natural history at Neufchatel at 25 ; pub- 
 lished his great work on fossil fishes (5 vols.) 
 from 23 to 33 ; professor zoology and 
 geology of Lawrence Scientific School at 
 Cambridge from 41 to 68 ; died at 68. 
 
 18. Horace Mann. Graduated from 
 Brown University at 25 ; admitted to the bar 
 at 27 ; Massachusetts house of representa-
 
 FACTS AND DATES. 187 
 
 tives at 32 ; Massachusetts senate at 37 ; 
 secretary Massachusetts Board of Education 
 from 41 to 52 ; member of Congress at 52 ; 
 president of Antioch College from 56 to 63 ; 
 died at 63. 
 
 Of the foregoing 18 persons, 11 were pres- 
 idents of colleges, 6 were in political life, 1 
 was a teacher. 
 
 
 Average 
 
 age. 
 
 13 Graduated at college . 
 
 20 
 
 yrs. 
 
 6 mos 
 
 10 Admitted to bar, or ordained 
 
 
 
 
 minister 
 
 25 
 
 It ■ 
 
 5 " 
 
 4 Member of Congress . 
 
 36 
 
 u 
 
 9 " 
 
 6 United States senate . , 
 
 45 
 
 a 
 
 
 7 Tutor of college .... 
 
 20 
 
 (( 
 
 8 " 
 
 9 Professor in college 
 
 30 
 
 (( 
 
 
 11 President of college . 
 
 48 
 
 (( 
 
 
 15 Died 
 
 69 
 
 (( 
 
 
 Youngest President of college, 
 
 
 
 
 Francis Wayland 
 
 31 
 
 (( 
 
 
 Oldest President of college, Jared 
 
 
 
 
 Sparks 
 
 60 
 
 (( 
 
 
 Youngest died, C. C. Pelton . 
 
 55 
 
 « 
 
 
 Oldest died, Jeremiah Day- 
 
 94 
 
 (( 

 
 188 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 It will be observed from the foresroinor 
 summary that these distinguished persons 
 began life, on an average, early. Seven of 
 them were tutors in college, on an average, 
 before they were twenty-one years of age ; 
 the youngest when he was eighteen, the 
 oldest at twenty-three.
 
 TWO YANKEE BOTS. 189 
 
 XX. 
 
 TWO YANKEE BOYS. 
 
 " IIIASTEE, please show me how to do 
 
 ^^ this sum?" 
 
 " What is it ? Let me see it." 
 
 " Here it is, on this piece o' paper. I don't 
 know as you can read it." 
 
 The problem read as follows : " A certain 
 man died, leaving a will which provided 
 that if at his death he should have only a 
 son, the son should receive two thirds of 
 his estate and the widow one third ; but if 
 he should leave only a daughter, the widow 
 should receive two thirds and the daughter 
 one third. It happened, however, that he 
 left both a son and a daughter, by which, in 
 equity, the widow received $2,400 less than
 
 190 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 she would have had if there had been only 
 a daughter ; how much would she have re- 
 ceived if there had been only a son ? " * 
 
 "Where did you get this problein, Dan- 
 iel?" 
 
 " A fellow sent it over to me from the 
 Quabbin district. He said that none of 
 the boys over there could do it, and the 
 master could not do it, either." 
 
 "Well, Daniel, I will try it when I get a 
 few minutes' leisure." 
 
 This occurred in the old school-house, in 
 
 the Center district of N , Mass., in the 
 
 winter of 1848-9. 
 
 For two days the master labored on the 
 problem, and then, upon Daniel's inquiry, he 
 said he did not believe it could be done. He 
 had tried it in all ways, but could not make 
 it prove ; whereupon a boy named Levi, a 
 
 * This problem came from an old English arithmetic 
 of a century ago.
 
 TWO YANKEE BOYS. 191 
 
 lad about fifteen years old, asked if he could 
 try it. 
 
 "Yes," said the master, "you can try it, 
 Levi ; but you will hardly succeed, I think." 
 
 In about five minutes, Levi said, "Here, 
 master, I have it," and modestly handed up 
 his slate. 
 
 This was the solution : — 
 
 The daughter would have ... 1 share. 
 The widow twice as much . . . 2 " 
 The son twice the widow's share . . 4 " 
 
 The whole .... 7 " 
 
 Now the widow received | of the estate, 
 but if there had been only a daughter, she 
 would have had | of it ; | of the estate minus 
 ^- of it = j\ of it ; therefore i^\ of the estate 
 = $2,400. Then ^ will equal $300, and 
 the estate will equal $6,300. The question 
 is. How much would she have received if 
 there had been only a son? That means, 
 what would 1 of the estate be ? It would be 
 $2,100. Answer.
 
 192 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 " It proves, too ; see here. The estate was 
 divided this way : — 
 
 Daughter received \, which is . . . 
 "Widow received |, which is . ■ . . 1,800 
 Son received -f , which is ... . 3,000 
 
 Whole estate ^6,300 
 
 If there had been a daughter only, the 
 widow would have |, or $4,200. |4,200 — 
 $1,800 = $2,400." 
 
 ""Well done, Levi ! You are a smart hoy J" 
 
 " Oh, that is nothin'. I can do harder 
 sums than that." 
 
 Daniel was delighted that some one of his 
 school-fellows had solved the problem, for 
 now he could brag of the smartness of his 
 school, and its superiority to the school in 
 the Quabbin district. 
 
 In due time, therefore, the solution was 
 forwarded to Quabbin. There it was studied 
 carefully by teacher and pupils. The boy 
 who had tried the hardest, and spent the
 
 TWO YANKEE BOYS. 193 
 
 most hours over it in vain, was named Cal- 
 vin. He now felt decidedly chagrined at 
 his failure to solve it. It was certainly easy 
 enough after you knew how. 
 
 The winter passed away. Late in the 
 spring Calvin found an opportunity to go 
 over to the Center district one warm after- 
 noon. He had never forgotten the problem, 
 nor had his admiration for the boy who per- 
 formed it weakened as time passed on. Ar- 
 riving, therefore, in the village, he diligently 
 inquired for a boy named Levi . 
 
 At last he found a man who knew him. 
 
 " Do you see that large white building over 
 there — a shoe-shop ? " 
 
 "Yes," was the reply. 
 
 " Well, that is n't the place ; but you go 
 around through the lane beyond that white 
 shop, and back in the rear you will find a 
 small, one -story, wood -colored building, 
 with a basement on the back side ; down in 
 13
 
 194 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 that basement you will find Levi pegging 
 shoes." 
 
 Calvin lost no time in following these ex- 
 plicit directions, and opening the door, he 
 looked in and inquired, — 
 
 " Is your name Levi ? " 
 
 "Yes, my name is Levi. What of it?" 
 
 "Well, did you do a sum last winter?" 
 and he described the problem. 
 
 " Yes, I did that ; that's nothing." 
 
 And so these two boys were now intro- 
 duced to each other. Their families were 
 both poor, and though not yet sixteen, they 
 were ol)liged to earn their living, — the one 
 on a farm, the other pegging shoes. 
 
 Calvin was a well-formed boy, handsome, 
 with a ruddy face, black hair, and black eyes. 
 
 Levi was light complexioned, with light 
 hair, features far from regular, not hand- 
 some, sedate -looking, and generally wearing 
 a cross scowl upon his face. When his face
 
 TWO YANKEE BOYS. 195 
 
 lighted up, however, as it would to his 
 friends, or especially when he was particu- 
 larly pleased with some success of a friend, 
 he wore a genial, pleasant smile, which 
 really made his features handsome and win- 
 ning. 
 
 These boys, thus introduced to each other, 
 and now to the reader, soon became firm 
 friends, and remain so to this day. Their 
 life brings its lesson of what a New England 
 boy can do, if he only have courage and 
 perseverance. 
 
 They met many times during the years 
 between 1850 and 1860 ; and when the war 
 of the rebellion commenced, it found them 
 both practicing law in the city of New York. 
 They at once gave up their business and en- 
 tered the army. One raised a regiment and 
 was appointed colonel, and the other commis- 
 sioned major ; and so they went to the war. 
 Think you, when they were bivouacking on
 
 196 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 the sands of the Old Dominion, some warm 
 night, with the full moon shining down with 
 its clear and cahn light, reminding them of 
 their childhood's homes in the old Bay State, 
 the thought of the arithmetical puzzle did 
 not come up in their remembrance, and was 
 not the story of how they became acquainted 
 with each other often told to their compan- 
 ions-in-arms ? 
 
 I have said that they were both poor ; yet 
 after getting a good common-school educa- 
 tion, and a few terms at an academy, they 
 both studied law. Calvin studied with Judge 
 Chapin, in Worcester, and in due time was 
 admitted to the bar, and began his practice 
 there. Afterward he went to New York, 
 and there entered the arena, striving for 
 legal and political distinction. He has now 
 been for many years a distinguished judge 
 of the Supreme Court of the State of New 
 York. When he was studying law, he
 
 TWO YANKEE BOYS. 197 
 
 gained his livelihood by practicing in the 
 police courts, where he achieved a distin- 
 guished success. 
 
