The Placer herald., 1873-03-08
CHOOSING AN OCCUPATION FOR A
YOUAG MAN.

parents say tnat lie mas marked cOnsHuc-
live ability;' Or if he can whistle one or two
notes of an air correctly, "he will be great
musician;" or if he can draw with reasonable
accuracy, "that child is born artist" 1t
these presumed or assumed evidences of gen.
ius are acted upon and those in authority
seize arbitrarily upon the young man and
force him into trade or art, on the ground
of their being better able to judge than he is
for himself, the possibility, nay, the proba-
biIty is that he will turn out n Harold Skim
poll, of whose class the world has far too
many already. lie sketches a little; thinkers
a little with tools; drums little on the piano;
and in time falls in with the rank and file OF
the noble army of incompetents and revilers
of fllc. He may protest with all his strength
in his earlier years that he is not fitted for
the occupation chosen for him. he may de-
mand to be trasferred into some other call
ing that his soul hungers after; it is all m
vain if some one in authority, be the same
parent or guardian says: "Your profession
has been chosen for you and You must fol-
Iow it; your elders have had more experience
than you and can tell better, by reason of it,
what you need;" and so the young man is
condemned for life. He goes moping all his
days and refuses TO be comforted, simply be-
cause bis heart is not in what he is doing
He is out of his element; he dsturbs the ma
chinery of the world he is as bad as IA brok-
en- wheel on "A train; everything with which
he is connected goes haltng ard humping
and jumping because of him. 1t he does
not reach the highest place in his profession,
his elders, with astonishing inconsistency, up
braid him and say that he has no ambition,
no energy, no desire to succeed; when the
simple fact is that he has no qualification to
command success.
GLOW can know about thing dunno
nothing about ?" exclaimed an exasperated
witness in the box. GLOW can have III
spration to preach when am always think
ing about machinery; or paint when I'm at
, ways wishing 10 preach, when divine truths
ire my heart to go forth and turn men from
the error of their ways?' A man out of his
; place says these things at heart if not in ac-
, rual words, and his whole life is embitle cred
, by the blindness of his elders who would moi
see but claimed the right, because they had
t the power, to squeeze Il human heart into
the corner they thought it should fill For
e it is crushing the heart out of the man to
make the boy travel in circuit he is unfit
r ted for. All his energies and ambition reach
forward to one goal; all his nature is bent
n upon that one thing, and because you can
II not see as he sees, oh, parent or guardian
s because you are not him and do not love it
s as he loves it, you destroy his future power.
e 1t is IA serious responsibility to assume: to
direct the calling in life young man shall
e follow, an action to be taken only upon great
| I -. l. 4 L..
must stick to. In the early years of his life,
= when the world expects but little of him. he
y must study or work hard to be qualified for
d the later ones, and when it eXacts great
= deal He cannot be always young; he can
1 not have two youths; he must give his young
: life, his bright hopes, his aspirations to the
e work in hand. What it his heart is far from
a it and he is longing with all his strength for
r that other calling which you have put out OF
$ his reach t.? You might as well go out into
: the world when he is of age, as some foreign
parents do and select wife for him. With
o equal consistency you might say: 81 have
y had more experience in the world than you
= you Can live happier with this woman than
II one of your own choosing" yet this is an
It action you would shrink from committing
: Is not mans profession the same in degree
), as his wife &? Does he not live by it as with
v her? Are not all his hopes centered upon i, ?
n Is not the contentment which springs from ii
: congenial occupation in some respect the
e same as connubial affection? 1t certainly is;
!, for unless man love the work to which he
e applies himself his labor is of no force, of lit
= tie worth. He is half hearted simply be-
cause he lacks the inspiration which enthusi-
asm lends to every occupation, even the
humblest. The shoemaker who likes to
= make shoes makes better ones than the con
= vict enforced to do so, and the same is true
= of every work under the sun.
: Let every young man choose his own oc.
cupation in life. In any event, let him choose
it. If he has no particular bias or bent, lei
\ him find something to do all the same. A
; parent or guardian may say: "My son, it
: appears to me that your walk in life lies this
> way" and point out the advantages likely
IL to accrue or that can be absolut ely given hin,
if he adopts the suggestion, but this is all
Il that should be done. If he revolts, or OBJ
e jects and says 81 cannot" do not retort with
!, "You shall or you are no son of mine" You
j. will live to repent it. Humble yourself a
4; little before you overthrow him. A boy has
II right to his choice. How can you force
/ him to learn a trade for which he has no apt
ness, except that he has been seen to make
things that child naturally amuses himself
e by? You canuot; you have no right. Con
slider the matter somewhat. If he is tract
a able, affectionate, and docile boy. so much
q the worse; you see his natural affection as IA
!, vehicle to work your will with him, not see
ing that in after life he will become listless.
> moody, inefficient aborer in the vineyard
because you have chained him to stake OF
spread him on a wall, instead of allowing
!, him to grow free and unfcttered as he should.
Il Consider this matter in some other light than
u your own inclinatons. He will doubtless
: live many years after you are gone. How