The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-07-31

EDUCATION oy BoYs. A merchant
lately had occasion for young Ind as q
clerk. He advertised and several pre-.
sented themselvcs-among them q well.
dressed, handsome youth, who favorably
impressed him, and whom he though Of
taking on trial. But when he asked the
lad to write, the awkward chirography
convinced him that, however else the boy
might suit, his pcnmanship would not
answer. lie then called up another whose
appearance likewise betokened compare.
lively wealthy parentagc, aud gave him
calculation to make. But the fractions
were too much for this aspirant. At last
lic picked out neat but economically
dressed lad, who said he had been cdu.
Gated at the High School, and who was
evidently the child Of parentsin but mod.
crate circumstances. 1his boy promptly
passed the ordeal. The merchant has
now had the youth in his employmentfor
= considerable period, and says in com.
mcnting on the occurrence, "hc will prob
ably, in ten years, be on the high road to
fortune, while those other two lads, with
their originally superior advantages, will
be getting poorer aud poorer continually.
Now whose is the fault To some cx.
tent, doubtless, il is that Of the lads; but
their parents are not entirely blameless
either. Mau is naturally 4 vagrant ami
NAL. Not one out Of five loves work, in
the tirst place, for works sake merely.
II is necessary to take tho child almost
as soon As he ceases to be an infant, and
begin to educate him for the part he has
to play in life. Parents cannot inculcate
on their offspring too carly that, il they
would be prosperous and happy, they
must learn to depend on their own cIcr.
tons for making or even retaining
fortune. The boy who grows up, pet
ted and indulged; who thinks that his
father is so rich that he need not work
like other lads; who is not disciplined to
study, to labor, to self-denial generally;
such boy, no matter what his advantages
of capital, or connection, will run the
greatest risk Of final bankruptcy, il he
does not, as too many do, turn out utter.
" worthless even before be is cid enough
to begin business. There is an ancient
provcrb, that, to make gentleman, you
must begin in the cradle. The adage
would be truer and more useful, IL il was
that, to make business man, you must
begin with the boy.
---,-5ttf tho other three candidates for the
clsrisiiip, whom the merchant examined,
two had started in lifo with every ad-
vantage. They had been sent to choice
schools, they had been furnished literally
with books, they had been able to give
their undivided attention to study. But
not feeling the necessity Of eIertion, and
not having it impressed on them by their
parents, they trincd away their privileges.
The other Ia |, rom childhood, had had
to struggle. II was only by great self.
denial, probable, that his father had been
able to clotbe him dcceutly enough to 20
to school. From the first he had realized
the worth Of education, tho value Of time,
and tho necessity Of relying on himself
He had hardened the muscles of his char
actcr, il VIC may Use such metaphor, by
the necessary trimming which his circuni.
stances imposed upon him. 1t depends
altogether up,n the manner in which
children arc educated, whether they be-
come useful, prosperous and happy mem.
bcrs Of society, or whether they 90 down,
in charactcran fortune, on the
boisterous sea Of flife.-Phila. Ledger.