The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1884-06-07
IL THAT SOL

about that seems TO be n homeless sort
OF thing. belonging TO no one. and much
In want Of n reputable father. II docs
not often get :into print. Il seems TO
prefer TO avoid publicity. Nearly every
boy has this street proyerb repealed 10
him by some we'll meaning. but igno-
rant person. Just as he leaves the school.
The remark Is this; "a Jack nj all
trades and good at none"
Solemn sliblect, Is II notp Lot us see
about that, You observe Il does net
come out In square, manly fashion and
tell us that u 'aaek" nj all trades Is
good as none. For all that. this may
bo so. What Is n "JackP" II appears
10 mean clownish, awkward fellow, OF
q rirnpleion. lt Is quits possible that
such fellow Is not good In any trade,
IA not good workman In any business
II we look deeper into tho matter we
find ''Jack" also means common kind
Of workman. like a peasant; and from
this meaning we got our words "jack
plsne." "boot Iack.' ''smokc Jack"
and any others. nil meaning some CON-
mon rough kind OF WORK or tool. Now
We begin 10 SEQ what solemn nonsense
this is. OF course, Jack" il good
In none. Such fellow Is never good
In anything. Tho whole thing can b.
stated in this way. A poor workman
Is never good for anything. 10 far
there Il only kind OF droary wisdom
In the proycrb. "a Jack at all trades
and good NJ none" The whole thing
would not be worth remembering. u Il
were not for the fact that so many peo-
pie repeat Il under tho impression that
they .src saying something very line. II
sounds well and gives the speaker a
comforting sense Of superior wisdom. i
.'My son. listen to tho words Of
sage. DO not be Jack at all trades
and good Mt none.'"
Nov sensible boy on hearing this
would say:
Thank you. | do not intend 10 bs .
Jack At anything. ! mean 70 be
frst-class workman, whsther make
sermons or carriages. poems or sewing.
machines lam not jack sf ALL"
Tho whole trouble with this thing Is
Just herr. II IL q cowardly saying bc-
cause Ii implies dishonesty. IL Il
snser nt every ono 10 whom tho Lord
has given two talents. and that means
nearly all Of ts. Il does not squsrcly
say you must have but one frads.
and talks about Jacks when nobody
ever means 70 be . "Jask." Il has
done . vast deal Of harm by the very
dishonesty of the wording and the way
people use H. II Il means q Jack At
sll trades q good In none. II ls simply
stupid. But, no. people give u . false
twist as though |. meant " say; "fou
must never have but one trade, for, II
you do. you will b. good In none Of
them''-whIch Is not true.
This remsrk plainly originated In
Europe. because fhs word jack u from
the French and meant peasant II y
not IN American saying; II 4, In the
usual sense given 70 Il. wholly false and
Il IL not the right thing 70 say 10 any
American boy Or girl.
Boys and girls jazt leaving school. ]
have seen much Of trades and work,
and know this 10 BE- true: The good
workmsu.~ The men and women who
succeed. who accomplish things. almost
invariably have two trades. They are
not ..Jacks' sn either. but master work
men In both. They never play on one
string. They always hare Two OF four
strings TO their hddles, or they could
not make such excellent music. Once
IN nwhile some celebrated violinist will
take out ihrse strings from his instsu-
ment and play something on only one.
He only does u for display, and II he
wishes 70 play . grand concerto he
would never trust 70 one string: ~
Nov. taking The regular trsies, ear
penfry. briek-Isying. painting. shoe.
making. and 20 On. let us observe that
any intelligent young person with . fair
common school education csn In . few
months learn al thai isnse1sd 70 be ,
fairly good workman. Il has bssu
llsoughi that h takes thrss yssrs
70 bscoms : uofkman In these
srsdssL rs1np1 Ir 4d0es take the
ignorant peasant q Europe that
time. He learns svegythiag slowly
he he's no hooks = hIs vvrk,
| and II h hsd shem. sftaa y 90 ~
rsad- He 4. tteu. gFUvn-up dnnce,
| sod II b , woodGf - lvgf l111n1 noy-
tkinr. A Amarican sekepl-ooY y
wksIIy dlGugpoi psrppa Nh vI17eo
| 3 .sz<a sz.ck I45.zx, ha ga Id q.
I 49, frulr1I r - - - ~ -
okur6 = = ~ - ~ ~ ~
V11DGo1D l11plI|1uno nnppch. -