rld of experience and present
power does not believe in him.

For the world does believe in you, young man. It is not "down on" you.
It is busy, that is all. It is engaged with the numberless and
pressing concerns of its from-day-to-day existence. It is forgetful,
no doubt, but its apathy does not go deeper than that.

With this caution to the young man that he may not misunderstand what
is here written, I appeal to men and women, in whose faces the years
have etched the lines and wrinkles of knowledge and understanding, to
give more attention to young men; to encourage the nobilities of them;
to reach down a helping hand from your secure station on the heights
to him who struggles upward toward you.

It will not hurt you, sir or madam, to closely watch for signs of
developing power in the young men of your acquaintance and to
cultivate that growing strength by your active and aggressive faith in
the young giant whom you have thus discovered.

Men and women there are who search minutely for unknown powers in
plant-life, and by infinite pains in the use of that power, when
found, evolve newer, higher, and better types of fruit and flower. And
this is a good work. Men and women there are who sweep the infinitudes
of the skies that they may find a star hitherto unseen, or steal
unawares upon a hidden planet or a flying comet swiftly, yet
stealthily, emerging upon the field of the telescope's vision.

And that is a good work, too--yet fruitless, for the immensities of
the universe will never be measured, nor the mysteries of the skies
be solved, nor the stars give up their secrets. Most of us are on some
quest which requires the very infinitesimalities of patience, quests
that are grand and quests that are foolish, searchings that are useful
and explorations that are frivolous.

But the noblest of all prospecting is for strength and high purpose
and thoroughbred quality among the young manhood of our Nation. For
any one who helps some young man to make his life righteously
successful has enriched humanity more than he who reveals a Klondike
to the uses and the greed of the clans of trade.

Yes; and he or she who, in the search for strong minds and pure hearts
among young men, discovers to the world a _great_ man has in that
achievement wrought immortality for himself and herself, while
rendering to mankind a service like that of a Columbus or a Pasteur.
For Columbus discovered a new continent; but what of the man or