The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-14
WOMANDS COLUMN
If You're Going to Be Anything Mt
All, Be It and Do 1t Well--The VAL
ne Of Stickt0itiyeness.

tOlJlVeneSS. Ouce, as Sudll Bui,
was given a biography of the life of
Queen Victoria, and it was with great |
awe, that l read Of my English |
friend that she was not allowed, as |
a child, to do as she pleased, but that |
her wise, wise mother compelled her |
to finish every task which she began,
And l had fondly imagined that Vic
toria did very much as she liked.
1t is our lack of sticktoitiveness
that makes us wandering sheep who
do not love the fold We grow rest
less and leave school Today, John is
BARRIERS apprentice, tomorrow he
is coaling engines, next day he is q
street car conductor, and next day,
drifting, just drifting. And Susan is
just as bad. She thinks she would
like to be dressmaker and she
dressmakes about three days, when
someone advises her to study steDo-
graphy. She pores over enigmatical
signs which mean a great deal or no.
thing, according to her skill, and in
a week we find Susan handing out
spools of thread over the counter OF
a department store. Meanwhile, SUI
san and Johnnie are supported by
Father and Mother, drawing no small
amount of hard-earned cash from the
family eXchequer as they seek to es
tablish footing for their wobbly
feet.
The wanderlust has us by the
throat, you, and I, and Susan, ana
Johnnie. We began drifting along
when Mother insisted that we take
piano lessons, as children, and al
lowed us to practice or not as we
pleased Most of us did not please
and lost our opportunity to soothe the
savage breast, not for lack of talent,
| but for lack of that sticktoitiveneSs
which is, if you'll believe me, two
thirds of genius
We meant, you and I, to do great
things but a word of criticism here
and of Encouragement there swayod
us like reeds in the wind, blown this
way and that at the will of others.
If a woman complains of the SER
want problem and her kitchen has
seen SIX maids in as many months,
we grow suspicious. If a man or
woman, boy or girl boasts half a
dozen occupations in as many
months, again we are suspicious, and
with reason We do not look FOR
great things from these straws in the
breeze because we know the germ OF
sticktoitiveness is not there. Such a
mans career IS hand-to mouth, dods-
ing from pillar to post and from pos,
to pillar.
What would you mink OF your
clergyman next Sunday, if he sudden
ly decided his calling was distasteful
and made for the woods with the KEY
of the church in his pocket? What
would you think of your employer il
he decided to close shop tomorrow
and try something he liked better
thus throwing you out of work
Can't think of such thing can YOU
Your clergyman and your employer
have made a success of life and you'll
never fiLd a successful man employ
ing such tactics.
If you start out today and decide
upon your vocation, stick to it unit
you have drained it's advantages ana
disadvantages to the last drop, unit
you know what to expect and how tc
handle the unexpected, until in short
you have conquered the vocation
Don't let the vocation conquer 20,
and confess yourself beaten until
you've tried.
The modern king Of gold has
shrewd sense and is not advancing
checks nowadays, to his spendthiif
sons Today, the son of wealth get:
in in the ground floor and shows 3
dirty face and grimy hands an(
rmingles with honest workmen who
call him a good fellow and by his
front name. The modern parent Ct
comfortable means and good com
mon sense isn't advancing many
checks to sons and daughters unit
those ohsprings of hers are display
ing an ability to earn their salt and
live quite comfortably in thoss
weeks when the check doesn't arrive
in the morning mail. Why liberality
is killing their characters. Adversely
will do them good.
You know that our queer frient
Ebert Hubbard says that womer
don't know much under thirty unles;
Fate has been kind and thoroughly
cuffed them, and, I'd quite agree
with him, if he would but add thai
the same applies to not few of his
own sex.
Here is the original, lively way in
which Editor o. X. Benedict, of the
Oklahoma City Times, expresses HIM
self on this kind of drifting indiyid-
uals:
Knows little about a great many
things--knows not enough about any
one of them which will enable hiBl
to make respectable living for him