 Levi began the study of law in Worcester, 
 but afterward entered the then famous law 
 school at Balston Spa, N. Y., which was 
 soon moved to Poughkeepsie. On his grad- 
 uation he was offered at once a professorship 
 in the law school, which he refused, and 
 going to New York he " put out his shingle " 
 at 156 Broadway. Imagine a young man, 
 without experience, quiet, modest, but per- 
 severing, an entire stranger in the great 
 city, attempting to earn a livelihood at the 
 bar. But that livelihood he did earn the very 
 first year, and he is now having a lucrative 
 practice. He owns an elegant home in New 
 Jersey, and has educated a sister, who is now 
 a successful lady physician in New York, 
 noted far and wide, and a younger brother 
 who is a distinguished dentist in a neio;hbor- 
 ing state.
 
 198 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 In what other country on the globe could 
 such a history have been possible? But here, 
 this is only one instance of success from 
 small beginnings, and every town can fur- 
 nish others. Boys at this day, who have 
 good health and a sufficient amount of in- 
 dustry and perseverance, can achieve any 
 success within the reach of man.
 
 BOYHOOD OF DR. ELIPHALET NOTT. 199 
 
 XXI. 
 
 THE BOYHOOD OF DR. ELIPHALET NOTT. 
 
 T?EW subjects interest boys more than the 
 boyhood of distinguished men. Few 
 convey more important lessons to boys or 
 men. 
 
 Among the most noted men of our coun- 
 try may be mentioned Eev. Eliphalet Nott, 
 D. D., LL. D. He was born in Ashford, 
 Conn., June 25, 1773, just before the be- 
 ginning of the American Revolution. He 
 was graduated at Brown University, when he 
 was twenty-two years of age. He was li- 
 censed to preach the same year, and his 
 first pastoral labors were in Cherry Valley, 
 N. Y. From 1798 to 1804 he was pastor of 
 a Presbyterian church in Albany. Here he
 
 200 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 acquired great celebrity as a pulpit orator, 
 especially by a sermon on the death of Alex- 
 ander Hamilton, the great statesman, who 
 was shot in a duel by the noted Aaron Burr, 
 Vice-President of the United States. Soon 
 after this he was chosen president of Union 
 College at Schenectady, which position he 
 held for more than sixty years. He there- 
 fore educated a large number of young 
 men, and when he had been president of the 
 college for fifty years, six or eight hundred 
 gentlemen, from all the walks of life, who 
 had graduated under his presidency, came 
 together to do him honor at the Commence- 
 ment in 1854. 
 
 He was one of the model teachers of 
 America. Besides his distinction as a pul- 
 pit orator and a college president, he gained 
 great note by his practical inventions, espe- 
 cially in the construction of stoves for 
 heating buildings. By his inventions he
 
 BOYHOOD OF DR. ELIPHALET NOTT. 201 
 
 acquired considerable wealth, from which he 
 contributed largely to the funds of Union 
 College. 
 
 What opportunities had this justly dis- 
 tinguished, truly learned, and eminently 
 devout man in his boyhood ? What was the 
 character of his parents ? 
 
 His father and his mother were very ex- 
 cellent Christians. They were devout, con- 
 scientious, godly persons. They lived on 
 a small farm of poor soil, in Southern Con- 
 necticut, until a little while before the birth 
 of this son, when their house was burned 
 down, and, as they had not the means to 
 rebuild it, they sold their farm, and with the 
 proceeds bought a still poorer one, of fewer 
 acres, in an extreme corner of the hill town 
 of Ashford. It was four miles from the vil- 
 lage and the church. During the early 
 boyhood of Eliphalet his father had no horse, 
 but, in bad weather, when they could not
 
 202 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 walk to church, the family were drawn over 
 the rough and hilly roads of that long four 
 miles by their only cow. Yet they were 
 always at church. 
 
 During one winter, Mr. Nott's overcoat 
 had become so well worn that Mrs. Nott told 
 her husband it was not fit to be worn to 
 church any longer. But he had no money 
 to buy a new one. Should he stay away 
 from divine service ? Not he ! To this 
 proposition, neither he nor his good wife 
 would assent. Soon, however, the good 
 woman devised a plan to free them from the 
 difficulty. She suggested to her husband 
 that they could shear their only "cosset" 
 sheep, and that the fleece would furnish wool 
 enough for a new overcoat. 
 
 " What ! " says the old man, " shear the 
 cosset in January ! It will freeze." 
 
 " Ah, no, it will not," says the good wife, 
 " I will see to that : the lamb shall not 
 sufi'er."
 
 BOYHOOD OF DR. ELIPHALET NOTT. 203 
 
 She sheared the cosset, and then wrapped 
 the sheep in a blanket of burlaps, well sewed 
 on, which kept it warm till its wool had 
 grown again. 
 
 This fleece Mrs. Nott carded, spun, and 
 wove into cloth, then cut and made the gar- 
 ment for her husband, and it was worn to 
 church on the following Sabbath,* 
 
 But Eliphalet contended not only with 
 poverty, but with orphanhood. While yet 
 a mere lad, he lost by death that good father, 
 and also his devoted mother. The orphan 
 boy then went to live with his older brother, 
 the Eev. Samuel Nott, D. D., in Franklin, 
 Conn. This brother had risen from poverty 
 and obscurity, had fitted himself for col- 
 lege, graduated at Yale when he was nearly 
 
 • Tradition says that all this was done within one 
 week's time, but for the truth of this I will not vouch. 
 It would certainly seem quite improbable.
 
 204 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 twenty-seven years of age, received from his 
 alma mater the degree of D. D. five years 
 later, was settled over the church in Frank- 
 lin in 1782, and held the office of pastor of 
 that church till his death in 1852, a period 
 of seventy years, the full age of man, — 
 ^Hhreescore years and ten.^^ "Although thus 
 outliving his generation," says his biogra- 
 pher, "7ie was feeble and sickly lohen young." 
 
 It was his son, Eev. Samuel Nott, who 
 was one of that first band of missionaries 
 sent out by the American Board to India in 
 1812. President Nott died in the ninety- 
 third year of his age. His brother Samuel 
 lived to be over ninety-eight, and the mis- 
 sionary Samuel at the time of his death was 
 eighty one years old. 
 
 " I have been young and now am old," 
 says the Psalmist, "yet have I not seen the 
 righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging 
 bread."
 
 BOYHOOD OF DR. ELIPHALET NOTT. 205 
 
 " Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, 
 that delighteth greatly in his command- 
 ments. His seed shall be mighty upon 
 earth ; the generation of the upright shall be 
 blessed.^*
 
 206 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 
 
 1^ I ANY seem to think that the polemic age 
 has passed, and that this is the period 
 of deeds, not words. How strange it sounds 
 that at Joseph Cook's last symposium, the 
 most radical orthodox and the most radical 
 extreme from orthodoxy failed to get up a 
 discussion ! Let the gauntlet be thrown down 
 with never so small bluster, there was no dis- 
 position to pick it up. What, pray, would 
 Cotton Mather, or Eoger Williams, or George 
 Fox, or — shall I say it — Jonathan Edwards 
 or Leonard Woods have said to such a cir- 
 cumstance? But the times change, and the 
 people change with them. Our age has its 
 faults and it has its excellences. 
 
 If there is one lesson which it ought to
 
 PKACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 207 
 
 learn, it is that piety and right doing should' 
 never be divorced. The blessed Saviour is 
 our example, and " He went about doing 
 good." So the Christian should be distin- 
 guished by the good deeds which he does. 
 
 " Show me thy faith without thy works, 
 and I will show thee my faith by my ivorhs" 
 says the Apostle James, when commenting 
 upon and explaining Brother Paul's beautiful 
 discourse upon the necessity of faith as the 
 cardinal Christian virtue. ^ 
 
 In a large New England city a few winters 
 ago, a gentleman, not a church member, late 
 one very cold evening stepped into an eating 
 saloon to get a cup of tea. In the front part 
 of the saloon, next the street door, was a 
 large stove ; near this stove had gathered 
 several newsboys. Nice, fresh-fried dough- 
 nuts were a specialty at this particular restau- 
 rant, and those which happened to be left 
 over from yesterday (called stale doughnuts)
 
 208 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 were sold at half price, or one cent apiece. 
 These boys would therefore come in, buy a 
 " stale doughnut," and then, being customers, 
 would feel at liberty to stop and warm by 
 the stove. This gentleman, while drinking 
 his tea, observed the bright, active appear- 
 ance of one of these lads, who seemed to be 
 the leader of the group, and calling him to 
 himself, asked him if he and his companions 
 would not like to have a fresh doughnut. 
 
 " Bet I would, if I had the chink," said 
 the boy. 
 
 "Well, bring your friends up to the coun- 
 ter and get one," said the gentleman. 
 
 "Come on, boys, this Mister's going to 
 treat ; draw up, all of you." 
 
 The boys, with a rush, all mounted the 
 high stools standing before the tall counter, 
 and began to crack their jokes as only street 
 gamins know how to do. 
 
 The gentleman ordered the waiter to give
 
 PRACTICAL CimiSTrANITY. 209 
 
 each boy a cup of tea and two fresh dough- 
 nuts. Imagine — if you are acquainted with 
 these newsboys of the street ; otherwise you 
 cannot — those six boys drawn up in front of 
 that counter, each with his cup of tea before 
 him and a long twisted doughnut in each hand, 
 taking first a bite from one, then from the 
 other, then laying them both down and sip- 
 ping his cup of tea, lifted with both hands. 
 
