Year: 1870

The physicalsinfuence of different
occupations upon those who pursue
them has been very carefully and sys-
tematicallyi investigated, but the men
tai influence Of these different employ
ments has not received the same
thoughtful examination, although ii has
been quite as much talked about, and
has. perhaps, exerted quite as great an
influence upon the practical decisions.o
men That our employments Shave a
great influence upon our mental growth
there can be no doubt, but thus far
they have been viewed more from the
standpoint of what is falsely called cul>
ture par excellence, meaning thereby a
sort of effeminate gentility, than from
the really practical standpoint of sound
mental training. The work of the far
mer and the mechanic has been avoided,
because II was not considered 4entcel,
and because the impression was that
the tendency of such employments is to
produce a certain coarseness OF thought
and manner which is deemed usdesira-





these employmcnts, such as their effect
upon the reasoning powers, their ten
dency to foster sound judgment, and 10
enable those who pursue them in a
proper spirit, to see those hidden and
beautiful things of nature which are for
ever concealed from the superficial ob
server, have been entirely overlooked.


The obvious elements which present
themselves for consideration in an at
tempt to arrive at correct conclusion
in any individual case are these: First,
thr influence of the occupation itself J;
secondly. the character of the mind that
is 10 be impressed, and thirdly, the
influence of the associations with which
any given employment will bring us
into contact The second and third
ofsthese elements are practically quite
as important as the first, but as they
are subject to great variations, and in
many cases are In measure under our
own control, we do not propose to con-
slider them at this time. Some minds
might be subjected to the most tho
rough training and the most benefcent
influences without receiving any mark
ed benefit Some minds become im>
pure and coarse, no matter what the
character of their associations may be,
while others seem to be so happily con-
stituted that they pass unscathed
through ihe most communicating soci
ETY.: @


The mental influence of any occupa
tion will depend upon: first, its physi,
zeal character, such as whether much
muscular effort it required or Dot
ssecondly, the demands that it's acqnire'
sment makes upon the mind, anC
thirdly the demands that its prosecu
G4ion makes upon the attention.


In recent article on " Muscle ant
Brain we pointed out the fact tina
amy great demand upon the physica
s,system precludes continued and con
centrated study The man that work
% little will certainly be able to stud,
all the better for that work the maj
that works very hard physically vii
probably not be able to study at all. |
the blacksmith. after hard day 8 work
sits down to the study of Euclid, tn
probability is that he will fall asleeI
before he has worked out single pro
position, and the same ia true Of tn
farmer. Exceptional cases may b
found, it is true, and Elihu Burritt ma.
be cited ss an illustrious instance il
disproof of onr position. But those VIII
have conducted an evening school Q
young mechanics know how o hare
days work tells upon the ability t
stady.closely and hard. It may not tel