"
For years the greatest pleasure of my life has been that young boys
have come to me from all over my State to talk about how they should
proceed in life's battle. You, too, may have the pleasure of helping
young men. But beware how you do this, saying in your heart, "I will
help this young man, and when he succeeds I will reap my reward." Such
a selfish thought will utterly poison your advice, deflect your moral
vision, distort your intellectual perceptions.
That man who advises a young man with the thought that some day he
will be able to harvest personal advantage from that young man's
success, has probably by that very thought been rendered incapable of
giving sound advice or profitable help. Help the young man for his
sake, for the sake of the great humanity of which he is a fresh and
beautiful part, for the sake of that abstract good which, after all,
is the only reward in this life worthy the consideration of a serious
man.
I heard not long ago of a brilliant and crafty young politician who
was and is an earnest champion and helper of a very successful and
highly practical man in public life. He had acquired some unfortunate
traits. He was suspicious, distrustful.
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