or write, but he knew sheep. These college men could speak foreign languages, discuss music, literature and science, but they were scarcely able to earn enough to pay for their board and lodging, while their employer was making a small fortune. It was the same old story; they had all tried things for which they were unfitted, given them up, or lost their positions, drifted from one thing to another until at last they were on the street with their money gone and not knowing from where their next meal would come. Ashamed to see their friends or call for help from the people they knew, they therefore took the first job that offered itself, to save themselves from starving.

Vocations are divided into two great classes— the professions and business. Most of the professions demand extensive preliminary training which not only is long, but is expensive. In order to become a physician, a man must first spend about $10,000 on educating himself, and must be reconciled to the prospect of earning nothing whatever until he is about thirty years of age. The other professions are somewhat similar, in a lesser degree. The professions on the whole are overcrowded. Competition is fiercer than in business. The pecuniary rewards are considerably less; and, if a man is dependent entirely upon what he earns, his chances for failure in the pro

fessions are probably greater than in business. Before the war, in the United States in proportion to the population there were about four and onehalf times as many physicians as in Germany. New York City alone has more lawyers than all of France. It is said that we have more than three times as many lawyers as we need, and that only about one in four actually makes a living out of the practice of law alone.

Furthermore, in the professions there are neither union hours nor regular hours. Most of them simply work all the time there is. Twelve, fourteen and even sixteen hours a day sometimes have to be maintained by physicians and other professional workers.

If any profession runs strongly in a family, the chance of success in it is distinctly better, and the old saying of "When in doubt, try the family job" is a sound one.

If you come from a well-to-do family, and are not confronted with the difficulties of working your way through college or law school, do not forget this one great truth in your choice of a career, namely, that a happy life is a life of service. If you feel strongly attracted toward some special career, do not chuck it simply because there is not much money in it. If you take another job that you like less, simply because you think you can make a better living out of it, it will be the worst

mistake you ever made in your life. Happiness lies in the joy of achievement, the joy of creating, not in making money. We are slowly learning that the happy life is a life of service, and to keep this all-important principle in mind will save miserable mistakes and lifelong regrets.

Remember also that an entire life, career and happiness may be completely wrecked by one night of dissipation and excess. What fearful lifelong results and ceaseless mental anguish may follow from one reckless step! There is no point in talking about this subject on the grounds of morality. The strongest arguments to lead a clean life are those of efficiency and common

sense.

Finally, remember that the highest ideals and opinions are of little avail unless put into action, and that the action has to be practically continuous. One's inclinations and tastes often must subordinate themselves to it.

Before you are a junior in college (if you are going to college), you should make the choice of your life's work. If a man doesn't know what he is going to do by that time, it is very doubtful if he is doing himself any good by remaining in college any longer. Some of our wisest educators feel that before very long there will have to be regular conferences with the students in many of our colleges at the end of the sophomore year,

regarding the question of whether or not they have reached this decision, so that the college may determine whether the boy has any further right to remain there.

There are three steps to the process of accomplishing anything: (1) The estimate of the situation; (2) the decision; and (3) the action.

It is hoped that this book will give a rough estimate of the situation, which should be supplemented by much additional study, observation, and reflection. The subsequent decision will thereby be guided by a process of elimination, and some knowledge of facts.

WHY SHOULD WE WORK IF WE DON'T HAVE TO?

During the war the writer happened to meet a certain old aristocrat, of the old nobility of France. He bore a name that all of us have read about in our histories, and he lived in the beautiful rolling country of Burgundy upon an enormous estate which had been in his family ever since the days of Louis XIV. At that time the United States was a wilderness.

His name was one of those great family names of which Guy de Maupassant has so truly said "once illustrious, but which have gradually dwindled to nothing because of the inaction of the men."

This old gentleman showed me around his

place. It was run-down and sadly in need of repair. In his house, in the front hall, there was one wall absolutely covered with the tusks of wild boars-hundreds of them. He had killed most of them himself-speared many of them on foot or on horseback; and two he had killed among the hounds with his hunting knife.

The other walls in the front hall were also covered with the heads of various kinds of game. In the downstairs rooms there were dozens of rugs, all made out of the skins of animals.

The old gentleman showed me original letters, hundreds of years old, written to notable members of his family by the kings, cardinals, statesmen, and soldiers of the past-the makers of French history; and then he said to me:

"Monsieur, pendant toute ma vie, je n'ai fait que la chasse !"

What kind of career was that? Of what use had his life been to France? No use! And he realized it-bitterly!

He said, "This war has made me think a great deal. I have lived a very useless life. I have counted for nothing. I have no profession nor trade; and now, in my country's hour of need, I can do nothing, and I am ashamed of my life."

The purpose of the last half of this chapter is to show that in addition to other reasons a useful occupation is necessary to one's own happiness