G. S. BOUTWELL'S ADDRESS. 375 



the merchants who are thus tempest-tossed, a few only in each 

 quarter of a century reach a haven of competency and peace. 

 The fortunate bear hardly a definable proportion to tiie unfor- 

 tunate. 



True, much of the misfortune they bring upon themselves. 

 Their habits of life are too expensive and extravagant. A 

 man's habits are apt to keep pace with his possessions ; and 

 with the merchant, possession is always much beyond real 

 property ; hence, his expenses are often beyond his real means. 

 He spends faster than he earns. But, aside from this, there are 

 great and necessary risks of business, from which the farmer is 

 exempt. Comparatively speaking, he is a prosperous man. Not 

 that he is, or can usually be, wealthy. He does not tempt for- 

 tune by the only means through which wealth is to be attained. 

 Nor should he beggar himself in every thing that he may ac- 

 cumulate gold. If he will, however, deny to himself and 

 family the ordinary comforts of life, the civilities and enjoy- 

 ments of society, if he will neither do nor receive a favor, if 

 he will, in fine, secure the increase of his first and every sub- 

 sequent dollar by the cent, per cent, of the miser, he will be- 

 come, in a measure, luealthy. 



The remark is generally true, that in the professions and 

 commerce there is the chance of wealth, and in agriculture 

 the certainty of a competence. It is a false notion, then, 

 which leads so many of our young men into the professions 

 and mercantile life ; not that farmer's sons are to be excluded, 

 or to exclude themselves from these positions, but the idea 

 that a man of respectable talents or exalted aims should not 

 pursue the calling of a farmer, is eminently absurd and per- 

 nicious. 



And before you send your son to college, with the idea of 

 his becoming a lawyer, minister, or physician, be sure that he 

 has a taste and the ability for the calling, else the end of all 

 will be a ludicrous and lamentable failure. I do not know that 

 I should like to illustrate this advice by a selection from any of 

 the professions, but I think it might be done. 



Nor is every intelligent, enterprising, and well educated per- 

 son fit for a merchant ; in fact, the opposite have sometimes 



