The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-05
For thciDemocrat.l
ABOUT EDUCATlON-T,
School or IBslsinesn?

'.Shall 1 go to school again or shall
[ 60 to business?"
This question is being asked almost
in the country by boys |
and young rnen who have more Or
less of the responsibility Of this de-
cislon resting upon themselves. A
more important question they never
have, nor ever will face in their lives.
Happily for many boys,-although,in
their worry about school discipline
and hard study. they wish it other
wise-they do not have the decision
left to themselvesfor their fathers
and guar dians make 1t a matter oil
duty in deciding that their own boys.
and others under their care, shall go
ON to school till they have taken the
course their circumstances enable
them to take and demand that they
should take.
While these boys have nothing to
do with deciding this question, the
willingness with which they follow
the directions of their fathers greatly
affects them. Ifthey so to the acad-
emy and the college against their
will they are not likely TO make
the progress, and to develop into the
men they would if their hearts were
in the work to which they are almost
driven. But there is another class
of boys and young men to whom
this question comes with much force;
and, withal, great perplexity. That
is the class of boys and young men
whose parents or guardians leave it
to their own choice whether or not
they will pursue and complete their
course Of education, or go at once
to business and money-makiag.
There is, perhaps, no class Of boys
more perplsxed by this question
than this. 1t is hard thing for
them to decide. A boy of 18 sum
mers. thus left to choose for himself
series Of years in school, or to start
at once with a tolerable stock, as he
thinks, Of practical, common sense
to make his fortune in imaginary
ease, is not to be envied.
He has candor enough to own up
to himself that he has some aspira-
tions for that higher life of thought
which he will be able to enjoy with a
collegiate or unive, sity education
but the prospects of present pleasure
and an earlier start in the world
sometimes drive out these aspirations
forever. At home, he has a horse to
ride and drive when he pleases. And
he thinks that day or two, or a
week, now aud then spent in visiting
and hunting is just the thing for him.
But from what he has heard other
young men say about the hard work
that is TO be done at the college,
and from what he has seen in the
catalogues about the requirements
there, he knows full we'll that if he
continues in the academy till he is
we'll prepared for college, and goes
on through the course Of training
necessary to graduation, he must be
deprived Of all these home pleas
ures.
He thinks how easily he can drift
into business with his father or un-
Gle and have pleasant time mean
while, grow large and be fine looks
ing young man by the time he Is
free" He contrasts himself thus
with the pale, lean fellow he would
be at the end of the same four or five
years il he should go to college.
He has not learned that 1.-THE great
est blessing young man can get is an
education. whether in college or in a
technical school, or wherever or how
ever acquired"
And, too, he does not know the
truth in the poets words:
"Wcre so tall to reach the pole,
Or grasp the ocean with my span,
must be measured by my soul;
For 'tiS the mind that makes the man,
But who wonders that the boy
or young man does hesitate to tear
himself from home and its happy
surroundings, wien its seems to him
that his education is already suffi>
Gle 1t for practical purposess
He hears some business man say
that behind the counter and at the
desk, and not at the business college,
is the place to learn business success
fully. The boy may look around
him and see that the man with the
most money is the man who stopped
when he knew about as much as he
knows. He thinks that perhaps he
would dU we'll IN act likawiso