New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
SUGGESTIONS TO YOUNG MEN.

SUGGESTIONS To lOCNf MEN.
There has come to this office during the last
week the following letter OF inquiry: "A young
man Of good education and fair ability. ana
having an assured income amply sufficient to
supper, him In moderate luxury, desires to de-
vote his life 10 the service OF humanity. Could
"hc better do so by spending his life In the coun-
try. or in some great city like New-York:'
The question here propourdcd is IN exceeding
~ Interesting one. not only In itself. but because
It indicates that even in this hurly-burly age or
brass as some people regard II. there are young
men who are thinking Of nobler career than
that OF minlstering to their own selfish pleasures
The Tribune would be glad to give categorical
answer Ia the question; but In the nature OF the
case no such answer can BIZ given. There are
today a. there always have been. opportunities
10 advance the welfare Of humanity In both the
city and the country. and which or these TWO
spheres Of activity any particular young man
ough, TO choos. must DE- decided wholly by his
temperament. tastes and equipment IL he de-
sirrs Ia max" some original contributions -
human thought and has the ability 10 do 50. II
would. pcrhap.. be- wiser for him to live In the
country. where he would be free from the dis
fractions OF city life. Never before In the his
tory of the world has there been n greater ncci
Of men abb" and willing 10 devote themselves
10 speculation and investigation. Such men
could perform valuable and needed public ser
vice In assmatIng and tabuating the dIscov-
cries and advances Of the age. Many depart
mcuts Of human knowledge to-day are ctfnpar;l-
lively useless because their true import and
their relation 10 the whole sum Of knowledge
are not dsccrncd. and cannot be dscerncd until
some intelligent analysis and syn,hcsis Of them
are made The intellectual vice Of the age Ia The
failure on the part Of most people 10 grasp the
real meaning Of wha; is 50 often described as
the trend OF modern progress They are Ike
Individual soldiers In a great battle. whose judg
m, nj as 10 It's progress and final outcome is
obscurcd 10y the noise and the smoke. IL ls much
more exciting TO rush into this great conflict
than 70 try. as m ono0ker. 10 understand II.
Moreover the immediate rewards OF the active
participant seem to be far greater. But II our
moern civilization IL not ultimately 10 fail be-
caus. Of lis unweldlncss and lack OF Conference.
II will be because men OF ability and insight Will
arise who will try to assmilatc the raw material
Of human thought and knowledge, and give Its
spirit and meaning TO the world In II form In
which all can understand 1t. The men who set
themselves 10 perform this noble service must.
In sense become intellectual and social anchor
ties observers Of the great world struggle rather
than participants In II; and in most cases they
can live such life better In the country than
In the city, though there are some men who find
the best stimulus to thought and investigation
In the activity and many-voIccd camor Of the
town.
We have not space here to dwell on other op-
porunities Of service to be found In country life
Some OF them are no obvious as not to require
OF country life, In broadening Its culture and
aims. In delivering 1t from thradom to physi
cal toll, and lifting It up to a conception OF nobler
ideals. Will be found a work supremacy worthy
Of any young man who seeks to serve his fel-
lows. After all. however. II Is In the city that
the generality OF young men will find the most
attractive field OF endcavor and In the city,
also. where the most pressing problems OF mod
| ern life must be solved. For while II Is essen
tial. as we have pointed out. that civilization
should have Its Interpreters, It Is quite as essen
tIal that It should have wise and unselish lead
ers; and leadership In the great world move
mcnts Of modern life must. as a rule, be exer-
cised In the cities, where civilization to-day IL
being shaped and moulded. whether for good or
| III. For some time pant the population OF the
world has been massing itself in the cities; they
|
and Drawn of the country. and while ignorance,
vice and crime inevitably gravitate to them,
forming stagnant pools Of moral mlasm, they
are, on the other hand centres OF leading and
light in every department of thought and en-
deavor. No young man who wants to serve
| humanity could ask for finer field OF activity
than the modern city. He can find stimulus and
inspiration in the very diversity and intensity
Of the conflict itself, not to speak OF the fact
that this conflict Is to decide the destiny OF man.
II his mental processes are sluggish they will
be quickened by the attrltion with other minds.
Even the war cries Of parties and persons, how
ever imperfectly they may express the final
trend Of things will at least induce state Of
mental alertness that will be productive Of good
results
1t Is glorious privilege to live in this last
decade Of the nineteenth century, and to feel
the pulsations Of Its great life movements. The
young man who finds himself able to take part
In the onward rush Of things to-day whether
In the specialized fields Of religious, philan-
thropc, sociological or political effort Is indeed
to be envIed He may. and doubtless will. often
be puzzled he may, and doubtless will. make
many mistakes. But II he works faithfully and