The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-02-01

Saltwater, Minn. Wednesday, Feb. 1, 1885,

be member of all honorable profession or
fill an honorable station in the world. If
he does it will be after cyclone has struck
him and he wakes up to a realization of the
fact that ''all is vanity"
The reader is no doubt wondering where
the sons of B have been and now are, and
what doing. They have been within the
bounds of reason and are now filling honor
able stations in life. When A's sons entered
the college of their final choice. BIS sons
were at home working OH the farm. The
winter following they taught school. and re-
turned to the normal in the spring. There
they remained until fall and again resorted
to teaching. In the spring they entered a
more advanced college, and remained two
years. At this time they were given their
choice. to complete their college course or
enter their professions They chose the
latter-the older choosing the legal profess
sion and the younger the medical. The for
mer is now member of the legislator of
his native state, the latter, on account of i'll
health, was forced to abandon his profession
and is now at home experimenting the farm.
Their parents are going down the decline of
life peacefully, proud of their manly sons.
Their neighbor A still laws and frets and
fumes. and rides his hobbies chief among
which is. that education was the ruin Of his
boys. He fails to see wherein he can be
censured.
We have told the story of these two fami-
lies, because they represent two great
principles in life. We could have made the
contrast more striking had we not been deal
ing with characters, all but one OF whom
are living. but we trust we have been sue
cessful in our object in detailing facts which
cmbOdy principles effecting every thinking
human being. True. all are not given the
advantages of education. nor are all reared
OH farms, but the principles of government
and training, as we'll as the natural tenden-
cies of such training on the youthful mind
and the final effect upon the moulding OF
character. is the same the world over. And
not only are these principles applicable to
the youthful mind but in the busy world.
Every one belongs to one OF these great
classes. One is selfish, the other unselfish;
one is unbalanced, the other balanced: one
uses force, the other persuasion; one is i'm
patient the other patient; one abuses power,
the other regards it as great trust and res
possibility; one would grind all who do not
think with them under the heel of Oppres-
sion, the other would reconcile. cOmprO-
mise, live at peace with the world; one can
see no reason for the mistakes of others. the
other has charity tOr all. TO sum all in
two words; one is UNREASONABLE, the
other REASONABLE.
One word in regard to the much abused
term ''educatiOn." There is but one true
purpose in education. and that is the better
ing of ones condition, education for pur-
pose and to definite object. Better educate
the boy to swing an ak. or the girl to know
the mysteries of the washtub, than give
them knowledge Ut books and place them
above the level of honest labor. yet not
educated for any definite purpose to know
how to do any particular thing that will
afford them more than mere existence
The country is full of educated vagabonds,
who. thrown upon their own resources, are
as helpless as infants so far as making
living is concerned. O.C.