Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-08
CHOOSING A VOCATION
SoNE SUBTLE SUGGESTIONS 10 YOUNG NRS
BEGINNISG LIPE
Boys in Enghsh Schools VIII be PUbsd 10 See What
They are God hr-Clan-0psning an
kASy PDtsSnn-fims and Plaza
Important Atuncs b Success.
Neg York Kor,d

VIEW NAo - " ~lhtAu tuNCh
to choose their profession in the beginning
Of their scholastic career. BY the present
system the boy is dragged to college filed
mp with Latin, baseball, G eek, boxing.
integral calculus, rowing, moral philOso.
ply and draw poker, and, having been
graduated in al these sciences, is sent out
into the cold world armed only with q
few blazers his innocence and some
cigarettes, to fight LIES battle and choose
q profession.
This is clearly wrong. If his vocation
Is to open clans or drive a mule, he needs
comparatively little Of the classics. To-
credible as it may seem. one Of the best
e~lam-openersI ever knew had never opened
a Latin grammar, and q Gresk verb was
the only thing / evhr saw him decline.
Most Of the autnSrities are now disposed
to agree that q good bow-legged boy, who
is destined by fate 10 carry q tape measure
over his arm, sell ginSham, bobbinette and
things that veil 'CawshI' every few
moments in a languid voice 10 q little girl
in q red jumper, does not need more than a
smattering OF spherical geometry and the
lighter shades Of metaphysics to enable
hun to grace his sphere.
Toe choice of a profession is q serious
matter, and a misstep once taken may lead
to direful consequences. Many . mar who
was deceived in early life into thinking
himself carved by Providence as 3 TRACE
dian would now be happy and commenda
bic il he had at once taken out q license
to peddle collar battons, nous traps and
bronchial candy. He might nov own
q steam yacht and o rancid reputation in-
stead Of fritteripg away his time for So a
week ~ color sergeant Of the Roman
army, with the privilege Of five months
vacation az his own expense in the sum
mer.
According to the rules to be adopted in
England, a boy entering college will be
prooed until his vocation is discovered,
and will then be educated in the branches
Of knowledge which will TT him for it.
The benefits Of this system will be in
calculable. NOyelists, for example, will
be compelled C learn spelling, English
language, grammar and morals and to in
sert inte-linear t~rauslatlons OF all French
expressions they may decide to use, not
for publication bat rs q guarantee OF good
faith.
The course for critics will be some what
severe. Thoae destined to ~criticise music
will he examined for deafness, and in Or
der to get . diploma must be able to dis
tinguish the difference between 3 mezZO-
soprano and q built fiddle.
Critics of the drama will be taught to
distinguish between a good play aud one
that is bad, and to understand that an APP
pointment rs dramatic critic from q manag-
ing editor does not necessarily carry with
il a knowledge of art, of literature or OF
the public taste, and that where the box
office and pubic clamOr for seats declare
that the play il good the opposing critic
may Just as we'll braid his ears, retire
thOughfully into himself and change his
tune. The proper way to criticises play
ia 10 be non-committal until the box re-
eeipts are known. This may not be scien-
tihc but it is practical and will be approved
by most theatrical persons of intelligence
and discrimination.
Students dssirOu5 of becoming artists
will, By the proposed English system, be
given an opportunity OF observing thstthe
portrait of blue COW feeding in q pink
field with a brown sky and le~mon-eOlored
clouds overhead is not quite in accord
with nature. Tue COW being a domestic
animal and nOta freak Of delirium tremens,
too great care cannot be taken in thinning
her besuties with accuracy. Many
q noble work OF art entitled
'tIn the Cleaning" "a Quiet Nook" or
Cattle in the Berkshires," has not been
appreciated by the vulgar public because
if one or more of these defects, although /
never vet have gazed upon a flock OF
mauve sheep, under the affy-eOlored sun
set on q coast OF pink rocks lashed By tar
pillows that / did not feel a thrill. A
learned friend ioforms me that the process
BIZ which this is done belongs 10 the Im.
pressionist School, and / am glad to hear
it. l hope the ImpresSionist School may
never be induced to to give it away.
Special attention should be given to
teaching students that there il q time and
place for the exercise of all professions. |
knew a man once who, after combing over
his talents and inelinatiOns, decided be
had q call to shovel snow. He saved up
MONEY all one hard winter and in May was
enabled to bny q snow-shovel at reduced
rates. He arrived in this city June Land
il was five months before be got q contract
schOOlmate who stood head Of his class in
Sanskrit, WIS left an orphan atthirty-iye,
but bravely took up the battle Of life. He
wrote an American play and sold the man.
-...-k. g. -, n.,Ea a nnnn1 Wnsh This
small sum he emhaI ked in sealskin shoe
strings, but hsppaned to strike a town
where there was 3 buttOn-shOe factory and
was compelled to make an assignment ear,
" in September. He then heard that for.
tunes were being made in this city by mer-
chants dealing in straw hats and fans BOr'
rowing the necessary capital from his sad
eyed mother, whom he always datitully
allowed to support him, he came hither,
purchased bis supplies late in Ostobsr,
and although he struggled mantully
through the entire winter, made barely
enough to purchase the postage stamp
necessary to mail the strong, earnest let
ter he wrote to bis beloved mother asking
for another remittance. He said that his
stock was all right and his business in
stiucts right, bat the weather was some
what against him.
The Number of professions has increased
81 within the past twenty-five years as Il
make \ choice difficult, and the beet way
is 10 insert q boy into any me Of them n
random and Theoretically seal him mp
The old idea that il q boy has a lumpy
head and Q bad eye he is borr
to shine as q lawyer Or n physi
clan, and that il be is sickly and half-wit'
ted he has 3 call to the ministry, has fire.
qusntly led parents into trouble and sad
died the world with nine-tenths Of the Lost
law suits and bad sermons. II half tbs
lawyers, ministers and actors now sufsr'
ing for lack Of employment had beer
trained as professional Indians in their
youth they could now draw large salarie:
and tank up fre~ater On Staten Island in
stead Of lauguishiDg in the grasp Of gener'
al cussednsss and oblivion, ike the reaI
fudisn out on the plains.
The present method Of loading mp q boy
with q large assortment Of learning Iol
which he will have no subsequent Use, and
then casting him out to begin a totally
different line Of studies when he chooses
his profession, will go out when the pro-