Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-10-01


10 is as impossible to "make a chemist
or an engineer, or a naturalist, Of boy If
he has no special taste or aptness for these
studies, as to make q poet out Of o Digger
Indian IL is no unusual circumstance for
parents who have boys just entering man.
hood to come 10 as desiring counsel in re-
gard to placing them in a chemical labora.
tory, that they may learn the trade" as
to their eyes the business appears remun.
orative. They have no special genius, no
training in preparatory studies no decided
leaning toward chemical manipulation or
research, but the desire is to have them
made into chemists There is a mis-
taken idea, common with many parents, that
their children are as well ADAPTED to one
employment as to another, and that they
only need opportunities to learn regarding
this pursuit or that, to become proficient
and rise to eminoncc. More than half the
sad failures so commonly 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 the courts Of law when they
should be driving the plane in carpenters
shop; forced into sick rooms as physicians,
when they should be guiding locomotive
or heading an exploring party 10 the Rocky
Mountains forced into industrial labora-
tories when they should be 10 the counting
room or shop.
1t is wise provision Of Providence that
nearly every boy born into the world has
some peculiar distinctive capacity some
aptness for particular calling or pursuit;
and if he is driven into channels contrary to
his instincts aud 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 to the
discovery Of the leanings Of their children,
and if they end their boy, who they earn.
ostly desire shall adorn the bar or the pull
pit is persistenty engaged in constructing
toy ships and wading in every puddle of
water, to test their sailing qualities; if he
reads books of voyages, and whom in sea.
port steals away to the wharves to visit
ships and talk with sailors, it is certain he
is born for the sea. Fit him out with a
sailors rig, put him in the best possible
position for rising to the honorable post Of
shipmaster, and you have discharged your
duty. IT. on the other hand, he is logical,
discriminating, keen, fond Of argument, let
him enter the law if he is fond of whiting,
planning, saving, constructing, and negects
his studies, turn him over to a good car
penter to learn the trade. lr he begins
carly to spend his pennies for sulphur, nitro,
oil Of vitriol, aquaiortis, ETC.; if he is such
persistent cxperimenter that you fear be
will kill himself or set your buildings on
fire; if his pockets are full Of abominablC
drugs, aud his clothing so charged with To,
odor Of stale eggs that you refuse to ADM
him to the table at meal time, why, tn,
chances are that he is born" chemist
and it will be safe to start him off to som,
technical school for instruction.
The question is, not what we will max,
Of our boys, but what position are thel
maniiestly designed to Gil in what di
rection does nature point, as respects avo
cations or pursuits in life which will be il
harmony with their capabiliticsaud instincts
IL is no use for US to repino and find faul
with the supposed vulgar tastes of GU
boys. We must remember that no indus
trial calling is vulgar; every kind Of abo
is honorable; and it is far better to be dis
tingushed as first-class cobber or ped
dler, than to live the contemplate life O
fith.rate lawyer or clergyman
There are thousands of boys born int
the world possessing scarcely trace o
ambition. Such do not care for distinction
or even for wealth. if they can procur
the humbest fare by constant toll, tn
aspirations of their boyhood, and subsc
quently Of their manhood, are fully met
They are negative characters, happy wit
nothing, and suffer no elation or depression
whether in sunshine or under cloud
These boys, who often afford much NORTH
cation to ambitious parents, Gil most i'm
portant niche in the world in fact. tn
world could not do without them. The
constitute the great army of men who bull
our railroads, tunnel our mountains, oa
and unload our ships, cut down our forests
and manipulate the red.hot iron masse
which come from our blast furnaces. Sco
and fret as we may, we cannot alter th
temperament or proclivities Of such boy.
Nature is stronger than we are, and well /
it for US that this is so. IT our BOYS ar
born to live in subordinate or humble posi-
tons, we can hardly help it; we may hol
them in false position by the power
wealth, or strong controlling influences, bu
when these fail they fall at once to thei
place, in obedience to a law as irresstibl
as that which Newton discovered in III
fall Of the apple.
What shall we do with our boys2 Stud
to learn what they are capable Of doing fc
themselves aid them, encourage them
do well whatever work is suited to the
natures. Regard every calling as honor,
bic, the labor Of which is honorably pei
formed, and thus insure happiness an
prosperity to our offspring.
The " Real Cause"