The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-11-18
The Grave Mistakes Of Loving
M0thera. =

IAere IS one theory TO winch most par;
ents cling with tenacity no amount of
experience ever seems to shake. and that
is they have divine right to decide their
children's careers, and generally shape
their lives for them. The mother, Groom
ing her baby to sleep on her breast,
makes up her mind that he shall be a
lawyer, Or doctor, or preacher, wholly
oblivious of the fact that nature has al
ready been before her and made a mer-
any effort to reverse the decision must
inevitably result in disaster, says the
New Orleans Picayune. ''
One of the common observations of
life is that success and happiness means
merely getting into the right groove, and
doing the thing destiny intended us to do.
This being true, it is passing strange that
those who have child's welfare at heart
so seldom really take the trouble to find
out what he can do, and wants to do.
what his bent is. On every hand we are
confronted by the unhappy spectacle of
round pegs vainly trying to fit themselves
doctors going on their death-dealing ca
reers who might have made successful
and humane business men. Every Sun
day we are bored by tiresome preachers
who might have really done some good in
the world pounding iron instead of the
pulpit. The woods are full of bankrupt
merchants who might have made fame
and fortune in profession.
Nine times out of ten these dismal fail
ures are the direct result of some loving
parents determination to decide sons
destiny for him. Because Johns grand
father was distinguished lawyer, or
Johns mother considers the law a gen
teel profession for John, who has no
more gift at speaking than stone dunn
my, and no more love for study than
parrot that repeats without understand
college and law course, and at last
hangs out his shingle and waits for eli
ents: He has no interest or enthusiasm
IN his work; he never does it well, and,
consequently, never succeeds. Sometimes
after wasted years, he breaks away
from bondage and finds his appointed
place for himself. Oftenest he loses
heart heart altogether. His first venture has
been such a disaster he has not courage
to hoist fresh sail, and put about for an
other port, so he drifts helpless and
pathetic derelict upon the sea of life. 1t
is the same story, with the same end
ing, when the man who loves books bet
ter than dollars, who would rather spec
ulate in PHILOSOPHERS than cotton fu-
lures, is FORCED into business because his
father has happened to build I'D a big
financial enterprise. He is not fitted for
the part, and if he does not actually fail
outright, as is generally the case, he miss
es the best of life in missing a congenial
occupation.
Of course, to the parents it seems an
unnatural and unnecessary condition of
affairs. if they are not to make what
| they please of a child. 1t is said that
when MIR. McKinley's mother was con
graduated upon her sons having
achieved the greatest honor in the gift
of his country. she heaved sigh of dis
appointment and said: 'Well, my desire
for William has always been for him to
be a. Methodist bishopv', That was what
she had dreamed for him over his cradle,
and not even the presidency of the Unit
ed States could make up to her for it..
How often we hear a father say BIT
terly: Il have spent years of toll build
ing up this business for my son, and
now nothing will satisfy him but pro-
fession,' or another cries out that he
has spent thousands of dollars in edu-
eating boy for profession that he re-
fuses to follow.
In both cases there is the charge, or
implication, at least, of ingratitude, and
the assertion of the parental right to de-
eide child's life.
If all the money that is foolishly vast
ed in trying to make musicians and art
lists out of girls who have not talent
| were put into fund it would give them
| every one, a respectable dowry and fur
| nish their homes with hand-organs and
old masters besides.