St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-28
A Perpiexing Question.

H.-f 49, 81 Fl . IS
This is the season of the year when
the newspapers are full of college COM
mencement exercises, and when young
men starttout from their Alma Mater to
erapple with the difficulties that attach
toactive business life and shape out for
themselves their fortunes and their
destiny. "What pursuit now shall
choose is the grave and perpleXing
question which many a youth is obliged
to confront. While llemay be obliged
by his necessities to take anything he
can get in the way OF immediate en-
ployment, he still reserves to himself
the ultimate choice of a certain voca-
ton for life, and the chief embarrass-
ment is in deciding what that shall be.
He is told repeatedly that the profess
sons are overcrowded, and it every
young man were to be deferred by this
statement there would be no more law
yers, doctors or preachers. These pro-
fessions are overcrowded, but on sur
veying other pursuits the same state OF
things seemingly prevails. Civil engl-
lleering, clerkships, book-keepers,
statesmen, agencies. everywhere there
appears to be more wanting employ
inent than there is work to supply the
demand. Ina country like this, where
there are thousands of determined
young men striving to push their for-
pluck, competition is the rule every
where, and the sluggafd or dolt stands
a poor chance Of livelood.
If the aspiring young man fancies
that he observes that merchants and
tradesmen accumulate the most wealth,
he is met by the most striking and un-
challenged figures showing the enor-
NOUS percentage of failures in mercan-
tile departments. 1t was stated, we
think by Freddy, that 80 percent of
merchants failed. This seems incred-
lille, but even putting the matter as it
has been put that not more than three
per cent Of the individuals who embark
in trade end life with success, and the
inducements in this direction are not
very fiattering. In the light of such
statements it certainly would seem that
the able, persevering, economical and
ambitious young professional man has
us good chance to earn his bread and
butter as any other man.
But is there not yet a field ID which
industry can hope for better success
than in any professional, mechanical or
mercantile calling, and which offers a
better future and happier life than
any clerkship? We refer to the culti-
vation Of tie soil. There are good
lands at cheap prices purchaseable in
Virginia. Kentucky, Tennessee, Mis-
souri,, Texas. not to speak of any of the
Western or Northwestern States, where
at stock raising (sheep or cattle OF
horses and mules) or fruit raising. not
TO refer to other branches of farming,
an Industrious, intelligent man with
reasonable vigor can do well. An
open-air life is the happiest life in the
world. Man began his career that way.
first as hunter, and then as attiller OF
the soil.
The young man who is taken up with
love of towns and their dissipation
or crazy to get into politics some day OF
equally crazy with the vision of becom-
ing very rich, might well resolve to ac-
anulate little money, if he is not al
ready provided with it, and fall back on
the earth for a living. He need not 60
into regions where snow and ice threat
en- him half the year, nor where storms
or drouths nullify his efforts. A broad
land is before him, and he can choose
the best tile earth affords. The South
has fresh birth, and the west extends
open arms, and they are fine fields fol
young men who mean TO work and be
useful.-New York Economist.
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