Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-09-05
NJ IS c E L L A N Y.
EDUCATION OF BOYS,

merchant had occasion for young lad as
a clerk. He advertised, and several presented
themselves, among them a well-dressed, hand
some youth, who favoiably impressed him, and
whom he III ught Of taking oh trial But when
he asked the lad to write, the awkward chi
Biography convinced him that however else the
boy might suit, his penmanship would not an
swer. He then called up another, whose appear
ance likewise hetokened comparatively wealthy
pareatage, and gave him calculation TO make
But the fractions we're too much for this aspir-
ant. AT last, he picked out neat, but econo-
micallv dressed lad. who said he had been edu-
Gated at the High School, aud who was EVIDENT
" the child OF parents in but moderate circum
stances. This boy promptly passed the ordeal
The merchant has now had the youth in his EN-
ployment for considerable period, and says, in
commenting on the occurrence, " he will prob
ably, in ten years, b. on the high road TO for
tune, while those two other lads, with their ORR
ginally superior advantages will be getting poor
er and poorer continually"
Now whose is the fault ? To some extent,
doubtless, it is that of the lads but their parents
are not entirely bameless either. Man is II ,tu-
rally vagrant animal. No; one of five loves
work, in the first place, for works sake merely.
1t is necessary to take the child almost as soon
as he ceases to be an infant, and begin To rdu
cafe him for the part he has to play in life. Pa
rents cannot ncucate on their Offspring too ear
v, that, if they would be prosperous and hap
py, they must learn to depend on their own ex-
ertiOns for making or even retaining fortune.
The hoy. who grows up petted and INDUCED /;
who thinks that his father is 80 rich that he need
not work like other la S; who is not disciplined
to study TO labor, to Seli:denial generally; such
a boy, no matter what his advantages Of capital
or connexion, will run the greatest risk of final
bankruptcy, if he does not, as too many do, turn
out utterly worthless, even before he is old
enough to begin business. There is an ancient
proverb, that, 10 make gentleman, you mus
begin in the cradle The adage would be truei
and more useful, if was that, TO make man a
business man, you must begin with the boy.
OF the three candidates for the clerkship
whom the merchant examined. two had started
life with every advantage. They had been sen
to choice schools, they had been furnished lib
orally with books, they had been able 10 give
their undivided attention to study but not feel
ing the necessity of exertion, and not having i
impressed on them By their parents, they triflet
away their privileges. The other lad ron
chdho ID, had to struggle 1t was only by grea
selcdenial, probably, that his father had beer
able to clothe him decently enough to 60 t.
school From the first, he had realized thu
worth of education, the value OF time, and tn
necessity Of relying on himself He had hard
cned the muscles OF his character, If we may us
such metaphor, by the necessary training whlc
his circumstances imposed upon him. 1t depend
altogether upon the manner in which chdre
are educated. whether they become useful, pro:
porous and happy members Of society, or whel
er they go down, ioundered in character an
fortune, on the boisterous sea Of liir.--Phildde
phia Ledger.