Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-20

angry and said: "Well, Welt Look at
this. am very sorry and disappoint-
ed. James promised me when l left
home that he would give up poetry
and stick to his books. hoped he had
become less Eighty" Yet 1t was as
poet that Lowell was destined TO
achieve fame. Thus what God wants
your boy to do and what you would
like to have him do may be entirely
different. end yet, my brother, all the
happiness and the usefulness of YOUR
son are to be decided within the next
few months. Better pray, and pray
earnestly, that God viii help him to
choose Alright In the selection Of his
life vocation Better not let your will
run counter to Gods will.
But after we have asked God to Sc
lect our children's work in life we
must not stop here In our divine plead
iDgs. The school or the college In
which our children prepare for their
LIES work Is important Now you had
better make n prayerful selection OF
the institutions to which you send your
children during the critical formative
periods of their lives. You need Gods
help here as you need him in other
vital matters. You need to plead to
him for guidance just as much as the
disciples needed to pray for wisdom 10
make right selection for the vacancy
In the apostolate.
Going to College.
The older 1 grow the more I am
amazed to see how blindly and in what
don't care spirit most parents allow
their children to select the school or
college at which they are to be edu-
Gated. Very slight and trivial reasons
weigh with the boy. Do you want to
know how / went to a certain military
school? There was boy who lived on
our block who went there. He came
home for his vacations dressed I'm n
beautiful uniform. That uniform, with
IT'S silver buttons and shining chevrons,
was the envy os all the neighborhood
Like most of the boys on our street. /
wanted to go to a school which would
let boys dress up in a uniform like that
And, though that school at the time
was not what it ought to be in many
respects. yet the inflnitesimal thing Of
little silver button took me to that
school, where 1 passed four long years
OF the most important part of my edu-
cational life. Hundreds and thousands
Of young folks go to a school because
a friend goes there or because that COL
lege has fine football team or because
that institution is the largest university
In the state or because that college is
situated In the east And the great es-
sentials OF the moral and spiritual
characteristics OF that educational in
stitution IRE passed over as though
they did not amount to anything.
Did you ever realize that a uulver-
sity or n college has an atmosphere or
soul? Are you not aware that Just
as you have certain special character
istics that in your life stand for some
thing so an educational institution has
Its distinct personality and stands for
something and that something is FOR
the benefit or injury OF the students
who live within its walls? / received
some time ago a letter from an old and
very dear classmate. He was writing
about some of the weaknesses OF the
college we both love. Then he wrote
this sentence, which have often pom
dered over, because it presented a
truth in n way that / had never had
1t driven into my mind before: "Edu.
cational institutions are controlled by
individuals who are merely human.
and human actions are vital there, as
elsewhere" Do you grasp that tire
mendous fact? Who are the men at
the head OF those institutions to- which
you intend TO send your boys? What
is the moral and spiritual status of the
members OF those facultiesy Are they
noted for their Christian principles
Are they professors who VIII instil
reverent ideas OF God and of the high
er ltfeI These are questions which
you should ponder well before you let
that boy leave your dreside for scho-
lastic halls. Better pray over that fact
earnestly and long. God alone can d.
rect you SD that you Will make no
mistake.
May Make or Break.
But We cannot always remain mt
school. We cannot always be prepar-
ing for the battle OF life After awhile
we must do something besides talking
about what We intend TO do. So from
scholastic walls we step forth into the
struggle OF life. Then we must enter
into certain business partnerships and
professional Affiliations. Whom shall
we trust? With whom shall we GO?
Who shall we allow to enter the holy
Of holies OF our hearts? These are
weighty questions which ! am putting
to you today, for a mans success Is
20 .x-l.o
than to what his business associates
do. To great extent they make him
or break him.
What lot OF trouble you would have
saved II you had only known what
rascal your partner was before you
hitched up with him in business! Do
you suppose your mother and father
would have let you enter into that
business partnership if they had known
what kind of man he VAST "Oh.
no." you reply. "Afy parents love me
too much to let me get into such quick
sands OF trouble as that" Yes, you
are right But tell me, sA.Iend, does
not God love you as much as Your ia
Thereon your mother? Would he not
have guarded you from that tyouble
II you had only asked him? Did you
ask Gods advice when you entered
into that business arrangement? Am
l making too literal Interpretation OF
the gospel? What do you mean by
that sign which is tackled over your Of
nee door, Business During Business
HoursT Does that mean that God has
no part In your business? No! Then.
II that Is not so. why do you not ask
God to help you select your partners