Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-08-24
SOME VIEWS ON LIFE.
REV. NJ. X. CRISP WRITES
ANINTERESTING LETTER
HE WOULD LEAD NOT DRIVE
Children in Their Choice of a
Profession or Life Partner
Children Should Listen to
Advice of Their Par.
ents and Friends
Mr.. Editor:

Mr.. Editor:
A few observations on judgment and
motive might subserve auseful purpose
at this time In selecting life work
great care must be exercised and young
people especially must carefully dis
eliminate between worthy or unworthy
motives and wise or unwise choices.
Well meaning but mistaken friends
sometimes mar and destroy the lives
they would help create. Parents often
whimsically demand the impossible,
thus doing irreparable damage to
unfolding character; the demand will
be made that son must form matri-
monial alliance with some individual
wholly untitled to assume such respon-
sibility, thus wrecking two lives; or
some fond mother-and we know of
case in point-may insist that her
daughter must be clergyman's wife.
The young lady may be opposed to the
program, or have no religious expert
ence whatever, but the maternal man.
date must be obeyed. Eligible young
farmers or business men are carefully
kept away, perhaps no ministerial
sutton puts in an appearance and the
distracted daughter finally taking mat
tiers into her own hands, rushes into a
fatal marriage and hastens to an
untimely grave.
A distinguished physician preemptor-
lily decided that his son must follow the
healing art. The father had established
lucrative practice and the son must
continue what had been so auspiciously
started. The young mans tastes ran
in another direction; he was temper
mentally untitled for the DOCTORS call
ing and his purplind parent allowed
prejudice to overweight his better judg-
ment. After enduring purgatory of
hectoring and scolding the young man
left home, secured college education
and is now most respected and sue
cessful minister in an eastern confer
ence. In my humble judgment parents
should lead rather than coerce; they
should train childhood in lofty ideals,
should inspire them to the exercise of
good common sense and then largely
leave the choosing to them. However,
there is one outstanding exception
parents have right to demand that
their offspring shall persue legitimate
occupation and make their social or
matrimonial selections within the
domain of strict morality. On the
other hand many young people rush
into rash enterprises or affect heart
breaking alliances without the least
consultation with parent, minister or
friend. Such ventures are hazardous.
The experiences of worthy men cannot
be fiippantly ignored; men who through
the years past have wisely and success
fully chosen are well fitted to council
US in hours of adversely. How much
of misery and beartache thousands
would escape if they would only have
listened more attentively to their Cody
mothers prayers and advices. There
is danger in parental tyranny, there is
also danger in juvenile carlessness and
disobedience.
Then again the motives that actuate
our endeavors let US examine these
very closely: A man is a barnacle
upon society who exists only for self
interests. Some seem to think that
society is an aggregation to be
exploited by the individual, but the
tide is turning and we are measuring
a man now by what he is willing to
contribute toward the common good.
Not what can get out of the other
fellows but what ! can give to those
around me is the measure of a man.
Thus motive ever confronts us. Often
the indispensable disideratum with
young women is ito secure husbands. -
They must secure specimens of the
masculine gender at all hazards. But
a woman pays an awful price for a
man when she must sacrifice her self
respect and happiness for a mere
CIPHER, without industry or morality.
/ Again, young men must establish the
domestic circle upon some firmer foun-
dation than monetary affiuence or per-
sonal beauty. Some of earth's saddest
tragedies have had their beginnings in
such considerations as the above.
We are appealing for loftier motives
and higher ideals all the time; the call
is for Christians rather than creeds,
statesmen rather than politicians, and
honest men rather than simply business