Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-21
Choosing an Occupation for a Young
Man.

II q boy is constantly whiting
sticks, fond parents sag that he mas
'marked constructive ability )" or ii
be can whistle one or two notes of
an air correctly, The will be great
musician or if he can draw With
usual accuracy, "the child is a born
artist" II these presumed or as
sumed evidences OF genius are acted
upon, and those in authority seize ar
bltrariy upon the young man and
force him into q trade or art, on the
ground of their being better able TO
judge than be is for himself, the pos
sibility, nay, the probability is that
be Will turn out Harold SKimpole,
of whose class the world has too
many already. He sketches little,
tinkers little with tools. drums
little on piano, and ia time falls in.
TO line with the rank and file of the
noble army of incompetents aud ri
vslers Of fate. He may protest with
ell his strength in his earlier years
that he is not fitted FIR the occupa.
ton chosen for him he may de-
mand TO be transferred TO some 9th
er calling that his soul hunger after;
it is all 10 vain if some one in au-
thority, be the same parent or guar
dian, says: "Your profession has
been chosen for you and you must
follow it; your elders have had more
experience than you aid can tell bet
ter by reason of il. what you need :"
and 80 the Young man is condemned
for life. He goes moping all his
days aud refuses TO be comtorted
simply because his heart is not in
what be is doing. He is out of his
element; be disturbs the machinery
Of the world he ia as bad as a brok.
en- wheel on train every thing
with which he is connected goes
halting and humping and juml ing
because Of him. If be does no. reach
the highest place in his profession,
his elders, with astonishing incon-
sistency, upbraid him and say that
be has no ambition, no energy, no de.
sire TO succeed when the simple
fact is that be has no qualification TO
demand success
How can / know about thing |
dunno nothisg about?" exclaime cd
an exasperated and badgered wit
noss in the box How can | have
inspiration to pl each when | am al.
ways thinking about machinery or
paint, when / am always wishing To
preach, when divine truths fire my
heart to 20 forth and turn men from
the error Of their ways" A man
out Of his place says these things at
heart if not in actual words, and his
whole heart is embittered by the
blindness of his elders who would
not see but claimed the right, DO,
cause they had the power, TO squeeze
a human heart into the corner they
thought it should fill For il is
crushing the heart out Of the @an
10 make the boy travel in cir
cult he is united for. ALI bis ener-
gies and ambition reach forward TO
one goal all his nature is bent upon
that one thing, and because you cau-
not see as be sees, oh parent or
guardian ! because you are not him
and do not love it as he love it, you
destroy his future power. It is se-
rious responsibility to assume 10 d.
rect the calling in life young mar
shall follow, an action t. be taken
only upon great delibcration. What.
ever he undertakes he must stick to.
In the early years Of his life, when
the world expects but little CT him, he
must study or work hard TO be quail.
fed for the later ones, when IL ex-
acts n good deal lie can not have
two youths he must give his young
life, his bright hopes, his aspirations
heart is far from it,and be is longing
with all his strength for that other
calling which you have put out of
his reach ? You might as we'll 60 out
into the world when he is OF age, as
some foreign parents do, and select u
wife for him With equal consisten-
cy your might say Il have bad
more experience ia the world than
you YOU can live happier with this
woman than one OF your own choos
ing" yet this is an action you would
shrink from committing. Is not
mans profession the same in degree
as his wife? Does he rot live by 1t
as with herr Are not all his hopes
conferred upon iLP IL not the con
tentment which springs from a con.
genial occupation in some respects
the same ~ cOnnubial affection 2
Ii certainly is for unless a man love
the work to which be applies him.
self his labor IL Of 10 Iorce, of little
worth He is half hearted, simply
because be lacks the inspiration
which enthusiasm lends to every oc
cupation, even tho humblest. The
shoemaker who likes to make shoes
makes better onos han the convict
who is forced to do 40, aud the same
is true of every work under the sun
Let every young man choose his
own occupation 10 life. In any
event, let him choose it If be has
no particular bias or bent let MIN fad
something to do, all the same. A pa.
rent or guardian may say: MY son,
it appears to me that your walk in
life lies this way" and point out the
advantages likely to accrue or that
csn be absolutely given him if be
adopts the suggestion, bnt this is ali
that should be done. Ii he revolis,
and says IL cannot," do not retort
with you shall, or you are no son
of mine" Vow will live to repent it.
You will wear sackcloth and ashes
for it. Humble yourself little be-
fore you overthrow him A boy has
a right TO his choice. How can you
force him to learn trade for which
he has no aptness except that be has
been seen to make things that "a
child naturally amuses himself by ?
You cannot, you have no right.
| Consider the matter somewhat. Ii
4