Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

A love of litigation is one of the curses of India. It is fostered by the present "plague of lawyers."

Medicine. To spend a life in alleviating human suffering, is a noble employment. There is a great want of educated medical men. In England no person is allowed to practise as a physician till his knowledge has been tested by examination; here any one may set up as a doctor. Most of the native practitioners are mere quacks, employing powerful medicines, like mercury and arsenic, which are frequently very injurious. Some medical students may obtain Government appointments; but private practice presents far more numerous openings. A great deal depends upon the individual. As in every other calling, certain qualifications are essential to success.

Teaching.-Rightly prosecuted, no profession is more useful and honourable. Most employments are connected merely with material objects; the physician has care only of the body; the teacher has to train the immortal spirit. It is true that the office is often degraded. Many teachers have no thought beyond imparting mechanically the ability to read, write, and cipher. Frequently the work is looked upon as a temporary means of obtaining a livelihood until something more attractive offers. But it is well worthy of being made a life employment. Some of the noblest men, like Socrates and Plato, have devoted themselves to the profession. A teacher may exercise the most beneficial influence over the character of his pupils. Their gratitude, and the good he has been the means of accomplishing, will form a rich recompense. Even so far as mere worldly happiness is concerned, the teacher may be well satisfied. The Hon. J. B. Norton says: "Perhaps, if the balance were fairly

struck, the even modest tenor of his life would leave little for him to envy in the temptations, the jealousies, the trials, and the struggles, of those who, in ordinary parlance, are spoken of as the most brilliant and successful of his contemporaries.'

The highest kind of teaching is to impart relig ious truth. The men who having embraced it themselves devote their lives to its diffusion among their countrymen, have chosen a course which, worthily pursued, will lead to imperishable honour. It is true that their lot here may resemble that of many who have gone before them in the same path; but it has its joys even in this life, and its prospects for eternity are such as to cheer and animate amid all discouragements. But entire consecration is necessary. There must be no attempt to serve both God and Mammon,

Agriculture. This is the great source of national wealth. "The king himself is served by the field.” There is a Tamil saying, "If you seek wealth, seek the plough." Native agriculture in India is left entirely to uneducated ryots, blindly guided by custom. Things have remained stationary from time immemorial. Many landholders in England, instead of merely depending upon their rents, like Indian zemindars, have themselves studied agriculture, and sought by skilful management to increase the value of their estates. The results have been most satisfactory. Indian agriculture is susceptible of far more improvement. Better implements, the proper use of manure, the skilful rotation of crops, and a superior breed of cattle, would contribute greatly to agricultural prosperity. It will be a happy day for India when educated men turn their attention to agriculture. The unemployed relatives of zemindars might especially follow this course.

Manufactures.-Next to land, these are the great

source of wealth. The high position of England is largely due to her manufactures. Some trades have been revolutionised in modern times by machinery. Just as the bullock cart cannot compete with the railway, so the hand of the weaver cannot cope with the steam-engine. The immediate effect upon Indian manufactures has been injurious. Cotton grown in India can be sent to England, made into cloth, and sold here at cheaper rates than it can be manufactured on the spot by the hand-loom.

In England men of great talents give themselves to manufactures, sometimes acquiring large fortunes; here, they are left entirely to ignorant mechanics.

The Engineering Colleges, established by Government in several parts of India, afford great facilities for the acquisition of knowledge which may be turned to excellent account.

Several young men have gone to England to compete for the Civil Service, or to study Law. Others should also go to become acquainted with the manufactures of Britain. The Emperor Peter the Great of Russia worked as a blacksmith. A similar course might be followed by intelligent men in India with advantage to themselves and benefit to their country. New branches of industry might be opened up which would give employment to thousands.

Commerce.-Distribution is almost as necessary as production. How inconvenient it would be if every person required to go to a farmer to purchase a little grain. Merchants of high character are deservedly honoured. In England, a son of the Duke of Argyll and a brother of the late Earl Mayo, are merchants. Compared with their numbers, the Parsis are probably the richest nationality in India. Their wealth has been mainly acquired

through commerce. Parsi merchants are scattered over many countries, thus largely increasing their gains. So should it be with Hindus, instead of being restricted to India by their foolish caste system.

The Amrita Bazar Patrika has the following remarks:

"It is better far to put a stop to high class education if the result continues what it has hitherto been, viz., to withdraw young men from the professions, arts, and trades which made their fathers and grandfathers independent of service, whether private or public. Our advice to the numerous omedwars for public employments is, that they should disperse themselves to quarters where wealth need only be dug up from the bowels of the earth. Every four or five persons can club together with a small capital and start in life either as gentlemen-farmers, agriculturists, miners, tea-plauters, &c. If not disposed to leave the town, they might take a leaf from the example of the Marwarris who come to Calcutta with no capital, begin life as petty brokers, and in a few short years are in a position to establish shops which, by perseverance, are made to assume the functions of banking and trading houses. If men without education, and, what is more astonishing, without capital, can amass large fortunes, our educated countrymen may rest assured that, if they labour hard and persevere like the Marwarris, their chance of success in life is certain, and they will see that their case is not so hopeless as they imagine."

[ocr errors]

Sir Muttu Coomaraswamy, of Ceylon, at a meeting of the Social Science Congress in England, hoped that the time would come when a Hindu crew, commanded by a Hindu captain, should steam into New York or London in a steamer built by Hindus in Bombay or Calcutta." If such an expectation is ever

to be realized, educated Hindus must turn their attention to manufactures and commerce.

XXXV.-SUCCESS IN A PROFESSION.

Erroneous

AFTER a profession has been carefully chosen, every effort should be made to secure success. ideas regarding this are prevalent among many. It is often attributed to "luck" or "fate. As a rule, men who lament their "ill luck" are only reaping the consequences of their own neglect, mismanagement, and improvidence. On the other hand, diligence and general good conduct are the sources of what is commonly called "good luck." Still, it is admitted that there is an overruling Providence. No man should be proudly confident in his own powers, though it is his duty to employ the best means. "Man proposes; God disposes."

The whole of the foregoing chapters treat, more or less, of success in life. It is desirable, however, to recapitulate briefly some of the qualifications bearing directly on the point now to be considered.

1. Thorough Knowledge.-No student who is not well acquainted with the subjects can expect to pass university examinations. It is the same throughout life. The ignorant can look only for failure. The knowledge of one fact in a lawyer or physician, has sometimes gained an important suit or saved a patient's life.

men

2. Sound Judgment.-There are some called "learned fools." They have picked up a great deal of information which they are unable to use. There are others who are always busy and energetic, but who never do anything at the right time or in the right way. Though the faculty is naturally possessed in different degrees, it may be largely cultivated.

« VorigeDoorgaan »