The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-02-06
Timothy Titcomb's Letters 10 Young
Mon.
NuMplR FWL
From thc Springfield Republican.

NUMBER flNL
From thc Springfield Republican.
l. there is anything in the world that q
Young man should be more grateful for than
another 1t is the poNcrty which neccssitaics
starting life under very great disadvantages
Poverty is one OF the best tests Of human
quality in existence. \ triumph over it is
like graduating With honor FROM West Point
It demonstrates stuff and stamina. 1t ia a
ccrtifc.tc Of worthy labor, faithfully perform
ed \ young man WHO cannot stand this
test is not good for anything. lie can never
rise above drudge or paupcr. \ young
man who cannot feel his will harden rs the
yoke OF poverty presses upon him, aud his
pluck rise with every difficulty that poverty
throws in his way, may as we'll retire into
some corner, and rot in his old clothes, Pow
crly saves thousand times more men than
it ruins, for il only ruins those who are not
particularly worth saving, while il saves mul,
titudcs OF those whom wealth would have
ruined. II any Young man who reads this
lctlcr is 50 unfortunate as To bc rich, give
him my pity. sympathy for such young
man | have none. for | MAS not rich when
young. | pity YOU my iich young friend, be-
cause YOU are in danger. You lack one great
Fii'sFt=rnd excellence that ,otir
companion possesses You will bc vcry'apt,
il you have a soft spot in your head, TO think
yourself above him, and that sort Of thing
makes YOU mean and Injuries YOU. With full
pockets and full stomach and good linen and
broadcloth on your back your heart and soul
will get plethoric and in the race Of life you
will find Yourself surpassed 10y all the poor
boys round YOU, before you know it,
No, my hoy, if you are poor thank God
nnA take courage; for he intend. 20 give YOU
chance to make something of yomsci Ii
you had plenty of money, ten chances to one
it would spoil you for all useful purposes
DO YOU lack education Have you been cut
short in the text booksa Remember that cd
ueaton, like some other things does not coin
sist in the multitude Of things that man
possesses. What can you do That is the
question that settles the hash for YOU. Do
you know your business Do YOU know men,
and how to deal with them9 Has your mind,
by any means whatsoever, received that dis
eiriirr which gives to its action power and
facihtyP If so, then you are more of man,
and n thousand times better educated, than
the fellow who graduates from college with
his brains full of stuff thathe cannot apply TO
the practical business of liie-stuf the acqui-
sition of which has been in no sense disci-
L.. =
There are very few men in this world less
than thirty years of age and unmarried who
can afford to be rich One of the greatest
benefits to be reaped from the recent finnn.
cial disaster is the saving of large crop of
young-mcn.
In regard to the choice of profession, that
is your business, and not mine nor that Of any
of your friends. you take to trade or
profession, don't be persuaded out of it, until
you are perfectly satisfied that you arc not
adapted to It. You will receive all sorts of
the most excellent advice, but you must re-
member that if you follow it, and IL leads
-you'nto a profession that starves you, those
who gave the advice never feel bound to give
you any money. You have got to take care
of yourself in this world, and you may as
well choose your own way Of doing it, always
remembering that it is'nGt your trade or your
profession which makes you respectable.
This leads me to matter that / may as well
dispose of here as anywhere.
] have been privately requested by the cd
itor of The Republican to explain what I
meant, in previous letter, by my counsel to
"let no man know by your dress what your
busncss is. You dress your person, not your
trade" AS the proper explanation Of this in
tolves very important principle. 1 propose
to devote the rest of this letter to its devel-
opment and illustration. The fault found
with this counsel is that it has always been
considered best to dress according to ones
business and position. l will explain the
ground of my horesy.