 Their feet and fingers may have been half 
 frozen, but their tongues were limber, and 
 the jokes went round, sparkling with genuine 
 wit. After observing them for a while, and 
 paying the bill, my friend bade the boys 
 good night, and started towards the door. 
 
 Just then, quick as thought, as though a 
 new idea had just entered his mind, the lad, 
 the leader of the boys, spoke out quick and 
 sharp, " Say, Mister, do you keep a chwchf " 
 Obviously he knew what was meant by jprac- 
 tical Christianity. 
 U
 
 210 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 
 
 T HAVE given to this school many "Talks," 
 first and last, and I fear most of them 
 have been designed more particularly for 
 the older classes. But this morning I pro- 
 pose to address the younger boys, and if the 
 older ones find anything interesting to listen 
 to they are welcome to it. I often have 
 occasion to think that many boys suppose 
 their education is to be received wholly 
 at school. Perhaps this thought is natural 
 to them, but it is not true. Your education 
 is quite as much, if not more, dependent 
 upon what you do, and what you learn, out 
 of school as in school. The home, the 
 shop, the street, the rail car are schools foi
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 211 
 
 you, where you may add materially to the 
 stock of knowledge and mental discipline 
 which you acquire at school ; or, by a wrong 
 course, you may overthrow and vitiate what 
 good might otherwise be obtained from your 
 school work. Let me point out one way in 
 which you may improve yourselves out of 
 school. 
 
 You all need to learn to be industrious. 
 You should all have some duties to do 
 at home, every day. These duties should 
 always be performed with care and fidelity. 
 You should remember that you are indebted 
 to your parents, and brothers, and sisters, 
 for the comforts of life, and each should have 
 a desire to help in family afiairs, to have 
 your little duties to perform, which you 
 would attend to scrupulously and conscien- 
 tiously. 
 
 The small boy upon the farm has the 
 best opportunity to learn these home lessons
 
 212 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 of industry. He will bring in the wood 
 from the wood-house, feed the hens, water 
 the horse, and in many ways make himself 
 a useful member of the household. Habits 
 of industry are among the most valuable 
 lessons to be acquired in early youth. 
 
 Sometimes this industry may not be needed 
 in the family in the ordinary manner, but 
 there may be special reasons and particular 
 ways of exercising it, which will have a vast 
 influence upon the future life of the boy. 
 It not unfrequently happens that a boy may 
 show his love to his sister or his mother by 
 some skillful work, devised and executed by 
 him, which wUl be of more service to him 
 than to them. A few evenings since I was 
 thinking over this subject, and a number of 
 illustrations came to my mind, which I wished 
 to give to 3^ou. In order that I might not 
 forget them, and that I might relate them in 
 the most graphic manner, I wrote them out,
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 213 
 
 and now propose to read them to you. The 
 first one is designed to illustrate a boy's love 
 for his sister, and tells what means he found 
 for carrying out his purpose of securing foi 
 her a new pen-knife. I was well acquainted 
 with the persons mentioned in the story, and 
 can vouch for the truth of it. 
 
 I have written it, as though told by the 
 sister who was a school-teacher to her school- 
 boys. 
 
 MY NEW PEK-KNIFE. 
 
 A TRUE STORY FOR BOYS. 
 
 Now, my dear boys, I want to tell you a 
 true story. It is not one of those tales 
 which claim to be " founded on fact," but, as 
 I know you like truth better than fiction, my 
 story shall be wholly true. 
 
 You must know, then, that my brother 
 and I were orphan children. Our dear 
 father died when we were quite young. We
 
 214 TALKS WITH IVIY BOYS. 
 
 lived at grandfathers. "We had an older 
 sister, Ruth, who lived with our mother. 
 My brother and I loved each other dearly, 
 and shared each other's joys and sorrows. 
 
 When I was fifteen years old I began my 
 life work of teaching school. It was many 
 years ago, and every teacher was obliged to 
 make and mend the pens for the scholars, 
 for steel pens had not then come into use, 
 but quills were always used for writing. It 
 was necessary for me, therefore, to have a 
 pen-knife. My motlier bought me one, a 
 cheap one, paying twelve and a half cents for 
 it. The sides of the handle were made of 
 horn, and were transparent. Under the 
 horn was a motto, on each side. On the one 
 side was the motto, — 
 
 "A friend in need is a friend indeed," 
 
 On the other side was the motto, — 
 
 " Fair and softly goes far in a day."
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 215 
 
 I took my knife to our good Uncle Buf- 
 fum, our great-uncle, being brother to our 
 grandmother, that he might sharpen it. 
 
 He honed it, and strapped it, and tried it 
 again and again, but could not get a good 
 edge upon it. He said it was "good for 
 nothing ; it was soft." 
 
 Well, my brother, who was four years 
 younger than I was, sat and watched Uncle 
 Bulfum work away, trying in vain to get a 
 good edge upon the knife. When he saw 
 that the knife was not fit to make a pen with, 
 he went away very sad, thinking how much 
 he wished it were in his power to buy his 
 dear sister a better knife. But he had no 
 money. We were all poor. We lived on a 
 farm four or five miles from any village. 
 But, you know, boys, that where there is a 
 will there is a way. One of the good mottoes 
 for ambitious youth is this, — 
 
 " Find a way or make a way."
 
 216 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 So my brother thouglit tind thought upon 
 the subject, till he found a way to get me a 
 new knife. He caught a woodchuck, took off 
 its skin, and asked his Uncle Richard to tan 
 the skin for him. This was done by taking 
 off the hair in wood ashes, and then placing 
 the skin, properly prepared, in soft soap. 
 After it had remained in the soap a sufficient 
 length of time, it was taken out, and finally 
 became a soft, nice piece of good leather. 
 
 Then, Uncle Buffum, who was a shoemaker, 
 a watchmaker, a general tinker (a most 
 ingenious man), was applied to, with the 
 request that from this skin he would cut out 
 the strands for a whip-lash. 
 
 At length that was done, and my little 
 brother, then between eleven and twelve 
 years old, went to work to braid a long whip- 
 lash, such as the farmers use in driving their 
 oxen. 
 
 It was no easy task, but the boy's love for
 
 HABTTS OF INDUSTRY. 217 
 
 his sister triumphed, and erelong he had a 
 nice whip-lash, some four feet long, all 
 finished, and properly tied at the end. 
 
 Now he waited for an opportunity to go 
 to the village and sell it. Soon the time 
 came when a larsje haa: of salt was needed 
 to salt the hay, which was rapidly filling the 
 barn, and my brother was dispatched to the 
 village to obtain it. 
 
 Hastily running up-stairs to his room, he 
 took the lash and carried it with him to the 
 village store. Having purchased the salt, 
 and seeing it placed in the hind end of the 
 farm wagon, he tremblingly exhibited to the 
 store-keeper his white, well-braided whip- 
 lash, and asked him if he would buy it. 
 
 " Where did you get it ? " asked the mer- 
 chant. 
 
 "I braided it myself," said the boy. 
 
 "Did you, indeed ! You must be a pretty 
 smart boy. What do you want to buy with 
 it ; some candv ? "
 
 218 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 " No, sir. I want to get a first-rate pen- 
 knife for my sister ; a good one, one of your 
 'Rodgers, Cutlers to Her Majesty,' knives." 
 
 So the bargain was concluded, and the 
 lash was exchanged for a good, black- 
 handled, Rodgers pen-knife, the price of 
 which was two shillings, that is, thirty- 
 three cents. 
 
 I need not tell you how pleased my 
 brother was, how many times he took that 
 knife out of his pocket on the way home, to 
 look at it, or how he seized the first opportu- 
 nity to get Uncle BuiFum to sharpen its edge. 
 
 It was finally honed and strapped, until 
 Uncle Bufium said, "There, that will cut 
 like buttermilleck. It is a piece of excellent 
 steel ; a first-rate knife." 
 
 How happy was my brother, how anxious 
 he was to give it to me ; and when he did 
 present it, with what pride he said, — 
 
 " There ; there is a knife that will mend a
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 219 
 
 pen. It is real 'Rodgers, Cutlers,' and you 
 may throw away that old soft thing that 
 mother bought. I am not going to have 
 7)iy sister mend pens with such a mean old 
 knife. Here, take this ; I bought it for you ; 
 it is yours." 
 
 But I did not throw the old knife away. 
 I kept it ; and I kept the other, too, as a 
 precious love-token from my brother. How 
 many pens I have made and mended with 
 the "Rodgers " knife, I cannot tell. But 
 during those years before the advent of steel 
 pens, I always used it, and no other. Then I 
 laid the dear knife away beside the other, 
 and there the two lie today in one of my 
 little pasteboard boxes in a closet. My 
 dear boys, the good Apostle John said, 
 " Little children, love one another." 
 
 There are but few pleasanter sights in this 
 world than a family of children where love
 
 220 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 prevails, and where all seek the good of 
 others, and show their love for one another 
 by working and planning and contriving to 
 make each other happy. 
 
 I think you wili agree with me that the 
 story is a good one, and the spirit of it is 
 worthy of imitation. 
 
 Sometimes this habit of industry may be 
 exercised by an inventive genius in devising 
 ways to obtain money for general or par- 
 ticular benevolent purposes. My next story 
 will illustrate what I mean, in this direction. 
 
