Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-07-20
Choosing a Profession.

III LnlS Country every ouc CuOoseo Mo o"i
profession. Employments are not hereditar,
like the castles in India; nor are they SO gener
I ally selected by the parents as in Europe. Eacl
man, each youth, chooses for himself Men e
ven choose two or three times over. In Eng
land and in Germany, a lad, at fourteen, is bount
apprentice seven years to something from which
be seldom deyiates. Here, it is seldom that &
man does not change his occupation half doz.
en- times in the course of his life. Strange tt
say, instead of being ruined, such is the demand
for labor, that he may lay by something in all
| if he will. '>a .
There is, of course, great loss of productive
power both to the individual and to the State
in all this Not SO great, unqueStionably, on the
whole, as the gain which arises from each man
throwing himself heart and soul into something
that thoroughly interests him and excites his
freshest yigor and energies. But all the time
that is spent in learning two or three professions
instead of one, is so much of his time lost for
ever. And 80 much as is not spent in acquiring
thorough knowledge oft is worse than vast
ed, creating every day a loss and an injury to
all around, positively incalculable. In Europe,
and in the East man knows his own business
and nothing else. With US it often happens
that be knows everything else but that.
Yet to put youth to learn some occupation
for which be has no capacity, or taste, or incli'
nation, and to educate him for it, and nothing
else, must be highly pernicious while yet too
much facility of choice in very early life is al
most as bad as none. Let any one think of his
own youth, and superficial and mistaken views
of all professions he first formed, and, be will be
surprised almost that any oneshould have thought
of letting bis judgement decide the matter. If
there is a matter in which parental wisdom
should guide without forcing and be guided by
the character, but not by the whims of child
hood, tits just this.
We new of q lad, once, who met Lord Broug.
ham, or some other great lawyer, riding out in
his carriage, in Hyde Park, attended by two or
three footmen in splendid iveries, when his
father, thinking it fine time to instill into the
mind of the youth taste for forensic eloquence
and its distinctions, asked his own son how he
would like to be lawyer. The lad innocently
replied that he believed he would rather follow
the occupation of those gentlemen in the splen-
did clothes green and gold, than that of the lit
tie pug.Losed old man, in plain suit of black,
that was along with them. Nor was it until 1t
was explained that, on arriving at home those
tootmen had to lay aside the fine clothes and
black the shoes or wait at the table, instead OF
eating with the company, that he could be con-
vinced.
A mere boyish desire for the fine liveries of
any occupation, whether it be the regimentals
and music of the soldier, the elevated rostrum
paudits of the fourth of July orator, or the pull
pit of the divine, is just no proof Of adaptive
ness for any one OF the pursuits. 1t is boyish
courage, energy. and self.conquest that should
mark out the successful soldier; strength and
grasp of intellect, and commanding power OF
persuasive expression, that should indicate the
coming pleader; aud fervid piety, in conjunction
with all of these, that should point out the fu.
ture divine. The love of the drum and OF the
epsulet, or of the gown and of the cassock, has
led many coward into the army, and many
goose and idler into the pulpit.
Character is the essence OF destiny, and the
discovery OF its traits is great foundation OF
the successful choice of an occupation. But this
| is by no means all. A youth should have GER
tain respect for his future profession, even more
than love for it; success in it should be the
height of his ambition, and failure thing TO be
avoided at any cost OF trial and energy. Find
out what occupation your son would consider 1t
the highest attainment to do well in, and you
have no small indication OF his best calling II
| his taste and Judgement are radically wrong a.
bout this, the fault is most probably in those
who ought to have formed il better-if at all
right or appropriate, it should be consulted as
far as possible.
But parents position in life, or the early and
necessary occupation of childhood, in great
measure decide the employment with which
lad shall at least begin lite. That which he can
do best. and most naturally and proftably, is
generally the best for him. Any occupation
that now most fully occupies all his powers and
deve lopes his energies voluntarily to the ut
most, is educating him most etfectually for any
and every occupation in life.
But SO far as choice is still left, let each select
not sel6shly, that occupation in which ne can
make the most money or fame, but that In which
he can do the world the most good. This ele
waited and noble feeling Of disinterestedness will
awaken the noblest feelings and lead to the most
exalted success. This makes the patriot soldier
the eloquent orator, and the true divine.-Ph't
adelphia LEDGER ~.