The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-11-07
Our Boys.

What shall we make Of them ? What
will become Of them! These are practical
questions, and made every day, with. ssrious,
solicitude, by intelligent and thoughtful pa
rents. The rich and the poor have o'like
ambition to put their sons 10 good places;
they take more pains to select places which
will honor their sons, than to make their
sons capable of honorins places. The in.
quiry should be, not for place large enough
for son, but how to prepare son to fill o
place with profit TO those who may call him
to it, and with credit to himself.
An aDcient and honored family name in
this city has been inef,cesby tarnished,
lately, by using fsmiy influence to get one
of it's members into place OF very high
trust and responsibility; an flee fer which
he was so utterly incompetent, that its &c.
counts have fallen into inexiricabe confu
SIGN, while he himself. charged with a de-
grading crime, has been led in chains TO q
felon's cell, in q state OF bodily health which
Melts the hardest heart with pity, while his
venerable mother is made to weep tears OF
blood over the sad misfor,unes OF the child
of her heart.
Inquire, then, Whist your child is fl for,
rather than what will Git him; the Preeden.
cy of the Republic is fit for him, bot he may
not be fit for Il; it may receive him, but he
may not be able to fill it with ability and
honor. That Office is fit for any man, the
greatest and the best, but your son might
not be fit for it; 10 occupy it and fill it, to
discharge it's duties with fidelity. You mus,
seek place adapted to your sons capabIis
Ties, for you may not adapt his capabilities
to place. Seek place for him which he
will honor by elevating it, and making il
the more influential, but do not seek TO put
him in position which Is to honor him.
You are rich man. II Is neither safe, re
spectacle nor wise to bring any youth to
manhood without,a calling, without an oc
cupation by which he could maintain him
self in case he should lose his fortune. la
| looking around for such calling, instead Of
making the inquiry what you would like him
10 become, seek rather to know what occu.
patton 10 suitedt to his capacities call.
ing his abilities can fill. You might we'll
like him to become an eminent lawyer, but
has he that plodding and that tenacity Of
purpose, which will ensble him to investigate
and compare and deduce with unerriug &C.
curacy for many years before he can fairly
be able to commence practice! You nigh
like him to be come physician, but has ht
the self denial to cut off the flesh from the
dead mems bones, to live in the charne
house for long years together; and ther
have the patience to wait for practice fo
other long years; and the selfsacrifce Il
go at every CALI Of prince or pauper, in th'
mid0igh,s OF December or the fierce suns o
July, in rain or storm, or sleet or snow ,
Will he do this until forty years of age fo
J a bare subsistence, before he can. ma axe pa
,ients come to him, instead Of going t.
them .. fs.sl.1s s7ae
Perhaps your heart burns to make him !
minister; and, in wropt Imagination peeripl
beyond the shores Of time, yop see him, lib
J some tall archangel leading along bis vas
! bsttalions to the great white throne, saying
"EIere am l, the iastrumentaity Thou has
J made, Of bringing these immortals here,
and then loud spans came from seraphis ls
) gions in glad reply, t"Welcome, brother
! lIome.s". No greater glory than this is ther
/ 10 earth or in heaven for any created intel