Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-30
Men Who Get Side Tracked.

The Boston Herald lately published
number of interviews with men who
! had become "sjde-tracked in life.
By this is meant men, who. though
willing to work. yet were unable to
find anything congenial TO do.
They were men who had somehow
got out of the current of the great
forces in which the world is moving,
and were stranded. rs Il were, ] Ike
helpless hulkS along the sands of time.
There are more such men and women
in every community than most people
imagine.
Perhaps the most numerous class of
men who get side-tracked are those
who start in life in an occupation for
which they have no natural aptitude.
There are thousands of farmer bows
who never should remain on the farm
the loud protestat ons of the agr-
cultural press TO the contrary notwth-
standing. There are. doubtless. men
who make "A life business Of string the
so when they ought to be stir NJ the
Senate; and there are men who are
/ !
be stirring the soil. Good bus ness
men are frequently spoiit to make poor
preachers; and there are manv large
and heavy lawyers who would make
ideal blacksmiths; and there are some
slender and unsuccessful black SIN tbs
with the keen logical brain and the
shrewd maslerful mind of the LAWYER
Such men are side-tracked for fe
unless there is some great event cross
es the track. such ~ crossed the track
Of Grant the teamSter. or Cromwell the
country squire. But no doubt there are
many Grants who always team. and
many CromwellS who never leave the
farm There are many men who star.
out n life. like hunters. on the wrong
trail, They never bring down their
game because the game has gone in a
another direction. They are like fish
erman who bob for cod i'm a trout brook.
or start a-whalmg on an inland pond
There are some men who are side
tracked for life at their very birth
| They are born into n mesh of c rcum-
stances from which there is no eXtrica-
ton. OF course Il is eosv enough 10
saw that man. like water. will always
find h s level; but il is hard for wat
or TO rise plumb with lis fountain head
when confined n an underground ptpe.
/ Ii would have been difficult for Shakes
pcare TO assert his claim TO immortal
| itv if he had been born in Patagonia.
and we never would have heard Of
Plato if he had first seen tho light in
! Scvtha. To say nothing Of the her.
editary influences that mould the un-
! born man. the environment of the
Young humans infancy usually shapes
and dire cts his destiny. SO irrcvocablv
/ that only men of the strongest III and
| the toughest mental and physical fibre
| can ever cOunteract the impetus that is
given them i'm childhood. To be sure
! there are a few who
Burst their births invidious bar.
! And grasp the skirts OF happy chance,
! And breast the blows Of circumstance,
And grapple with their evil star,
but men of such heroic breed are al
WAYS so few that they are perpetually
source Of special wonder.
The lesson that Dung people should
gain from all tn is the Importance OF
studying Their own aptitudes. In
choosing n profession do not consult
Your egOtsm. but your personal fitness;
and if the surroundings of your birth
are unfavorable TO orr fullest develop
ment. overcome them as much rs pos
sible by the ndomuahe stubborneSs
Of vour own will To do this learn to
think for yourself at rs early nm age as
possible, and YOU W II soon learn that
n man well intrenched within mself
is able to rse above the repressions
and contracting forces of crcum-
stance. Above all things do not get
side-tracked at the start Yankee Btdde.