The New York herald., 1921-12-04

'N'NNN
of circus band. He wanted to be
out in front of the parade. twirlng silver
sceptre, tossing it in the air and catching it
behind his back. He had watched other
band leaders and knew he could better their
performances by at least two twirls to the
drum beat.
ut was more than a youthful ambition it
was the motive of his childhood He prac-
tised with his fathers golf club with his
mothers cane with the cooks umbrella. He
grew perfect in execution. He gathered boys
from the neighborhood and formed them
into a band, which he led proudly up and
down the streets. He was the prince of his
precinct. Little girls bowed down before
him and boys trembled at the wave of his
sceptre.
When any one asked him what he was
going to be when he grew up, he had nc
hesitancy in telling that he was going to be
band leader with all the trimmings. Now,
as Justice of the Supreme Court, he often
smiles at references to his early ambitions
and insists that he missed much in not
carrying out his youthful aspirations"
For Fewer Professional Men
Were Early Ambitions Realized
If careers were decided on before the age
of discretionary. between the ages of six
and ten-the nation would have far fewer
lawyers. writer's. doctors, preachers, bankers
and brokers. Instead we would have race
of circus band leaders, cowboys. policemen,
street car conductors and candy store
keepers.
The thrill of being mere professional
man seems to have almost no appeal to the
youth of the country Manufacturing and
engineering are counted as nothing com
pared to taking peoples nicSels away from
them and pulling the bell rope to start the
car. And who wants to be lawyer when he
might direct traffic on the avenue or stand
out in front of a theatre calling out the
check numbers for the cars to roll into
position?
No youngster with any imagination ever
planned for himself career that consisted
chiefly of sitting behind a fiat top desk and
letting the underlings have all the fun of
running the typewriters the adding ma
chimes, answering the telephone and seeing
who comes in the main door.
If canvass were taken of New Yorks
ten-year-olds there probably wouldn't be one
in the lot who wouldn't prefer being an
elevator boy in the woolworth Building to
owning the entire building. And there
wouldn't be girl who wouldn't prefer beins
in the tingling chorus of the Winter Garden
10 holding down a full professorship in
social ethics in any university you cared
TO name
It's shame in a way that mankind isn't
more faithful to the plans of buoyant youth.
There might be some upsets, of course.
potential railroad president might be run
ming a locomotive and a corporation lawyer
might be sitting behind the big wheel on the
rear of fire truck. But somehow the world
would survive and mankind might be get
ting a lot more fun out of life than actually
is the case to-day.
II youthful aspirations were recorded we
predict that not more than one out of
thousand would mature into full accomplish
ment. More than that, IL future plans Of
college students were jotted down on an Off
cial chart only rarely would the plans de-
velop exactly according to specifications.
Many man has studied for the law and
turned out to be literary light of no mean
glow On the other hand more than one
man has prepared himself with literary
background, expecting to set the world afire
with his productions, and wound up by being
salesman for ladies' dress house