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Show WHAT SHALL I DO FOR A LIVINO ? This is a question which some persons per-sons are never called to consider. They inherit the fruits of other men's labors, and can lie idle all their life long, if they please. It is worse than folly for them to do so, just because they are not obliged to work for a living. There are few tilings more pitiable than to see an educated, able-bodied able-bodied man pampering himself with luxuries which other people have earned, and frittering away the only existence he cn ever have, this side of eternity. He owes it to himself, and he owes it to the world, to use his faculties for somebody's benefit, and he will always litid enough to do if he hue the sense to see it. Another da-sol persona never have the chance to choose their vocation; and all that they ever expect to gain by their toil is food enough to keep them from Btarving, and clothing enough to keep them from freezing. The rut has been worn for them, and there they must run to the end. In many countries they constitute the large majority of the population, and the thought of rising in the world never enters their minds. In some cases the choice of one's profession is determined by othei'3. He is trained to it; made to feel that it is inevitable. The parent's heart is set on seeing his son a merchant, a clergymen, or a lawyer, or something else that he considers lespectable; and so a destiny is marked out him, for which he may not have the slightest fitness. But there are among our readers multitudes of young men who are asking today with much solicitude and anxiety, "What shall I do for a living ?" We do not think that there has ever been a time when it. was moredillicult to answer this question, Society is divided into two classes the workers and the non-workers. The workers are, again, divided into two additional classes those who work with their hands, and those who work with their brains. Tho latter distinction is not as clearly marked as the lormer, for manual toil is generally gener-ally supplemented by some activity of : the mind, and ment:il labor by a certain amount of bodily exericise. The man who hammers stone mutit use his judgment in order to strike in the right place; and the man who hummers his brains must use his hands in order to record his thoughts. In the choice of a vocation, there are five great mistakes to be avoided. Tim first is crowding into what are called "the professione," or mercantile mercan-tile life, or Eome other employment where there is but little manual labor, cn the supposition that this must promise to the young man a comparatively compara-tively easy life. There are none work harder than some who are supposed not to work at all. An aching brain may bo more trying than a weary arm. The man who handles tools otten sings at his work; but there is not much music of this BOrt in the counting-house whero the capitalist weaves tho web and unravels the tough note of a great and complicated business. Some seem to imagine that thoughts couio spontaneously, and that when a clergymen has preached his two sermons on Sunday ho may rest until another Sunday recurs that the lawyer, when he is not engaged in consultation or pleading in court, is doing nothing and that the only work of a physician consists in driving about and writing cabalistic . prescriptions. The experiment of a few weirks in some such lino of life would effectually cure all such delusions. delu-sions. Tho second mis tnko into winch young men are liable to full and this is wornc than the first 'is that of try- ing for a place in some of tliouo branches of business, wliero there is the possibility ot achiuving a rcat fortuno at a stroke, with the strong probability of not making a farthing. This is simply "running for luck," with tho prospect of breaking your neck in the race. The few, who succeed, suc-ceed, every ono hears of ; tho multitude, multi-tude, who fail, pass out of sight and are lorgotton. The third mistake ie that of rushing from tho country to tho metropolis without any reasonable prospuet of finding remunerative occupation. If jrt.ll the groans and sighs which como Irom tho shops, and offices, and chambers, where our clerks and shop-m shop-m on, and book-keepers congregate, could be heard through our country towns and villages, then; would not ho the same eagerness to join tho crowd who haunt tho city ulrccts.- If thorn bo a fair chance of your attaining a comfortable living in any honent way, stay near home, and build upon a sure foundation, even though the structure rino somewhat slowly. Wherever and however they may begin life, as a general rule, innn will gravitate to their true level. If it he in you to burst the narrow bounds which at lirnt restrict your steps, you will bo quite certain to do it, sooner or later. Tho fourlh mistako to bo noticed ii the prevalent notion that to work with tho hands can never ho as hon-orablo hon-orablo as it is to work with tho brain. If indeed a man is nothing but a tool or a pait of a machine, ho cannot expect to lako an elevated ptaco in society. But suppose tho hand and tho head to work together as they always will, to somo oxtent.jnst hhbooii as you rise out of tho region of mere eervilo tuil bow doos the matter stand then? Hero is a practical farmer, who is also a student of scientific agriculture, and brings his knowledge to bear upon tho improve moot of land, tho increase ol crop-, tho perfecting of seeds, economy in labor, under bis skillful hand barren wastes aro redeemed, so that the earth will always bo more fruitful beeiiiiHe ho has lived and labored, and Iuh cul-turo cul-turo makes the human race richer as well as his own household, could any ono ask for mora honorablo employment? employ-ment? Here is a young mechanic, who has learned ids trade thoroughly and well, and starting in life as a wkillcd, accnmplinhed workmen, hn brings his mind to (bo watchful study of every progress in Iuh work, contriving, con-triving, experimenting, inventing, and gradually rising from his inferior position till Jie becomes a master-workman, master-workman, a contractor, the head of a fine establishment, "saying to this man, go, and he goeth, and to that man, come, and he eometh," is not this better and moro honorablo than to be a feoblo advocate at the bar, or an impecunious, half-starved member of any other learned profession ? And, bistly, it is very sad when one finds that he ht's chosen a line of lile to which he is not adapted. It works badly, whether the peg ia too large or too small for the bole. |