Beingtold I would be expected to talk here, I inquired what sort of talk Iought to make. They said it should be something suitable toyouth—something instructive, or something in the nature of goodadvice. Very well. I have a few things in my mind which I have oftenlonged to say for the instruction of the young; for it is in one’stender early years that such things will best take root and be mostenduring.

 Alwaysobey your parents, when they are present. This is the best policy inthe long run, because if you don’t, they will make you. Mostparents think they know better than you do, and you can generallymake more by humoring that superstition than you can by acting onyour own better judgment.

Berespectful to your superiors, if you have any, also to strangers, andsometimes to others. If a person offends you, and you are in doubt asto whether it was intentional, do not resort to extreme measures;simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. That will besufficient. If you shall find that he had not intended any offense,come out frankly and confess yourself in the wrong when you struckhim; acknowledge it like a man and say you didn’t mean to. Yes,always avoid violence, in this age of charity and kindliness.

Goto bed early, get up early—this is wise. Some authorities say getup with the sun; some say get up with one thing, others with another.But a lark is really the best thing to get up with. It gives you asplendid reputation with everybody to know that you get up with thelark, and if you get the right kind of lark, and work at him right,you can easily train him to get up at half past nine, every time—it’sno trick at all.

Nowas to the matter of lying. You want to be very careful about lying;otherwise you aresureto get caught. Many a young person has injured himself permanentlythrough a single clumsy lie. The young ought to be sensible in theuse of this great art until practice and experience shall give themthat confidence, elegance, and precision. Think what tedious years ofstudy, thought, practice, and experience! For the history of ourrace, evidences are sewn thick that a truth is not hard to kill, andthat a lie well told is immortal. There is in Boston a monument ofthe man who discovered anesthesia; many people are aware, in theselatter days, that that man didn’t discover it at all, but stole thediscovery from another man. Ah no, my hearers, the monument is madeof hardy material, but the lie it tells will outlast it a millionyears.

Ihave said enough. I hope you will treasure up the instructions whichI have given you, and make them a guide to your feet and a light toyour understanding.