OPPORTUNITIES OF YOUNG MEN. 345 



delivered the address before the Social Union. He chose for 

 his theme, "The Opportunities and Perils that beset Young 

 men in the Pathway of Life." The opportunities that offer to 

 a young man are short, come but once, must be improved at 

 the time when presented, or they are lost forever. The age 

 of the world is propitious. Such improvement, progress, 

 thrift, as everywhere abound, were never enjoyed by young 

 men before. These afford golden opportunities ; but they are 

 fraught with peril if neglected and misimproved. Industry 

 is the birthright of the student; but love of ease, the syren- 

 tongued peril ever near, may lure him to barter it for a mess 

 of pottage. It is the key that unlocks his owai powers, and 

 opens to the possessor the hidden mysteries and veiled 

 beauties of each department of science and art. 



Common-sense, one of the noblest faculties of the mind, is 

 the capital of the scholar. It is a power more widely diffused 

 than genius, and equally worthy of cultivation. It is the 

 distinguishing characteristic of the New Englander ; the 

 essential element of his nature ; part and parcel of his very 

 being; a kind of trade-mark, that, stamped on the Yankee, 

 makes him what he is, and what nobody else can be. 



The senator's remarks throughout were highly practical, 

 tending to stimulate the young man just entering life's path- 

 way to rely on his own powers, and strike out boldly for suc- 

 cess, and achieve it, because he is worthy of it. 



These young men have great f\icilities for acquiring a thor- 

 ough knowledge of all branches of study pursued here, and 

 yet these professors, indefatigable as they are, must have the 

 cooperation of the students, or their efforts are failures. A 

 goose, carried round the world, returns a goose, and a dunce, 

 toted through college on ponies, is no more and no less than 

 that at graduation. 



The places and positions of society on the common plane 

 are full, but there is ample room higher up. When the seat 

 of chief justice of the United States court is to be tilled, the 

 public mind is sensitive, and demands the highest order of 

 intellect, genius, integrity and virtue, lest the ermine, untar- 

 nished by a Marshall and a Chase, might be sullied hy an 

 unworthy successor. All cannot fill such positions, but all 

 can aspire to be worthy to be called up higher. 

 u 



