THE RISING GENERATION 



believing that the development of semi- 

 prodigies in that way, even if generally 

 possible, would mean an impoverishment, to 

 some extent, of natural childhood as built 

 up by play, romping, and the spontaneous 

 tutoring of children by children. 



Still there can be no doubt that if children 

 were, during their very earliest years, bet- 

 ter inspired and more systematically en- 

 couraged to think well of themselves and 

 their powers, life, its duties, possibilities, 

 and glory, young persons' mentality would 

 go forward with vastly greater rapidity 

 than now. 



History's crowning deeds have been per- 

 formed by young men. Alexander con- 

 quered Asia, and Napoleon Italy be- 

 fore they were 25. When our Civil 

 War began, Grant was only 39, McClellan 

 35, Sheridan 30. Stonewall Jackson 

 died under 40. Of the 2,778,000 enlisted 

 in the Union army, 2,150,798 were under 

 22 years of age; many thousands under 

 19, and nearly as many under 17. The 

 younger Pitt was Prime Minister at 25. 



215 



