The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-04
LET THE BOY CHOOSE HIS CAREER

1..------ -------------.---
sa aSSn so5 a"q pen te COLD short st II Tss s
arss,- Burn, too late. Tie hard headed psr
one OF those Irrctrievabie mistakes that
Eoos II eS Sr" aIss! how W aiten obst-
plumbers when they force boys by gentle
insis.etle OF marsh commands into places
for which the boy. are unfit.
a Another case was Of d lad who strange
TO say. wanted to be farmer. So many
farmers sons rush away rom me ne, fa a.
and hurry to tho city that ihls pey lie
loved the soil. the smell Of the earth turn.
ed up by The plough and the l9ok Or LINE me
green things growing. He loved the fa IN!
father said, Ned must go away and make
d fortune. There is no money on ms
Old mountain. A, son OF mine should be
saa s &c set a out had 1 he. he Nance
The boy went, tarrled long enough 70
prove that he had no fitness for the eager
life 81 the town. and no adhptability 70 US
sick. returned to the place that Nature
meant for him. a daughter Of the same
house went out from its doors, and I'm MAGE ia,,
down contentcdly In the simple life that
suited him.
All, friends, money Is not the only thing
worth having, nor Is the ability to nccu-
mulate 1t the only ability you should
crave for a son.
a quiet lad OF nineteen, a young man OF
fine promise. was talking With me the
other day, and told me frankly that he was
dissatisfied with the work he was doing
In wholesale house. l happened to know
that he was giving the best and most con-
scientious service he could, and that his
employers found no fault, also that his
salary had been raised
we can't always do the work we. Ike.
ri know that he answered. ''bnt
know, too. that n man should not spend
his life doing what he disllkes,i II there
Is other work he could do that he would
love. l want To be Il surgeon. Why must
iI&pnt all my strength into keeping tally
OF bales Of goods, and doing q thousand;
and one things that mean nothing athers
opposes me, but believe I've reached a
place where II is right for me to oppose
him. FIJI ~
This boy had always been able TO look
shftcr hurt animals. bandage broken limbs
and coax poor lame dogs back TO health.
try work In the groove he is fitted for. that
he may not hive to rattle round IN i the
square hole when there is niche that
Will be right for him. Il
ss have seen. and SO have you. men In
the pulpit who were conspicuous failures
there, although they would have made
admirable builders Mistaken parental
vanity, thinking Itself ptous conservation,
had encouraged these men to choose the
ministry when 1t was not their vocar
5tion.
80 very wide Is the range OF employ
mcnts and so easily may boys discover
TO what their bent nclines them that
IN life where he can do and be his best.
The labor We delight in physics pain.''5
y Especially Us 1t almost wicked to select
for boy an occupation on the score that
some other employment Is the reverse.
Any honest labor we'll and wort1lily done
is respectable. No calling is beneath: Il
gentleman II the man be gentleman
enough to sadorn It.
e Ruskln. who had great insight, said IN.
a lecture to workingmen: There must
be work done by tho arms. or none Of
US could live. There must be work done
not be worth having" whichever va
ricty OF work your boy prefers let him
have the chance to master its technique;
let him do 1T with skill as we'll as with
love.
{ BE surc&that most boys who have char
acter and perseverance will find their lev-.
s c and show what ~ In them. Il thereii
nothing In themselves they will never
( tries and successfully abandons n half
dozen kinds OF work is probably david
ler and lndolent. and there is little hope
for him. gssatfy
In our country both rich and poor men
work and their sons work. Al times a
hoy must take the first opening. The son
of a widow who Is worn out with care
must help his mother. Fortunate lads.
may elect wha t they will do. He must do
something ut once; the first thing at
once But when all the circumstances
favor and are propit!ous let the boy de-.
eide Round pegs need round holes. The
mathematical boy may become mining
engineer The poetic boy may be flu
Eturc playwright. The boy who longs for
q tho sea may find his career In tho navy.
Each boy is. In n sense, under sealed or
dcrs now. Let US prepare him to obey
them when the hooks are opened.
VIZ nIsTR1c,T srH0o1