The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-10-22
PROFESSIONAL LEE.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
"Ele that hath IA trade, bath an estate, said
Franklin, and this single line of advice con.
ta'ns instruction all important to every parent
and child in the community. There are I. thou.
sand errors Of Cpininon atioat, almost, in regard
to The education of children,-ln regard 10 u
professional lile,-in regard TO 2 trade, and, Of
course, IN regard TO the happiness OF The rising
generation, so far happiness depends upon
The KIND OF employment which engages, aud
which is to engage the attention of young men
1t is clear case that all boys cannot be scholars
that all cannot he educated for hat are call
ed the learned professionalism all cannot he
dlvines, lawyers AMI doctors ;-anh however
ambitious father or mother may he, that the
son should belong to one ot these Professions
the practIcahillty OF becoming so, aud OF sue
ceedhG in the profession in after life, isa QucS
ZION OF vast importance. Ii is, III best, but II
blind and foolish affection that leads parent TO
force child iGIto one Of the learned professions
Educate your children 10 the full extent of your
means, until they are qualified for business
Send them 10, and through college, if necessary.
Education can do them no harm, aud it will
serve TO make them but the better mechanics,
the better merchants, and the better citizens
a trade with an education, is great blessing,
and certainly will contribute greatly to Increase
the happiness ard usefulness of him who pos
sesses il. A trade, too, would be n great bless
ing, and great source of happiness to many n
professional man, who, for the lack OF mecIian.
ical knowledge, almost of necessity is passing
his days in dleness. We know of professional
men who have nourned over their ignorance Of
practical mechanics, aud who good fathers
have resolved to give their children q greater
blessing than even college etucatou,-the
knouledge ofa good trade. Their very suffer
ings have taught them lessons Of wisdom, &thejr
poverty md their professions have made then,
well. 1t should never he forgotten, than an ed
ucation necessary to farmer, to me-
chanic, and TO merchant, as to IA lawyer, u d.
vine, or n physician.-nnd although the KIND Of
knowledge necessary for each OF these profess
sons may differ, the one from the other. sill
the same time can be proftably spent in ed.
ucating man for one profession as for another.
The studies OF lawyer and physician dit.
fer but little IN amount, so to speak, then the
studies necessary for the mechanic and farmer.
Every business has its peculiar knowledge,
which requires rs much Time for man gain,
in one profession as another. 1t takes as much
time TO learn how TO be good mechanic, as it
doe, how TO he good lawyer ;-nud us for the
honor OF the profession, there is Just us much in
the one MS The other. Worth makes the man.
and knowledge will be respected by the multi.
tude rs mnch, and sometimes more, when II
mechanic is the fortunate poSSessor OF edge
as when it is possessed 10y the professional man.
The truth s--in our country as in England, the
professions are ovcrstocked, aud there are more
professional men than there is business to keep
them in employ. Few, but the really disiim-
guishGd ,-thrauan of talents and The inGustr-
Gus studenr,--he who rises early, and retires TO
rest ute,-whO is SO economical OF time, and
who 'eas the bread OF CarefiIlurSs,' can prosper
in profession. Let students, then, count The
cost, before spending their time aud energies for
naught, and especially let parents be careful,
how they encourage their children to enter upon
Il profession which may result IA their poverty,
their idlcntss and thcir ruin.
Since wiring the above, we have found the
following remarks in IL LAKE number of Black
woods Magazine. They are appropriate to our
subjecf, and speak the words OIL truth and sober.
ness. 'Ihe three black graccs-law, physic, and
divInity-hrc weary of their innumerable wor.
shippers, and yearly sentence crowds of them TO
perish of the aching sense Of failure. A few
gNtering successes allure the multitude, chan
ccl!orshlps, bShoprcs, and regiments figure he
lore the pubic eye, and every aspisanl from tie
cottage, and the more foolish parents OF every
aspirant set down The baube as gained, when
;hey have once plunged their unlucLy offspring
into this sea Of troubles which men call the
world. But thousands have died of broken
hearts in these pursuits, thousands, who would
have been happy behind the plough, or opuent
DehInd the counter thousands, in the desperate
struggles of thankIess professions, look upon the
simplicity OF lille OF manual labor with per-
pet'iai envy and thousands, by Il worse late
still, are driven to necessities which degrade the
principle within them, accustom them to hunili-
atlng modes OF obtuining subsistence and make
mp, by administering 10 the vices Of society, the
hvel lhooG which was refuse to their legitimate
exeriions. '-Porland .lduertiser
MAGNITUDE OF THE LAKES.
Lake Superior is 400 miles long, 80 miles