Opportcnitiks for Young Faumers. 529 



borhood or town would make it a specialty in their scliool 

 days, and thus fit themselves for practical work when 

 ready to take up the labors of the farm, great good might 

 come to them and their fellows. 



Specialties arc recognized in other pursuits, and such 

 preparation for partitmlar departments of labor as will 

 enable him who engages therein to approximate to thor- 

 oughness if not perfection. 



If a young man is going into mercantile operations, he 

 must give not a little of his time, even after he has finished 

 the curriculum of the schools, before he can receive much, 

 if any, wages, and this he does uncomplainingly, because it 

 is tlie fashion. 



If he would be a civil engineer, and attain to a celebrity 

 worth having, he nmst give long and patient study to that 

 intricate science, and have had considerable practice, before 

 he can be remunerated in proportion to his outlay. But, if 

 he is told that he needs even no better preparation for a call- 

 ing, where knowledge far more than the schools can give us is 

 needed, he will be astonished, and tell you that it is contrary 

 to his teachino;. 



And here a word or two to the fathers, who are more 

 or less responsible for this feeling among their sons. 



We are creature's of habit and imitators of example. 

 " As is the father so is the son, as is the mother so is her 

 daughter," " Like priest, like people," are teachings 

 enforced by observation, and it becomes you to consider 

 how far, by precept and example, you have taught your 

 boys that the field of the farmer was large enough for the 

 display of a laudable ambition. 



