Advice
to Young Folks
by
Lee Hanks
Advice
to Young Folks Advice to Young Folks Advocate ' Messenger
The future of our country and of our nation depends upon the
youths of our country. The best guide for a high and noble
life, for our boys and girls, is the Bible. God's law is a
perfect law. Every blessing temporal and spiritual comes from
the great and merciful hand of God. He gives our natural life,
and eyes to see, ears to hear, feet with which we walk, hands with
which we work, hearts to render thanks, and all of our senses,
feeling, tasting, smelling, seeing, hearing and the tongues with
which we speak. God has given us all these wonderful blessings.
We could not exist one moment without Him. Yong boys and
girls, the good Lord has blessed you with a father and mother to
tenderly love, feed and clothe you and to guide you and tenderly care
for you in all your afflictions and privations of life. They
have made great sacrifices to educate you and to bring you up to a
life of usefulness to make noble useful citizens. you should
reverence your God and also reverence your good parents which God has
given you who are the greatest earthly friends you have her. Read
with a desire to elevate yourself to the highest and noblest plane on
earth. Exodus 20:12. 'Honor thy father and mother: that thy
days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.'
'Thou shalt not kill.' 'Thou shalt not bear false witness
against they neighbor.' That boy or girl who observes these commands
will not only be respected as a honorable and upright citizen, but
will be highly esteemed by all who
know him or her and a blessing
to society. By right and moral living they elevate themselves
to a life of usefulness of which they will never have regrets.
Remember the first commandment: ' Honor thy father and mother .' The
youths who do this, will live long here in the confidence of the best
people and overcome every false accusation against them. Children
should reverence and obey the teaching of their good parents and
never speak unkindly to them. They are your best friends and
will make every lawful sacrifice for you and you should be
industrious and ready to lessen their burdens in every way possible.
Always seek their advice in all you do. Never go to any
place you would be ashamed for your parents to see you. You
will never regret living right and being kind, loving, tender and
obedient to your parents. Your parents know better with whom
you should associate than you do. Shun wicked and immoral
company. Read the Bible and good moral books which will store your
minds with high elevating knowledge which will prepare you for a life
of usefulness and be honoring to God and to your parents. Do
not read trashy, immoral novels, or attend movies where immoral
pictures are exhibited. They have a tendency
to lead the
mind to vice and degeneracy. Do not use profane or immoral
language. God has blessed you with a tongue that you should
appreciate. Do not let that tongue curse, use any bywords, nor
take the holy name of God in vain. When you mention the name of
God, do so with most profound reverence. Do not use substitutes
for cursing, such as 'dog gone it,' 'by golly,' 'he gave him
down the country,' etc. The expressions are a kind of cursing.
Leave them all off. Shun every appearance of evil.
'Swear not at all.' Let your conversation be yea, yea,
and nay, nay. I had no use for any immoral or profane language
when I was a boy. My good parents taught me better and I
cherish their memory today. Shun drinking, saloons and immoral
houses. They will drag you down to
shame and disgrace. I
always tried to live within my means and pay my just debts. I
never was able to wear such fine clothes, but what I wore were paid
for. Beware of debt. Do not spend money foolishly. Do
not be too hard to please. Try to be satisfied with the food
and raiment you have. Shun a low class of women as you would a
viper. They are the greatest curse to a community. A good
chaste girl is one of the greatest blessings. She wields an
influence for good-a great blessing in a community. One mistake you
may make will destroy you for life. Be truthful, sober,
upright, honest, law-abiding and beware of the first drink. If
you never take the first drink, you will never be a drunkard.
Whiskey and bad women have wrecked the life of many a man. My
father died in Henry County, Va., 1869, before I was eight years old.
The civil war made such a destruction of property in our
country, we know what it was to suffer for food and raiment. I
was the youngest of twelve children. I was soon thrown out upon
the cold charities of the world-homeless and friendless. My
mother lived with married children. All were poor and had no
home of their own. I went from place to place, very poorly
clad, and glad to get a little bread and milk to eat. My good
mother taught me to live morally and keep good company or none, which
I tried to do. I seldom ever knew what it was to have any money
at all. When I had a little money I would buy school books and
a Testament. Having no opportunity of school, I studied where I
stayed of nights by fire light, having a thirst for an education. I
had no earthly legacy, but if I could get an education no one could
take that from me. It would be a blessing for life. After
I was about grown, I went to school a portion of winters working
nights, mornings and Saturday to pay my board. I attended a
normal school, Concord, W. Va., getting my board on a credit. I
then began teaching school and taught for years and continued to
study. I always tried to live strictly moral and observe the
teachings of my precious mother. I love her memory. I
have but little respect for one who disrespects the teachings of
mother-the truest earthly friend. I fear the future of any
child who disrespects mother. Parents should control their
children while they are young. Bring the up 'in the way they
should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. I
have a tender love and sympathy for young people and desire their
welfare.
Written by request,
Lee Hanks