 It is entitled — 
 
 FIRST EAEK, THEN" GIVE. 
 
 "Papa, please give me ten cents? " 
 
 " What for, my son ? " 
 
 "To put in the contribution-box." 
 
 "Here is five cents ; that will do today." 
 
 "Thank you, papa." 
 
 And the little fellow skipped along by his
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 221 
 
 father's side, going to church one bright 
 Sunday morning several years ago. 
 
 But I could hardly listen to the sermon, 
 so absorbed was I in thinking of that little 
 boy. He was a bright little fellow, with 
 blue eyes and curly hair, and I felt from his 
 very looks and elastic step that he was a 
 good boy. But I want to tell you about an- 
 other little boy, who really envied him, as he 
 danced along by his father's side. This little 
 fellow, whose name was Henry, was on his way 
 to Sunday school that same morning, when 
 he met with an accident which obliged him to 
 turn about and go home again. He had six 
 cents in his pocket to put in the collection 
 that day, to help buy new books for the 
 Sabbath-school library. But his father had 
 not given him the money, for he was poor. 
 The Sunday school which Henry attended 
 was a small one, in a little mission church, in 
 the suburbs of one of our New England
 
 222 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 cities, and was at this time making a great 
 
 effort to get an addition to its small library. 
 
 The superintendent had told the childi'en that 
 
 it was far better for them to earn the money 
 
 which they gave than to have it given to 
 
 them by their parents. He told them of the 
 
 little boy who collected a good sum of money 
 
 for the missionaries by carrying around 
 
 among his friends an ox's horn, with the 
 
 large end plugged up and a slit in it where 
 
 the money could be dropped in, which was 
 
 labeled, — 
 
 " Once I was the horn of an ox, 
 But now I am a missionary box." 
 
 He advised the boys and girls to try to 
 earn the money they brought, and gave some 
 suggestions how it could be done. I do not 
 know how many, if any, followed those 
 suggestions ; but I do know that some of 
 them invented plans of their own, and earned 
 the money, and contributed liberally for that
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 223 
 
 library. Let me tell you how some of the 
 boys did it. 
 
 Henry was a small boy, only six years old. 
 He could not do many kinds of work. In- 
 deed he could not think for some time of 
 any way by which he could earn a penny. 
 At last, he thought of his way, and during 
 the week preceding the Sunday of which 
 I have spoken he put his plan in practice. 
 
 He went around the neighborhood, through 
 the streets and open lots, and picked up 
 every bone and every piece of paper that he 
 saw, and on S,aturday sold them to the junk 
 dealer, by which he earned six cents. This 
 money he was carrying to the Sunday school 
 when he overheard the little blue-eyed boy 
 asldng his father for the ten cents. When 
 his father gave him only five, Henry smiled, 
 and thought to himself, " Well, I have more 
 than he, and I have earned inine; it was not 
 given to me." I am sorry to say that just
 
 224 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 then Heniy stepped into a hole in the side- 
 walk, and sprained his ankle so badly that 
 he could not get to Sunday school, but was 
 obliged to go home. Yet, even in his pain, 
 he was not to be deprived of the pleasure of 
 giving the money he had earned, and so sent 
 it along by his sister. 
 
 Now let me tell you of another boy, who 
 wanted to earn some money for that" library. 
 He found another plan. He was a little fel- 
 low of about eight years, and his name was 
 Eddie. His mother was a widow, and earned 
 a scanty support for herself and her children 
 by sewing. Eddie asked his mother to give 
 him some money for the library, and she was 
 obli2:ed to tell him she had none. At first 
 Eddie felt very badly, but after a while he 
 began to think whether there was any way 
 for him to earn something. Across the half- 
 graded street from the little cottage where 
 his mother lived was an open field, then
 
 HABITS OF INDUSTRY. 225 
 
 thickly covered with those large, round, 
 white and yellow daisies. These flowers 
 he picked, and carried them to an herb 
 store, and sold them iovfour cents a pound. 
 Afterwards he and his brother Georgie 
 picked red clover blossoms, and sold them 
 at two cents a pound, and then white clover 
 blossoms at five cents a pound. I think these 
 two little boys earned in a few weeks more 
 than a dollar and a half in this way, which 
 they contributed toward buying those new 
 books. But I must tell you what one other 
 little boy of about eight years did. His 
 name was Walter. He wanted to do some- 
 thing for the library, and, as he could think 
 of nothing by which he could earn money 
 immediately, he invented the following plan : 
 His father had a little garden, and had al- 
 lowed him to plant in a small bed whatever 
 he chose. Singularly enough he had chosen 
 to plant a bed of citrons. These he weeded 
 15
 
 226 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 and hoed, and watched and watered, until in 
 the fall he found daily ripening a goodly 
 number of nice citrons. AVhen they were 
 fully ripe he inquired at the stores the price 
 of citrons, and then, placing his price some- 
 what lower than the market value, he carried 
 his citrons about the neighborhood upon his 
 little cart, and sold them all, and handed in 
 the money to the Sunday school for the 
 library fund. If I remember correctly, he 
 secured something over two dollars. 
 
 I have indicated to you by these stories 
 some ways in which boys have earned money 
 for good purposes. Though you may not, 
 and probably could not, do exacthj the same 
 thing, yet as these boys invented ways of 
 doing what they desired to do, so I think, if 
 you have the desire, you also will invent a 
 way of accomplishing your desire. " Where 
 there is a will there is a way." " Find a way 
 or make a way."
 
 A LESSON rR031 HISTORY. 227 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTOllY. 
 
 T?EW boys in school appear to be fond of 
 the study of history. They not infre- 
 quently call it dull and dry. Sometimes 
 they are inclined to get excused from the 
 study. A few years later in life, when they 
 have a mare mature judgment, they usually 
 form a much higher idea of its value, and 
 find it more interesting and instructive. 
 But should the principle of elective studies, 
 now so popular at Harvard, reach the upper 
 classes in the grammar schools, history, it is 
 to be feared, would soon be left in a hope- 
 less minority. 
 
 When, however, boys are permitted to 
 omit the study of history, and pay l)ut little
 
 228 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 attention to the subject till they are past 
 sixteen or eighteen years of age, they sel- 
 dom reco\er what they have lost. During 
 all their subsequent lives they never cease to 
 regret that they neglected the opportunity, 
 when their memories were fresh and active, 
 to become familiar with the general outlines 
 and the main facts of history. There is " no 
 lamp by which our feet may be guided but 
 the lamp of experience." "What man has 
 done, man may do." Yet the experience of 
 the human race is what we call history. 
 " What man has done " is recorded on the 
 pages of history. 
 
 Let me this morning present to you some 
 unique illustrations from history, somewhat 
 out of the ordinary channels of thought, it 
 may be, but which I hope will show not 
 only that all the world are wonderfully de- 
 pendent upon one another, but also that 
 what may seem to be remote and inconse-
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 229 
 
 qiiential are in reality more clearly con- 
 nected to us and to our interests than at first 
 would appear. 
 
 Every one knows how impossible it is for 
 any one, at this day of general travel and 
 intercommunication between all nations, to 
 hide himself and remain unknown in any part 
 of the world. A man having committed a 
 crime in Boston may seek concealment in a 
 remote state of South America ; but it will 
 not be long before some one who formerly 
 knew him will step in, recognize him, and 
 call him by his former name. Bank officers 
 are said to go to Canada, sometimes, but it 
 is not because they can be hidden there. 
 Mutineers upon the high seas can now find 
 no land under the sun whither they can flee 
 and be unknown. 
 
 Neither could one escape from his friends, 
 if, for any reason, he should conceive the 
 desire to do so. . Even the boys from tMs
 
 230 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 school can scarcely find a spot where they 
 will not meet some former schoolmate. 
 Last summer a graduate of this school was 
 spending a day in Kansas City, and while 
 there he met four other graduates, all of 
 whom were living in the immediate vicinity. 
 
 But not only are all countries interlocked 
 and intertwined one with another, so that it 
 is important to be intimately acquainted 
 with the present condition of the whole 
 world, but the ages are more closely con- 
 nected than one might suppose, which makes 
 a knowledge of all races and all times a ne- 
 cessity, in order to do business the most 
 successfully. 
 
 " Light Horse Harry " Lee was a conspic- 
 uous figure in the Revolutionary War, and 
 that was more than a hundred years ago. 
 Yet his own son was the most prominent 
 officer in the army of the South, during the 
 late Rebellion. But to a casual observei',
 
 A LESSON FKOM HISTORY. 231 
 
 who has not made a close study of history, 
 the period of the Eevolution would appear to 
 be several generations back of Secession and 
 the Confederacy. 
 
 It frequently seems, to one who has not 
 carefully studied and reflected upon the his- 
 tory of this country, that the age of the Pil- 
 grims and the Puritans, the first settlers in 
 New England, was generations and genera- 
 tions ago. My great-grandfather's great- 
 grandfather was contemporary with Roger 
 Williams, and Miles Standish, and Governor 
 Winthrop ; yet it is true, in a certain sense, 
 that there is but one link between our time 
 and the period of those old pioneers. A 
 person born, say in 1720, could have con- 
 versed with old people who had been in their 
 younger days acquainted with the early set- 
 tlers, and they in turn, living to be eighty 
 or ninety years of age, would reach down 
 into the period of those who, born perhaps
 
 232 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 in 1800 or 1810, are still living to tell us the 
 anecdotes of their childhood. In 1872 I 
 heard an aged lady, then a hundred years 
 old, tell what happened " the year the war 
 broke out"; that is, in 1775, ninety-seven 
 years before. Thus it may be said that but 
 a single generation stands between the first 
 settlers of New England and the people of 
 today. So, reckoning the space of one life 
 as eighty years, we find that there are but 
 three links between our period and the time 
 of Columbus and Luther, Henry VIII. and 
 Tyndale, and the introduction of knives and 
 forks for table use. 
 
