Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-11-03
STARTING IN LIFE.
Those Things That Should Help "A Boy or
Girl In Deciding What to DO.

STARTING IN LIFE.
Those Things That Should Help a Boy or
Girl in Deciding What to DO.
There are three things which should
influence the choice of n profession; the
first is aptitude; the second, heredity;
the third, opportunity.
Aptitude is the most important. 1t is
natures index finger, pointing out the
road which we are best fitted to pursue
in life. Almost every young person
has strong liking for some par
ticular kind of work, and a marked IA
cility and skill in its performance. One
will take to mechanics, another to
trade, another to some form of art, an
other to science, another to books and
reading, and so on. Aptitudes are very
various, and it is well that they are so,
for this would be very one-sided kind
of world if we were all engaged in the
same, or nearly the same. pursuit. Ma
turc has so arranged it by giving us
these various and marked aptitudes,
that proper balance and proportion
shall be preserved among the different
kinds of work in the world, and that
e och kind shall be performed by those
who have an enthusiasm for it and u
natural facility in doing it.
In the choice of profession, then,
the first important question which a
boy or girl should ask is this: ''In what
direction does my aptitude lie?' For in
that direction the greatest amount and
most effective kind of work can be
done with the expenditure of given
amount of energy. In the great ma
jority of cases aptitudes are not hard
to determine; indeed, the difficult thing
would be to overlook and disregard
them. Boys and girls turn to what in
terests them as naturally as the leaf of
plant turns toward the sunlight. You
NAV be sure that the boy who will make
good artist is going to be interested in
all kinds of beautiful forms and colors
while he is young. He will notice these
things when others are blind to them,
and at an early age he will begin to try
to reproduce them.
So, likewise, a girl who has a genuine
aptitude for music will be quick to APP
preciate the language of music. She
will learn to play or sing rs if by
, magic, and the exercise of her gift
will always be a source of keen delight
to her
Aptitudes frequently crop out very
early in the games and amusements of
children. The born merchant will have
a passion for "playing store;" the in
ventor or machinist will be always try.
ing to "make things" the embryo
teacher will be perfectly contented only
in the midst of her mimic school.
knew boy-now successful minister
who was never so happy as when,
mounted upon chair or table, he could
repeat scraps of Sunday-school wisdom
to an admiring circle of brothers and
sisters.
Aptitudes will out. There is very
little danger of mistake in determining
the kind of work which nature intends
we should do. But there is another
factor which should be considered ir
choosing profession, and it is often a
very helpful factor when, as may hap
pen, there seems to be no particular
aptitude for any kind of work Thi
second factory is hcredity. 1t il
the latent, transmitted stored-ul
power of doing well what one
ancestors have habitually done well
The children of musicians general,
have gift for music. The children o
mechanics have an aptitude for tool
and machinery. The sons of minister
especially if they come from lonl
line of preachers-are apt to have a gift
for public speaking. IT. then, a DO.
displays no particular aptitude, ther
is the strongest probability that success
in life for him will be found in his ia
theirs profession. If he displays II lil'
ing for more than one kind of work, lie
the consideration of heredity have it
due weight with him when one of thos
preferences is for his fathers profes
sion. The chances are that a boy wi
succeed best in that for which he ha
| I'LL lDUtIllNNt lluilNSSs 40 q wv IVY - "
"step into their fathers shoes" and
wise arrangement it is, for thus ther
is cultivated from generation to gener;
ton faculty and skill for doing cel
tain kinds of work, which must prc
duce, by the principle of natural sele'
ton, those who are progressively bette
and better fitted for performing thes
tasks.
The third and least important consi'
Grafton in choosing profession is o.
portunity. Sometimes all doors seel
to stand wide open to certain line
work. while to all other lines they al
tightly closed. There certainly al
cases when such apparently prov
dental" openings should not be disr
gardcd, especially if the opportunif
which offers is of a nature to enfor
hereditary fitness. Suppose, for i
! stance, that boy has chance to {
, into a machine shop as assistant to h
father. If he has no strong desire nj
. aptitude for another kind of work, al
is ready to enter upon the active duti
. of lie, here is certainly an opportuni
which he ought not to ignore. II
opening is one which. if he avails hin
4 self of it, may result in successful ser
Q ice and rapid promotion.
' Young people may properly consid
: headings of this kind as well as those
t aptitude and heredity. A young mar
entire future often depends upon !
getting a chance to work at a certa