St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-01

If man has no power to get out of the
rahble at the bottom. then he is self
convicted of having chosen Il calling or
or profession Ton whose duties he has
no adaptation.
The grand mistake that Young men
make, during the first ten years of
their business and professional life, is
in idly waiting for their chance. They
seem to forget. or they do not know,
that during those ten years they enjoy
the only leisure they will ever have.
After ten years. in the natural course
of things. they will he lbsorhingly busy.
There will then he no time for read
ing. culture, and study. If they do
not become thoroughly grounded in the
principles and practical details of
their profession during those Years
if they do not store their minds with
useful knowledge if they do not pur
sue habits of reading and observation.
and social intercourse, which result in
culture. the question whether they will
ever rise to occupy Il place where there
is room enough for them will he decid
ed in the MIGHT'VE. The Young phySi
clans and young lawyers who sit idly in
their offices, and smoke and lounge
away the time, waiting for something
to tuIn up" are by that course taSten-
ing themselves for life to the lower stra
tum, where their struggle for Il bare
livelihood is to he perpetual. The
first ten Years are golden Years. that
should be filled with reading and oh
servation. Every thing that tends to
professional and personal excellence
should he an object of daily pursuit.
To such men the doors of success
open themselves ut last. Work seeks
the best hands, us naturally as water
runs down hill and it never seeks the
hands of IL tIitler. or of one whose only
recommendation foI work is that he
needs it. Young men do not know
very much any way. and they look
back with wonder upon their early
good opinion of their aquiremcnts and
themselves.
There is another point that ought not
To he overlooked in the treatment of
this subject. Young men look about
/ them and see Il great measure of
worldly success awarded to men with
out principle. They see the tIickStcr
crowned with public h"norS. they see
the >windler rolling in wealth. they
see the sharp man. the ovcr-rcaching
man. the mprimciplcd man. the liar,
/ the dcmagogue. the timc-Scrvrr. the
| trimmer. the >coundrel who cunningly
manages. though constantly dI>ohey-
ing moral law and trampling upon So
cial courtesy. to keep himself ont of
the clutches of the legal police, carry
ing off the prizes of wealth and place.
All this Is Il dcmoralizing puzzle and II
fearful temptation: and multitudcS of
Noun" men are not strong enough to
stand before it. They ought To under
stand that in this wicked world there
is Il great deal of room where there Is
integrity. Great trusts may he sought
10y sconmdrclS But great trusts never
seek them. There are some trusts
that they will never confer on each 9th
CT. There are occasions when they
need the >cIN ices ot tine men. and
they do not find them III shoals and IL,
the mud. Int alone and III pune water.
In the realm oi eminent apuirrmcnt>
and eminent integrity there is alwaN :
room enough. Let no Young man al
industry and perfect honesty despair
hccar>c his profession OF calling Is
rIoWcd. Let him always remember
that there * plenty OF room ut the top,
and that the question whether he l.
ever T." reach the top. "r rise above
thu crowd ut the bottom ut the plra-
mid will Ice decided 10y the way in
which he improves the first ten Years ol
his active lite in seeming to himself Il
thorough know ledge of his profession.
aiid Il sound moral and intellectual cul-
tune.