Middletown transcript., 1877-02-03
writing for the Press.

The liberal professions of law, medi
cine and theology are in our country
overstocked. There is always plenty
Of room at the top, but the top hold
but two or three, and a thousand want
to be there To enter these professions
is running a great risk, and many edu-
Gated young men, stimulated BY the
fame Of literary men and poets, hope tc
earn living and perhaps immortality
by their wits as writer's.
Women are now highly educated, and
to an educated woman the field Of liter
sture is filed with flowers and fruits
which she is free to pluck and enjoy.
II is her highest privilege as q worker,
and it promises usefulness, distinction
and pay. Our public and private
schools are annually sending out a
greater number of educated persons,
male and female, than the wants of the
country require. The nataral result is
a surplus Of persons who wish to earn
their bread BY their brains instead of
manual labor. Our public schools turn
out thousands who, BY their education,
have been disinclined to pursue me-
chanical employments The child Of
day-lab0rer who becomes a well-edu-
Gated youth, resists the thought Of be-
ing day-laborer or manual worker
He will not learn a trade after be has
graduated +! Hence it comes to pass
that the labor question is seriously com
plicated by the education of the people
It is too late to remedy the matter
The State is educating too much-not
too many, but too much. The State
should teach only elementary studies,
leaving higher education entirely to the
private wishes and means Of individuals
Physical labor is despised By hun
dreds who ought to DO nothing but
work. Young men and women un-
counted are now worrying themselves
to death to get their daily bread BY
writing for the press, who should learn
an honest trade, and live by it.
That is one point. Another is, that
the short salaries and diminished in
GENES and increased expenses of thou
sands of people. in professions and in
business, have made it necessary for
them to enlarge their income BY some
means or other Men and women write
for the press to earn money and so the
multitude Of authors becomes exceeding
great. And besides all these, we have
hat bright throng of choice spirits, not
many, but the elite Of mankind, who
write because they are called. endowed
with gifts, inspired by love, and trained
BY study and patience, to teach and
please the world. They are born and
educated for the work. Now and then
| man or woman may by force of
yenius. which overcomes all things.
itrike ten the first roll, but this is bot
he rule. To be 40 able and success
ul writer for the press requires care,
,ractice, patience, perseverance, toll,
md criticism They who have won
heir laurels have worked hard
But it is common opinion among
.oung people that they can write for
he press without one-hundredth part
f the training requisite to ft them to
reach, or practise at the bar, or to cure
man Of fits. 1t is as responsible and
elicate task to speak to fifty thou
and people in newspaper as to one
housand in a church Why, then,
hould the manager of periodical be
sked to let an unripe, inexperienced I
edgling try his hand ? Do you ask if
ou may not venture into the water
efore you have learned to swim p l
hats the point exactly. There are
,hoOls, opportunities, places, and &C.
asions for practice. and the way to
lccess is to begin at the foot and work
P. always receiving criticism with &
ratitude, kissing the hand that smitss, t
nd, like Oliver, asking for more. i
They who need criticism most, are
'ast sensible of its need, and the most O
nwilling to receive it. v
At this moment the greatest writers il
I'D ablest men are the most modest in t
lslr estimate of what they have writ
N, the most cheerful in yielding to s
lggestiOn, the most willing to wait o
ntil. others are heard. o
The most conceited. exaeting, useless t,
ID disagreeable contributor is The il
mart, petted and rising genius Of the b
,ardiug school or college. Veal" Il
I. Boyd calls the production Of such tt