 If this is not at first apparent, I pray 3^ou 
 to reflect that the age of which I speak was 
 substantially four centuries ago ; that it 
 reached forward eighty years ; that our 
 own age may be regarded as reaching back- 
 ward eighty years ; and that two periods of 
 eighty years taken from four hundred, leave
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 233 
 
 but three periods of eighty years between 
 them. 
 
 And from the beginning of the Christian 
 era, when Christ and CaBsar, Virgil and 
 Pompey, Cicero and Josephus, and Paul and 
 Peter were fulfilling their earthly destiny, 
 but twenty-two or twenty-three of our life- 
 time periods of eighty years have intervened, 
 and seventy-five such ages will carry us back 
 to the Garden of Eden, and we can interview 
 our first parents, Adam and Eve. 
 
 I do not mean to be understood that the 
 persons just named as belonging to the time 
 of Christ were exactly contemporary with 
 each other, but only as living near the same 
 period. Cicero and Virgil were a generation 
 before Christ, and Paul and Josephus came 
 into the generation following. 
 
 An old tradition has come down to us to 
 the effect that Paul, on his way to Rome, 
 when he had appealed to Csesar, being de-
 
 234 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 layed at Puteoli, went up to the hill Pan- 
 silipo to shed a tear over the tomb of Virgil, 
 and thought how much he might have made 
 of that noble soul if he had but found 
 him still on earth. An old Latin hymn 
 is still extant, which tells the incident iu 
 this way : — 
 
 " Ad Maronis mausoleum 
 Ductus, fudit super eum 
 Piae rorem lacrymae : 
 Quantum, dixit, te lecissem, 
 Si te vivum invenissem, 
 Poetarum maximel " 
 
 The condensed phraseology of the verse 
 scarce admits a literal translation of its 
 touchins: thought, but I find in an old book 
 a free paraphrase, which will give quite a 
 clear idea of the force of the original : — 
 
 " On his way to Nero's Court, 
 When at Puteoli's port. 
 At the tomb where Virgil slept, 
 Paul, in thoughtful sadness, wepL;
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 235 
 
 Wept, that lie of woi'ld-wide fame 
 Should have died ere Jesus camel 
 In his musings, unexpressed, 
 This the thought that swelled his breast: 
 * Oh I that I had found thee living 
 In the light the Cross is giving; 
 Could have seen thee, from above 
 Taught to know a Saviour's love ; 
 Then, with love to Christ supreme, 
 Thine had been a nobler theme; 
 And thy harp, in loftiest lays, 
 Down the ages rolled His praise ! ' 
 
 Thoughtful and sad, Paul from the hill went 
 
 down 
 To Rome, to prison, to a heavenly crown." 
 
 We must confess that it is not common 
 thus to couple the names of Virgil and Paul 
 together, as though there was a bond of 
 sympathy between them, but Paul would 
 adopt the sentiment of that famous Latin 
 motto, — 
 
 " Humani nihil alienum.''^ 
 
 One of the most striking pictures presented
 
 236 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 by that gifted author, J. T. Headley, in his 
 "Sacred Mountains," is the contrast that he 
 makes in regard to Mount Tabor. He speaks 
 of the "contrasts of earth," and likens our 
 workl to a "middle spot between heaven and 
 hell," which partakes of the character of 
 both. "The glory from the one and the 
 midnight shades from the other meet along 
 its bosom, and the song of angels and the 
 shriek of fiends go up from the same spot. 
 Noonday and midnight are not more opposite 
 than the scenes that are constantly passing 
 before our eyes." "Truth and falsehood walk 
 side by side through our streets, and vice 
 and virtue meet and pass every hour of the 
 day." 
 
 " It was a bright spring morning. A form 
 was seen standino; on Mount Tabor. He sat 
 on his steed in the clear sunlight, his eye 
 resting on a scene in the vale below, which 
 was sublime and appalling enough to quicken
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 237 
 
 the pulsations of the calmest heart. That 
 form was Napoleon Bonaparte, and the scene 
 before him the fierce and terrible battle of 
 Mount Tabor." 
 
 "Amid the twenty-seven thousand Turks 
 that crowded the plain and- enveloped their 
 enemy like a cloud, and amid the incessant 
 discharge of artillery and musketry, Napo- 
 leon could tell where his own brave troops 
 were struggling only by the steady, simul- 
 taneous volleys, which showed how discipline 
 was contending with the wild valor of over- 
 powering numbers." " Thrown into confusion 
 and trampled under foot, that mighty army 
 rolled turbulently back toward the Jordan, 
 where Murat was anxiously waiting to min- 
 gle in the fight. Dashing with his cavalry 
 among the disordered ranks, he sabered them 
 down without mercy, and raged like a lion 
 amid his prey. This chivalric and romantic 
 warrior declared that the remembrance of
 
 238 TALKS WITH MY BOTS. 
 
 the scenes that once transpired on ]\Iount 
 Tabor, and on those thrice-consecrated spots, 
 came to him in the hottest of the fight and 
 nerved him with tenfold courage ." " Roll back 
 the centuries, and again view that hill. The 
 day is bright and beautiful as then, and the 
 same rich, Oriental landscape is smiling in 
 the light of the same sun. There is Mount 
 Tabor, the same on which Bonaparte stood 
 with his cannon ; and the same beautiful 
 plain, where rolled the smoke of battle, and 
 where struggled thirty thousand men in mor- 
 tal combat. But how different is the scene 
 that is passing there ! The Son of God 
 stands on that height and casts bis eye over 
 the quiet valley through which Jordan winds 
 its silver current. Three friends are beside 
 him. Far away to the northwest shines the 
 blue Mediterranean ; all around is the great 
 plain of Esdrelon and Galilee ; eastward, 
 the lake of Tiberias dots the landscape, while
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 239 
 
 Mount Carmcl lifts its naked summit in the 
 distance. But the glorious landscape at their 
 feet is forgotten in a sublimer scene that is 
 passing before them. The Son of Mary — 
 the carpenter of Nazareth — begins to change 
 before their eyes. Heaven has poured its 
 brightness over that consecrated spot, and 
 on the beams of light which glitter there, 
 Moses and Elias have descended, and, 
 wrapped in the same shining vestments, 
 stand beside him." 
 
 Then follows a minute and wonderfully 
 graphic picture of the transfiguration, end- 
 ing with the mysterious voice in the words, 
 "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
 well pleased ; hear ye him." 
 
 " Can there be a stranger contrast than the 
 battle and the transfiguration upon INIount 
 Tabor ? One shudders to think of Bonaparte 
 and the Son of God on the same mountain ; 
 one with his wasting cannon by his side, and
 
 240 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 the other with Moses and Elias jast from 
 Heaven." 
 
 But you say the two scenes are separated 
 by eighteen centuries. What are eighteen 
 centuries but a moment of time only ? Time 
 is measured not by seconds and centuries, 
 but by deeds. Actions are the hour-strokes, 
 and annual marks, and century records of the 
 world. Cause and effect and motives are the 
 criteria by which the deeds of this world are 
 to be judged. " Time's effacing fingers " act 
 only on the physical world, and not on the 
 mental and moral world. In that realm time 
 is nothing. It can neither add to nor take 
 from the actions of our race ; it is by them 
 that individuals and nations are to be judged. 
 What study, then, can be more vital in in- 
 terest, more attractive in material, or more 
 fruitful in utility than the study of the annals 
 of mankind ? It puts vitality and an enthu- 
 siastic glow of transfigured interest and mean-
 
 A LESSON FROM HISTORY. 241 
 
 ing into all subjects which come before the 
 mind for consideration. Have pity for the 
 boor of whom Wordsworth says, — 
 
 " A primrose by the river's brim 
 A yellow primrose was to him, 
 And it was nothing more." 
 
 But fill your own souls with such a knowl- 
 edge of this world's contents that your vision 
 can see more than the "yellow primrose," 
 when you look upon the little modest flower 
 " by the river's brim." And remember that 
 the world's knowledge is divided into two 
 grand divisions, neither of which can be 
 omitted without serious loss, — the realm of 
 nature and the realm of humanity. Were 
 either to be slighted, it surely should not be 
 humanity, or the history of mankind. Na- 
 ture itself would be sorely deficient and in- 
 complete without the crowning work of the 
 creation, — man. If then we can "look 
 through nature up to nature's God," surely 
 
 16
 
 242 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 much more and with far greater ease may we 
 in the history of the human race, its aspira- 
 tions, its failures, and its triumphs, see the 
 ladder that Jacob saw, which reaches upward 
 to the celestial land where God abides, and 
 where his throne is fixed.
 
 WHAT GEOMETRY WILL DO FOR A BOY. 243 
 
 XXV. 
 
