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well lior capacity, and without sonic ex
traordinary obstacle, his trip is sure. So
vc, hoforc entering the active strife of life
on our own responsibility, before launch
ing our bark into the great unknown, are
tried. Yes, are tried in our social inter
course, in our daily walks, in the various
class rooms, in the society halls, all this is
but a preparatory course, employed as a
means which, says Emerson, "will bring
success." The College is the means of
developing special faculties. Some we
see employing their mathematical skill,
others excelling in Literature, still others
in Scicncc.whilenll who show extraordina
ry ability in one direction at the same time
display a weakness in others. The cases
arc rare where you And one excelling in
all these branches of culture. Hear Em.
crson: "A man is like a bit of Labrador
Spar which has no lustre as you turn
it in your hand until you come to a cer
tain angle, then it shows deep and beauti
ful colors."
There is no universal applicability in
men, but each has his special talent and
the mastery of successful men consists in
keeping them where they shall be
most often practiced. Says Math
i'vs: "The first thing to be done by him
who would succeed in life, is to make a
wise choice of professions." And this, we
apprehend, is one of the most difficult, if
not the most important, problems which
he is called upon to settle, now he is
to decide which angle shows the deepest
colors. This he cannot trust t- parents,
friends or teachers. Long should lie pon
der the broadness of his shoulders, learn
accurately Hie weight they can sustain,
for, on this decision depends, to a great
extent his success; and, how often is this
decision biased by ambitious parents, who
desire that their son should forsake the
more lowly walks of life and display his
greatness by the choice of some noble
profession. So, he is prodded through a
courso of Latin, regardless of his own
choice and fitness, settles down in his pro
fession to drag out a miserable existence
and is chagrined in the end-by a failure
in life Thus, results innumerable cases
from this and similar causes. I presume,
in making this choice, at least two ques
tions arise, out of which spring others.
First, will it furnish us a respectable
living?
Second, will it serve us a means for pur
suing that course of study giving us that,
degree of. culture for which so many
seek?
These things being lavorable, the ques
tion must be settled as to ability, course of
preparation, physical strength, natural ad
aptation. For, says Mathews, " 'Our wish
es are presentiments of our capabilities'
is a noble maxim." How often do wo fail
to sec both sides of the picture in any pro
fession, looking only at the brightest lines,
repelling the darker scenes, smooihing
over the most unfavorable parts. And
enter the calling only half awake to
some of the stern realities. Hut ore you
have followed it long j'ou realize the real
U nature of your profession, and find it not
what you were looking for.
"If you choose to represent the various
callings in life,', says Sidney Smith, "by
holes in a table of different, shapes, some
triangu'ar, some circular, some square,
some oblong, and the persons acting the
various parts.by bits of wood of the same
shape, we shall find generally the lriangu
lar bit in the oblong hole, the oblong bit
in the triangular hole, the square bit trying
to squeeze into the same hoje." We are
all desirous of bettering our situation,
eager to grasp something higher, anxious
for something better. It was this desire
that led the Pilgrim fathers to cross the
wide expanse of water, it was this desire
that led Panthadolaon to wander over
Florida in search of the fabled spring, the
waters of which would cause the burden
of years to fall from him. It is this that
leads the son of the farmer to the counting
room, it is this that induces college stu
dents to abandon their course on the very
threshold to engage in Law, Mcdccinc or
Journalism. Let us look to it that by this
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