The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-01-27
PLANNING A CAREER.
BY HORACE GREELEY,

or hopes, or impulses, at one time or
another. but no definite, coherent. symme
trical plan. formed in early youth, matured
with growing knowledge and ripened judy
ment, and tenaciously adhered to. through
iavoring or seemingly adverse fortune, to
the end.
Vague aspiration is common enough
Nearly every youth desires and hopes in
| time to win fame or fortune-often both
Nearly every one would be a Girard or
Aston in wealth, a Webster in intellectual
might, if wishing would make him So
But the would be Aston has other desires
as we'll as that which wealth will crafty
he covets ease, luxury, and divers sensual
qualifications, as well as riches: and Nature
says to him decisively: " You may achieve
something, but not everything: choose.'-
Ho does not choose; but, aspiring to every
thing. attains nothing. He falls a victim
to his own anarchy Of purpose, just as the
fowler, who fires bullet at flock, but at
no particular bird, will generally hit no
one.
The cruclest mistake of Youth is neglect
to acquire skill and dexterity in some use
ful calling. Many fancy themselves too
| rich (prospectively) to need proficiency in
some handicraft: they expect to live on
what others have earned before them, not
what they shall earn themselves. But
Nature sternly vetoes this miscalculation-
sends tornadoes, earthquakes, Chicago
fires to battle it. Were an Astor or Van
derhilt, would have my every child taught
Il trade, even though ever so confident that
he would not need it. If only to arm linn
for the remote contingency of being cast
away on some isle previously unpeopled,
would fortify him against disaster by imbu-
ing his hands with skill, and his brain with
| resources and provisions for supplying
want.
Carlyle says the saddest sight on earth is
man able and willing to do useful work,
yet needing and vainly seeking employ
ment. realize that this is sad: but sad
der far to my apprehension is the too famil-
lar spectacle of men and women seeking
work in vain. not because there is no work
to be done. but because they know not how
to do it. For the skilful artisan or tiller
of the earth, who has no work ny, may
find it in plenty Tomorrow: at all events,
he is ready to do it when required, and
does not feel that he is essentially pau
per. But for that vast, forlorn multitude,
who tell lis they are "willng to do any
thing" but who really know how to do
nothing that others or themselves stand in
need of. what hope can exist? What alter
nation of seasons, what Improvement in
the money market, what Moderation of the
times. can relieve their sore distress Espe
if they acM crowd into cities, where living
| is SO dear and competition for employment
so superabuudaut, what can be done for
them?
hold induction into some calling which
| is essential to the satisfaction of our imper-
| alive wants, the first need of every human
being. Let the youth be poet or painter,
if he will; let his sister become proficient
in music or geometry, if her tastes so die
cook, or sew, or keep house in order, and
let him be taught to grow corn, or build
habitatinns, or make shoes. Not because
| manual labor is more useful or more hon.
orable than other. but because it can never
be dispensed with or 60 out Of fashion
because siege or famine, cholera or confla
grafton, can never supersede or supplant it.
do insist that every child should he trained
to efficiency in some inevitable trade or
handicraft, as the most indispensable palt
of true education. Add as much intel
lectual or literary culture as you will, but
first in Importance. but not necessarily in
| time be sure to arm and train your child
for that conflict with physical want which
is the only unfailing heritage of all the
children of Adam.
Now encourage and aid him to choose
wisely his pursuit, which need not be that
which is to stand between him and starva-
ton. in case of failure in the vocation of
his choice. Ask him to choose, with due
respect to his own tastes and aspirations.
but not in entire Indifference to the needs
of the community, the dictates of the gen.
eral veal.
have, more than once. offended stran-
ger who inquired of ME, "Would you
advise me to study law" by responding.
Yankee-like, with the question, DO you
| think the country now in need of mOle
lawyers" l surely had not intended any
sarcastic or other reflection on the inqnir-
er's meditated calling; I had purposed only
to draw his attention to a point which he
| seemed to have overlooked. Why should
any deem this inquiry irrelevant? am
sure that clergymen are useful and neces-
Sary class; yet there are countries wherein
the general good. Then why not consider,
in contemplating the study of law, whether
there be or he not a present public need of
more lawyers?
Perhaps the siliest thing young man
can say is, Il have resolved never to mar
ry." Even though the resolve were ever
so proper, it is one with which others have
no probable Or obvious concern, and your
proclaiming it is virtual intimation that
you are SO attractive to the other sex that
you are Obliged to warn them off from a
hopeless quest-a starward aspir,i on
Whereby their peace of mind is likely to
suffer shipwreck.
| deem it of the first moment to true
plan of life to give to the acquisition of
worldly gear its just position, as an import
ant incident, not tie chief object, of a
manly career. He who has reached his
thr,ieth. fortieth. tiftieth year, yet is still
poor and needy, may possibly have been