 WHAT GEOMETKY WILL DO FOR A BOY. — 
 HOW PRESIDENT LINCOLN BECAME AN 
 EXPERT REASONER. 
 
 \ OW, boys, let us have a little talk about 
 geometry. You know it has been a 
 famous study for boys for many ages. Euclid 
 was an old Egyptian, who lived about three 
 hundred years before Christ. His treatise 
 on geometry has been the foundation for all 
 modern works upon the subject. Plato, who 
 lived a century earlier, founded a noted acad- 
 emy at Athens, and it is related that over its 
 entrance he placed this celebrated inscription, 
 Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here. 
 
 This branch has been considered an impor- 
 tant part of a good education for two thou- 
 sand years. Yet I hear many boys in these
 
 244 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 days saying, " I don't like geometry. I 
 wonder what good it will do me." 
 
 I once heard a very interesting story about 
 Abraham Lincoln, which may help you to 
 understand the "good." Before Mr. Lincoln 
 was a candidate for President, he made a tour 
 through New England, and lectured in many 
 cities and towns. Among other places, he 
 spoke in Norwich, Ct. A gentleman who 
 heard him, and was struck with his remark- 
 able logical power, rode the next day in the 
 cars with Mr. Lincoln to New Haven. Dur- 
 ing the ride, the following conversation took 
 place : — 
 
 "Mr. Lincoln, I was delighted with your 
 lecture last eveninsj." 
 
 " Oh, thank you ; but that was not much 
 of a lecture ; I can do better than that." 
 
 "I have no doubt of it, Mr. Lincoln; for 
 whoever can do so well, must inevitably be 
 able to do better."
 
 WHAT GEOMETRY WILL DO FOR A BOY. 245 
 
 "Well, well, you are a good reasoner, 
 are n't you? That is cute." 
 
 " But that reminds me," continued the gen- 
 tleman, " to ask how you acquired^your won- 
 derful logical power. I have heard that you 
 are entirely self-educated, and it is seldom 
 that I find a self-educated man who has a 
 good system of logic in his reasoning. How 
 did you acquire such an acute power of 
 analysis ? " 
 
 "Well, Mr. G., I will tell you. It was 
 my terrible discouragement which did that 
 for me." 
 
 " Your discouragement : what do you 
 mean ? " 
 
 "You see," said Mr. Lincoln in reply, 
 "when I was a young man I went into an 
 ojQSce to study law. Well, after a little 
 while I saw that a lawyer's business was 
 largely to prove things. And I said to 
 myself, 'Lincoln, when is a thing proved?'
 
 246 TALKS WITH MY BOYS, 
 
 That was a poser. I could not answer the 
 question. What constitutes proof f Not evi- 
 dence ; that was not the point. There may 
 be evidence enough, but wherein consists the 
 prooff 
 
 " You remember the old story of the Ger- 
 man, who was tried for some crime, and they 
 brought half a dozen respectable men who 
 swore that they saw the prisoner commit the 
 crime. ' Veil,' he replies, ' vat of dot? Six 
 men schwears dot dey saw me do it. I 
 prings more nor two tozen goot men who 
 schwears dey did not see me do it.' 
 
 " So, wherein is the proof? I groaned over 
 the question, and finally said to myself, 
 'Ah, Lincoln, you can't tell.' Then I 
 thought, ' What use is it for me to be in 
 a law office if I can't tell when a thing is 
 proved?' So I gave it up and left the office, 
 and went back home, over in Kentucky." 
 
 " So you gave up the law? "
 
 WHAT GEOMETRY WILL DO FOR A BOY. 247 
 
 "Oh, Mr. G., don't jump at your conclu- 
 sions; that is n't logical. But really I did 
 give up the law, and I thought I should never 
 go back to it. This was in the fall of the 
 year. Soon after I returned to the old log- 
 cabin, I fell in with a copy of Euclid. I had 
 not the slightest notion what Euclid was, and 
 I thought I would find out. I found out ; but 
 it was no easy job. I looked into the book 
 and found it was all about lines, angles, sur- 
 faces, and solids ; but I could not understand 
 it at all. I therefore began, very deliber- 
 ately, at the beginning ; I learned the defini- 
 tions and axioms ; I demonstrated the first 
 proposition ; I said, that is simple enough ; 
 I went on to the next and the next ; and 
 before spring I had gone through that old 
 Euclid's geometry, and could demonstrate 
 every proposition like a book. 
 
 "I knew it all from beo^inniuor to end. 
 You could not stick me on the hardest of
 
 248 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 them. Then, in the spring, when I had got 
 through with it, I said to myself one day, 
 *Ah, do you know now when a thing is 
 proved?' And I answered right out loud, 
 ' Yes, sir, I do.' ' Then you may go back to 
 the law shop ' ; and I went." 
 
 " Thank, you, Mr. Lincoln, for that story. 
 You have answered my question. I see now 
 where you found your logical acumen ; you 
 dug it out of that geometry." 
 
 "Yes, I did; often ijy the light of pitch- 
 pine knots ; but I got it. Nothing but 
 geometry will teach you the power of ab- 
 stract reasoning. Only that will tell you 
 when a thing is proved." 
 
 Said Mr. G. , " I think this is a remarkable 
 incident. How few men would have thought 
 to ask themselves the question. When is a 
 thing proved ? What constitutes proof? And 
 how few young men of today would be 
 able to master the whole of Euclid in a
 
 WHAT GEOMETRY WILL DO FOR A BOY. 249 
 
 single winter, without a teacher. And still 
 fewer, after they had done so much, would 
 have realized and acknowledged what geom- 
 etry had done for them ; that it had told 
 them what proof was." 
 
 So, my young friends, you may perhaps 
 see by this incident what geometry will do 
 for a boy.
 
 250 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 THE FALL OF RICHMOND. 
 
 Note. — Richmond was evacuated by the Confederates 
 on Sunday, April 2, 18G5. The next day, Monday, the 
 Union troops took possession of the city. Some time 
 before, my pupils had asked for a holiday to celebrate 
 some minor Federal victory. I told them that that 
 victory hardly warranted a holiday for the school, but 
 when Richmond was captured they should celebrate it 
 by a holiday. On Monday morning, therefore, April 
 3, 1865, the boys, en masse, asked for a holiday. The 
 request was granted ; but as we were already assembled, 
 it was thought best to have a short session, with 
 brief exercises, appropriate to the occasion. It was at 
 that time and under those circumstances that the fol- 
 lowing talk was given to the boys. 
 
 ^HE newspapers inform us that the Federal 
 army is now in possession of Richmond, 
 the capitol of the Confederate States of 
 America. Practically this must prove to be 
 the beo-iunino; of the end. The close of this
 
 THE FALL OF RICHMOND. 251 
 
 civil war is at hand. Thank God for that. 
 It is hi<2;h time the fratricidal contest was 
 terminated. So far as it has been a contest 
 between free labor and slave labor, the South 
 will lose ; for slavery will not survive the 
 overthrow of the Confederacy. And to a 
 large extent slavery is at the bottom of the 
 whole difficulty. Ever since the beginning 
 of the Federal government the balance of 
 power has been carefully guarded in the 
 United States senate. Prior to 1800 three 
 new states had been added to the original 
 thirteen, — New Hampshire, Kentucky, and 
 Tennessee. This made eight free states and 
 eifirht slave states. Then Ohio and Louis- 
 iana being admitted left the condition the 
 same, nine states on each side. Then Indi- 
 ana and Mississippi were admitted, then 
 Illinois and Alabama, then !Maine and Mis- 
 souri. But not till after the vigorous strife 
 which resulted in the Missouri Compromise.
 
 252 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 Then followed Arkansas and Michigan, 
 Florida and Iowa, Texas and Wisconsin, and 
 the spell was broken in 1850 by California 
 choosing for herself a free constitution, 
 when, from her latitude, it had been sup- 
 posed she would make a slave state. 
 
 Even the annexation of Texas, and the 
 conquest and purchase of Northern Mexico, 
 failed to help the slave power. It was 
 doomed. 
 
 When the war broke out four years ago, 
 no one dreamed what was before this nation. 
 I well remember dismissing school and going 
 down to the wharf to see the first Rhode 
 Island regiment embark upon the boat that 
 took them to the scene of conflict. On my 
 return a friend said to me, " When do you 
 propose to enlist?" I replied, " Oh, I don't 
 know, I think I shall go in the fifth regi- 
 ment." Little did any one that day suppose 
 that this little State would be called upon to
 
 THE FALL OF RICHMOND. 253 
 
 send five regiments into the field, not to say 
 ten regiments of infantry, a regiment of 
 light batteries and two or three resfiments of 
 cavalry. Even Secretary of State Seward 
 thought that ninety days would finish the 
 war. But his former utterance was the true 
 one, when he characterized the anti-slavery 
 struggle as " The irrepressible conflict." 
 Slowly but steadily the slave power had 
 become more and more aggressive, and more 
 and more determined to rule the nation or to 
 destroy it. That power culminated in the 
 administration of President Buchanan, and 
 upon the election of Abraham Lincoln the 
 moment had come for the blow to be struck. 
 But the change of administration had brought 
 with it an entire change of policy for the 
 nation. 
 
