為而不適。」夫人而惜取少年時。即所以自成其真正之人格也。
古人誠有若為運會所造成而焜耀於史冊者。然蒙以養正。大德大功。恒植基於少時所感受。此其常例也。不觀史冊所載乎。「亞力山大之父。使非馬其頓王腓力。未必能征服世界。漢尼巴[古Carthage之大將]使非有哈密克爾。[ 漢尼巴之父]誓使永報大仇。未必為羅馬人之害。拿坡侖使非讀荷馬[希臘詩人]之詩。 鼓其雄心。未必致全歐流血。」而在吾人今日。彼少時受最良之教者。其所成必大。不唯利己。其影響且被天下也。
然唯約束子弟於青年時期。使不近下流。不染惡習。猶未為足也。必勤播正誼之種子於其心。高潔之訓。良知之教。所當大書深刻於其胸臆者。蓋親之約束。外而可見者也。立身之道。內而不可見者也。少年終有離去其親之日。或竟有擺脫家庭關系之時。斯時茍無正理以董之。則將敗德喪行。舟而無柁。必有覆於洪濤之危也
Some men,it is true,have been seemingly created by circumstances ,and have figured prominently in the world's history.But,as a generalrule,the child makes the man;and the foundation of all greatness andusefulness is laid by the impressions of youth. "Alexander the Greatwould not have been the conqueror of the world had his father notbeen Philip of Macedon.Hannibal would not.have been the scourge ofthe Romans if Hamilcar had not sworn him to eternal vengeance againsthis enemies.Napoleon Bonaparte would not have deluged Europe withblood,if he had not been inspired by the genius of war from the pagesof Homer."Aud in our own days,those men whose early impressions werethe most favorable have been the most successful, both in their ownlives,and in their influence upon the world at large.
But it will not be enough to keep children during the season ofyouth from the reach of improper associates and influences. The seedof right principles must be diligently sown in their minds. Lessons of purity and conscientiousness must be written deep on the tables ofthe heart. Parental restraint is outward and visible, but the guidingprinciples of life are inward and invissble. The day will come whenthe youth must quit the parental roof, and perhaps entirely bid adieuto the influences of home. If he be then destitute of rightprinciples, if his mind be like a ship without a rudder, he willstand in imminent danger of being swept away by the waves of corruption.
