Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-08-18
WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH
OUR BOYS!

VI du CnRlHCOis VI ~ huceAA AAS1AAoo, - ~ oOJs
if he has no special taste or aptness for
these studies, as to make a poet out of
Digger Indian. tits no unusual circum-
stance for parents who have boys just
entering upon manhood to come to US
desiring counsel in regard to placing
them in chemical laboratory, that they
may ..learn the trade" as. to their eyes,
the business appears remunerative.-
They have no special genius, no training
in preparatory studies, no decided learn
ing towards chemical manipulation or
research, but the desire is to have them
"made" into chemists. There is a mis-
taken idea. common to many parents,
that their children are as we'll adapted
to one employment as another, and that
they only need opportunities to learn
regarding this pursuit OF that, to be-
come profcients and rise to eminence.
More than half the sad failures so COM
monty observed are due to being forced
into the wrong road in early life. Young
men are forced into pulpits, when they
should be following the plough; forced
into courts of law, when they should be
driving the plane in carpenters shop
| forced into sick rooms, as physicians,
when they should be guiding a locomo-
tive. or heading an exploring party into
the Rocky Mountains forced into in
dustrial laboratories, when they should
be in the counting room or shop.
It is wise provision of Providence
that nearly every boy born into the
world has some peculiar distinctive ca.
pability, some aptness for a particular
calling or pursuit and if he is driven
into channels contrary to his instincts
and tastes, he is in antagonism with
Nature, and the odds are against him.
One of the earliest and most anxious in.
quiries of parents should be directed tc
the discovery of the leanings of theil
children, and if they find that their boy,
who they earnestly desired should adorn
the bar or pulpit, is persistcntly engaged
in constructing toy ships, and wading in
every puddle of water to test their sail.
ing qualities if he reads books of voy.
ages, and when in seaport steals away
to the wharves, to visit ships and tall
with sailors, it Is certain he is horn fn,
the sea. Fit him out with sailors rig
put him in the best possible position fol
rising to the honorable post of ship-mas
ter, and you have discharged your duty
If, ON the other hand, he is logical, dis
eliminating, keen, fond Of argument, lie
him enter the law; if he is fond of whit
Ting, planning, saving, constructing, ant
neglects his studies, turn him over to
good carpenter, to learn the trade. l
he begins early to spend his pennies 70
sulphur, nitre. oil of vitriol etc. if h
is such persistent experinenter tha
you fear he will kill himself, or set you
buildings on fire if his pockets are full
of abominable drugs, and his clothin
so charged with the odor of stale egg
that you refuse to admit him to the ia
BILE at meal times, why, the chances ar
that he is '.born' chemist, and it will
be safe to start him off to some technica
school for instruction.
The question is, not what we vii
make of our boys, but what position ar
they manifestly designed to fill; in wha
direction does Nature point. as respect
avocations or pursuits in life, which wi
be in harmony with their capabilitie
and instincts? 1t is no use for US I
complain and find fault with the SUI
posed vulgar tastes of our boys. W
must remember that no industrial cal
i ing is vulgar; every kind Of labor
honorable; and it is far better to be di
$ tinguished as a frst-class cobbler {
peddler than to live the contemplate
!, life of a fifth rate lawyer OF clergyman
There are thousands of boys born il
, to the world possessing scarcely trat
r of ambition. Such do not care for di
tinction, or even for wealth if they ca
0 procure the humblest fare, by constal
toll, the aspirations of their boyhoo
and subsequently, of their manhood, a
- fully met. They are negative character
happy with nothing. and suffer no d
preston, whether in sunshine or und
n cloud. These boys, who often af6ol
much modification to ambitious parent
e fill a most important niche in the worle
n In fact, the world could not do witho
IL them. They constitute the great arm
of men who build our railroads, tunn
: our mountains, load and unload O
n ships, cut down our forests, and manip
late the red hot iron masses which cor
v from our blast furnaces We cam
re alter the temperaments of such boys
) Nature is stronger than we are, and We
is it that it is so. We may hold the
j. by the power of wealth or controlling
d Auences, but when these fail they f;
at once to their place, in obedience to
nc law as irresistible as that which Ne
% ton discovered in the fall of the apple
+, Study to learn what they are capable
]" doing for themselves encourage them
- do we'll whatever work is suited to tn
ly natures. Regard every callingas hon