 During Mr. Buchanan's term, the mint is- 
 sued that small copper cent alloyed with 
 nickel, with the hideous looking flying bird
 
 254 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 on one side of it. It was this coin that 
 Theodore Parker characterized as follows : 
 " The government has become so corrupt that 
 it has erased the word liberty from the coins 
 of the country, taken away the eagle, the 
 emblem of freedom, and substituted instead 
 thereof an ill-looking^ ravenous vulture." 
 But one of the first coins issued by Secre- 
 tary Chase, under President Lincoln, was 
 the two-cent piece, which bore as a motto, 
 " III God we Trust." It is believed that this 
 was the first time in the history of our land 
 that a religious motto appeared upon any 
 coin issued by the national mint. This 
 change seemed to be an agreeable augury of 
 the altered character of the nation in its 
 aims and its aspirations. 
 
 The war is now, in all probability, sub- 
 stantially ended. For four years the cry has 
 been, " On to Richmond " ; but there seemed 
 to be a fatality preventing Union soldiers
 
 THE FALL OF RICHMOND. 255 
 
 from getting into that city, except as pris- 
 oners of war. Now that the capital ol the 
 Confederacy which established itself upon the 
 corner-stone of human slavery has fallen, the 
 army will not long withstand the steady 
 march of Sherman, and the heavy poundings 
 of Grant. 
 
 The abolition of slavery, which was a war 
 measure, by proclamation of the President, 
 must be enforced by a constitutional amend- 
 ment. Surely, the conflict was "irrepres- 
 sible," and the two systems of free labor and 
 slave service could not abide under one gov- 
 ernment. The one or the other must give 
 way. Thank God, it was not the former. 
 Well may we say with the great poet, — 
 
 "Let truth and falsehood grapple; 
 Wlio ever knew truth put to the worse 
 In fair and open conflict." 
 
 But what next ? First a breathing spell ; 
 then recuperation and mutual forbearance,
 
 256 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 forgiveness, and reconciliation. And then, 
 what? Then progress, progress, progress, 
 more rapid than the nation has ever yet 
 seen. The upbuilding of the impoverished 
 South, the education and elevation of the 
 freed men, the introduction of manufacturing 
 into that section ; the pushing of the west- 
 ern frontier farther and farther till it meets 
 the " Great South Sea," and there the great 
 Republic will find its western limit. 
 
 If this gigantic atternpt to divide the na- 
 tion upon lines of latitude, with the rebel- 
 lious section upheld by such a powerful 
 motive as the retention and propagation of 
 slavery ; if this great rebellion with its 
 immense strength has failed, we may well 
 feel assured that, hereafter, no attempt will 
 be made to divide the nation either by lines 
 latitudinal or longitudinal, and the prophecy 
 of that famous Rhode-Islander* will be quite 
 
 * Thomas W. Dorr, in 1853.
 
 THE FALL OF EICHMOND. 257 
 
 likely to prove true, that the stars and 
 stripes will yet float from sea to sea, and 
 from the gulf to the pole. 
 
 And now, my young friends, I heartily 
 congratulate you upon your good fortune in 
 " comins; to the kini>:dom at such a time as 
 this " ; that you are just about to enter the 
 arena of active life at a time when the nation 
 is evidently establishing itself upon a firmer 
 foundation than ever before, and command- 
 ing a higher respect from all nations than 
 hitherto. Republican institutions will take 
 a new lease of life, the speedy downfall of 
 monarchies and oligarchies may be pre- 
 dicted, and the " glory of the Lord shall be 
 revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." 
 
 And now I counsel you to rise to the dig- 
 nity of the situation. Remember the direc- 
 tion of the great apostle, when he encour- 
 aged his brethren, "Quit you like men; be 
 strong." So I say to you, "Quit you like 
 
 17
 
 258 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 men, be strong" ; see to it " that the Repub- 
 lic receives no detriment." The next <j;eii- 
 eration will see wondrous things ; a more 
 rapid development of the arts and sciences 
 by this nation than has ever before beou 
 witnessed by any people on earth. 
 
 I hope you will heartily enjoy your holiday 
 today, and may it be a day you will have 
 occasion to remember as long as you live.
 
 THE END OF THE YEAR. 259 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 THE END OF THE YEAR. 
 
 ^''HE year is drawing to a close. Our 
 evenings are liglited by its last new 
 moon. The morning of the year, with its 
 sweet perfume of buds and flowers, its 
 bright and luxurious foliage, and the melo- 
 dious songs of the birds, came and went with 
 its usual rapidity. The noonday sun of 
 summer poured his life-giving beams upon 
 us and upon all nature, but as quickly was 
 'past. Autumn then, sable Autumn, with 
 its fruits and rich harvests, paid us a visit, 
 just looking in at our doors, merely glancing 
 at us to see if the children had had their sup- 
 pers, and the cattle were well fed for the 
 night ; if the crib were locked and the
 
 260 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 rose-bush covered up to protect it from the 
 frost. Autumn, too, is gone, and now we 
 are left to the cold mercies of bleak and 
 rigid Winter. He is now here, and although 
 occasionally his face is lighted up with a 
 warm and genial smile, he cannot avoid 
 showing the coldness of his natural disposi- 
 tion, and the chilling influence of his breath 
 has been observed on every hand. We all 
 button up our coats as if some thief or pick- 
 pocket were around, and we were afraid of 
 losing our pocket-books. 
 
 But even cold winter has its pleasures. 
 Sometimes we think they outnumber and 
 outweigh those of either of the other sea- 
 sons. We have our Thanksgiving just at 
 the threshold of winter, as if to usher in the 
 coming season of pleasure. Then following 
 close upon it are Christmas and New-Year's, 
 makino^ the trio of ever-to-be-remembered 
 festivals of our glorious New England winter.
 
 THE END or THE YEAR. 261 
 
 The boys have the fun of coasting and 
 skating, in which, of late years, the girls fre- 
 quently join ; and the girls have the pleasure 
 of parties and social gatherings, to which, of 
 course, the boys are invited ; the men have 
 their daily papers, with the proceedings of 
 Congress, often exciting if not always ele- 
 vating and beneficial, and promising a full 
 share of interest to all parties the present 
 season. 
 
 The winter schools, with all their excite- 
 ments, and pleasures, and profit, flourish at 
 this period ; the lectures, the libraries, and 
 last, but not least, the periodical literature, 
 including the educational journals. In fact, 
 we may say, like the people of California, 
 we have but two seasons ; not, however, 
 like theirs, the wet and the dry, but the 
 reading and the labor season. 
 
 Now, what I wish to say, although I 
 have been a long time getting at it, is that
 
 262 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 I wish you all a merry "Merry Christ- 
 mas," and a hearty " Happy New Year." 
 " Christmas is coming," and then, before we 
 fairly wake up to the fact that it has come 
 ajid gone, we hear each happy boy calling 
 out to us, "A happy New Year." 
 
 Let the year close with thankfulness for 
 its unnumbered blessings, with regrets for 
 its many shortcomings, with hearty and 
 strong resolutions for better things during 
 the New Year ; and then let us carry out all 
 our good resolutions. 
 
 I have laid away in one of the drawers of 
 my memory, bright recollections of the 
 "Coronation of Winter," which came at 
 Christmas and lasted till the morning of the 
 New Year. It was a sight never to be lost 
 from one's memory. 
 
 The old elms were bowed with the weight 
 of the silver sheen, all covered with sparkling 
 gems, swords, and spears, and swaying seep-
 
 THE END OF THE YEAR. 263 
 
 ters, fantastic shapes, and rainbow hues. That 
 brilliant scene, with tree and shrub and house 
 and fence and everything within sight cov- 
 ered with ice, suggested the following lines : 
 
 A CHEISTMAS SCENE. 
 
 All day the air was keen and sharp and cold; 
 All night the rain came rattling on the roof, 
 And on the trees and on the frozen gro-und; 
 And wheresoe'er it touched, 't was frozen fast. 
 The morning dawned! the clouds had passed away; 
 The sun came forth and shone with dazzling light, 
 When all around, both near and far away, 
 One saw, in truth, a brilliant, beauteous sightl 
 Each roof was glazed, the pavement coated o'er, 
 And every tree and shrub and stalk of last year's 
 
 growth, 
 Which Autumn's chilling hand had naked stripped, 
 And, unprotected, left to winter's blast. 
 Was now well clothed in sparkling armor bright I 
 Erom every roof and tower, from spire and dome ; 
 From every tree, whose waving branches bent 
 Beneath the ponderous load of polished mail; 
 From every spire of grass that upright stood;
 
 264 TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 From all around and o'er the country wide, 
 
 In rainbow hues the sparkling light was sent 
 
 In ever varying, ever twinkling rays. 
 
 Here brilliant diamonds, in Nature's casket set; 
 
 There gleaming swords in bristling sheaths en- 
 cased. 
 
 Until the whole, so gorgeous and so bright, 
 
 Seemed more like Heaven than sin-stained, fallen 
 earth. 
 
 Along the streets the crowds are hastening fast, 
 Or, pausing here and there in thoughtful mood, 
 To indulge the beauty of th' enchanting scene, 
 Or comment on the Avondrous, sparkling hues/ 
 
 A man of wealth, in crossing o'er the street. 
 Observes the silvery appearance of the sleet. 
 And fain would wish that all this icy crest 
 Were so much d''argent in his money chest. 
 
 A misanthrope next passes, on his way 
 To 'Change, to while away the gloomy day; 
 He sadly grumbles at " the sheer disguise, 
 Mere outside show, to cheat one's longing eyes." 
 
 We next observe, enchanted by the scene, 
 A beauteous girl, whose age is just sixteen. 
 Who dares to wish this gorgeous ice had been 
 Pearls and bracelets to deck her person in.
 
 THE END OF THE YEAR. 205 
 
 A school-boy next, upon his way to school, 
 Just stops and thinks, — hut not about his rule, — 
 List now! He says: "•Would all that icy tree 
 Were so much candy, Jim, for you and me." 
 
 With slow and pensive pace, a farmer see, 
 Muttering that this will spoil full many a tree, 
 Which now has borne for more than twenty years, 
 His greenings, Baldwins, peaches, and his peai's. 
 
 That wretched miser thinks of naught but gold. 
 And clutching in his hand a diamond, icy cold. 
 He almost thinks it 's so much silver coin. 
 But when he opes his hand, behold, 'tis gone. 
 
 Now comes a Christian, hastening up the street, 
 On deed of mercy bent, with willing feet; 
 His glistening eye, expressing peace within, 
 Drinks in with glowing rapture all the scene. 
 
 'T is he alone enjoys the beauteous crown 
 
 Of winter^ and the diamonds scattered 'round; 
 
 'T is he alone who shows by deed or word 
 
 He " looks through nature up to nature's God." 
 
 Desiring not the transient wealth of earth. 
 He sees around him more than silver's worth; 
 He calls not so much beauty "mere disguise," 
 Nor thinks of "gaudy pearls " to mock the eyes.
 
 26Q TALKS WITH MY BOYS. 
 
 No school-boy's foolish wish disturbs his breast; 
 And since he knows " whatever is, is best.'' 
 No silly fears for want of "next year's fruit " 
 Distui'bs his peaceful mind, and makes him mute. 
 
 The wretched miser''s curse affects him not; 
 Although he 's rich in all the world has got, 
 He ever strives to bless and honor God, 
 And spends his wealth and life in doing good. 
 
 The Christian man alone enjoys the scene 1 
 With sinless eye and naught of guile within, 
 He thanks his God for such a glorious sight, 
 Ajid prays for strength to do his duty right.
 
 Messrs. Roberts Brothers Publications. 
 
 THE WHAT-TO-DO CLUB. 
 
 A STORY FOR GIRLS. 
 
 By Helen Campbell. 
 i6mo. Cloth. Price $1.50. 
 
 •' ' The What-to-do Club ' is an unpretending story. It introduces us to a 
 dozen or more village girls of varying ranks. One has had superior opportuni- 
 ties ; another exceptional training; two or three have been 'away to fchool;' 
 some are farmers' daughters ; there is a teacher, two or three poor self-support- 
 ers, — in fact, about such an assemblage as any town between New York and 
 Chicago might give us. But while there is a lar,ce enough company to furnish a 
 delightful coterie, there is absolutely no social life among them • . . Town ard 
 counlry need mor' improving, enthusiastic work to redeem them from barrenness 
 and indolence. Our girls need a chance to do independent work, to study prac- 
 tical business, to fill their minds with other thoughts than the petty doings of 
 neighbors. A What-to-do Club is one step toward higher village life. It is one 
 step toward disinfecting a neighborhood of the poisonous gossip which floats like 
 a pestilence around localities which ought to furnish the most desirable homes in 
 our country." — The Ckautauquan. 
 
 " 'The What-to-do Club ' is a delightful story for girls, especially for New 
 England girls, by Helen Campbell. The heroine of the story is Sybil Waite, the 
 beautiful, resolute, and devoted daughter of a broken-down but highly educated 
 Vermont lawyer. The story shows how much it is possible for a well-trained and 
 determined young woman to accomplish when she sets out to earn her own living, 
 or help others. Sybil begins with odd jobs of carpentering, and becomes an artist 
 in woodwork. She is first jeered at, then admired, respected, and finally loved 
 by a worthy man. The book closes pleasantly with John claiming Sybil as his 
 own. The labors of Sybil and her friends and of the New Jersey ' Busy Bodies,' 
 which are said to be actual facts, ought to encourage many young women to more 
 successful competition in the battles of hfe." — Golden Rule. 
 
 " In the form of a story, this book suggests ways in which young women 
 may make money at home, with practical directions for so doing. Stories with a 
 moral are not usually interesting, but this one is an exception to the rule. The 
 narrative is lively, the incidents probable and amusing, the characters well-drawn, 
 at d the dialects various and characteristic. Mrs. Campbell is a natural story- 
 tel'er, and has the gift of making a tale interesting. Even the recipes for pickles 
 and preserves, evaporating fruits, raising poultry, and keeping bees, are made 
 poetic and invested with a certain ideal glamour, and we are thrilled and absorbed 
 by an array of figures of receipts and expenditures, equally with the changeful 
 incidents of flirtation, courtsliip, and matrimony. Fun and pathos, sense and 
 sentiment, are mingled throughout, and the combination has resulted in one of 
 the brightest stories of the season." — M'oinaii's Jonrttal. 
 
 Sold by all booksellers. Mailed, post-paid, by publishers, 
 IIOBERTS BROTHERS, Boston.
 
 . HALE'S BOY B 
 
 STORIES OF War, 
 
 Told by Soldiers. 
 
 Stories of the sea, 
 
 Told by Sailors. 
 
 Stories of adventure, 
 
 Told by Advaitiirers. 
 
 Stories of Discovery, 
 
 Told by Discoverers. 
 
 Stories of invention, 
 
 Told by Inventors. 
 
 Collected and edited by Edward E. Hale. i6mo, 
 
 cloth, black and gold. Price, $i.co per volume. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or jnailed. post-paid., on 
 receipt of price by the Publishets, 
 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, BOSTON.
 
 Messrs. Roberts Brothers Publications. 
 
 TREASURE ISLAND: 
 
 ^ ^torg of rtjc <S}jaius!j JHaim 
 
 By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. 
 
 With Illustrations by F. T. Merrill. 
 
 i6mo. Cloth, $1.25 ; paper covers, 50 cents. 
 
 *' Buried treasure is one of the very foundations of romance. . . . This is 
 the theory on which Mr. Stevenson has written 'Treasure Island.' Primarily 
 it is a book for boys, with a boy-hero and a string of wonderful adventures. 
 But it is a book for boys which will be delightful to all grown men who have the 
 sentiment of treasure-hunting and are touched with the true spirit of the Spanish 
 Main. Like all Mr. Stevenson's good work, it is touched with genius. .It is 
 written — in that crisp, choice, nervous English of which he has the secret — with 
 such a union of measure and force as to be in its way a masterpiece of narrative. 
 It is rich in excellent characterization, in an abundant invention, in a certain grim 
 romance, in a vein of what must, for want of a better word, be described as melo- 
 drama, which is both thrilling and peculiar. It is the work of one who knows all 
 there is to be known about ' Robinson Crusoe,' and to whom Dumas is some- 
 thing more than a great aiiiHseur ; and it is in some ways the best thing he has 
 produced." — London Saturday Review. 
 
 " His story is skilfully constructed, and related with untiring vivacity and genuine 
 dramatic power. It is calculated to fascinate the old boy as well as the young, 
 the reader of Smollett and Dr. Moore and Marryatt as well as the admirer of the 
 dexterous ingenuity of Poe. It deals with a mysterious island, a buried treasure, 
 the bold buccaneer, and all the stirring incidents of a merry life on the Main. . . . 
 We can only add that we shall be surprised if ' Treasure Island ' does not satisfy 
 the most exacting lover of perilous adventures and thrilling situations." — London 
 A cademy. 
 
 " Any one who has read ' The New Arabian Nights ' will recognize at once 
 Hit Stevenson's qualifications for telling a good buccaneer story. Mr. Steven- 
 son's genius is not wholly unlike that of Poe, but it is Poe strongly impregnated 
 with Marryatt. Yet we doubt if either of those writers ever succeeded in making 
 a reader identify himself with the supposed narrator of a story, as he cannot fail 
 to do in the present case. As we follow the narrative of the boy Jim Hawkini' 
 we hold our breath in his dangers, and breathe again at his escapea" — Lofidoif 
 
 A thencEum. 
 
 » 
 
 Sold by all Booksellers. Mailed, postpaid, by the pub- 
 Ushers, 
 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, 
 
 Boston, Mass.
 
 BOB BROW^ISrs BOY-BOOK 
 
 "Will Bradley and I." 
 
 WE BOYS. 
 
 Written by one of us for the amusement of Pa's and 
 Ma's in general, Aunt Lovisa in particular. 
 
 PRICE $1.00. 
 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, Publishers, 
 
 Boston.
 
 Jolly Good Times at School 
 
 'O -what an Uncle Jerry \ O you splendid man ! " cried Millie. — Page 137, 
 
 ALSO, SOME TIMES NOT QUITE SO JOLLY. 
 
 By p. THORNE. Price $1.25. 
 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, Publishers
 
 Mice at Play. 
 
 ■ I pulled it full of water, and then I poked the pipe end into her 
 ear, and then I let it fly." 
 
 "When the Cat's away, the Mice will play." .'^•/^ 
 
 ^' 
 
 I 
 
 A STORY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. 
 
 By Neil Forest. Price $1.25. 
 — * — 
 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, Publishers, 
 
 Boston.
 
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