Waterbury Democrat., 1900-10-31
THE ROLLING STONE.

IT youth of IS or 70 years of age should be confronted With the abstract question whether he or his father had the greater amount of knowledge and experience, he would no doubt admit that his father had the advantage, by reason of his years. But when the question Is concrete and practical he is equally well' assured of the sound ness of his own judgment. Knowledge and experience count for very little when the sons whims or impulse do not happen to accord with parental ad- vice. The father very likely quotes old saws from the copy books, not be- cause they are in the, copy books, but because his experience has confirmed their wisdom; but the young man sees in them nothing save devices to re- strain his pleasure and his liberty of action. To his mind his father Is an old fogy. bound by rule and precedent. The father explains in vain that he felt the same respecting his parent thirty or more years ago. but has since learned that the copybooka was a fairly good guide, containing in it's precepts the sum of human wisdom. The young man does not believe it. The analogy of the rolling stone that gathers no
 
 of some of his friends who have begun to prosper although they have been unstable. He is not content to work for a mere pittance while learning a trade or profession when there are open to him political jobs that yield high salaries and for which no prepar- ation is required. In vain the parent explains that, in the long ruin men are paid proportion to the service they are capabietof rendering. and that it is better t9&aecept a low rate of wages while one is learning to do something that will always command a fair sal ary than to get better pay for kind of labor that Is not uplifting and of fers no opportunity for advancement
 The young man rejects all advice of this kind. He is willing to take tie risks of being rolling stone He will try first this thing and then that ,un til he has dropped into a good place. But the years roll round and some day he aWakens to the. fact 4that he does not know how to do anything well; that the world has no particular use for that kind of man. and that he is get ting too old to learn a trade or profes- sion that is likely to prove remunera- tive. He is very fortunate If this awakening comes in time to enable him to accept the advice of his elders. More often he plays the part of the rolling stone until 1t is too late. and he is condemned to roll on for the re mainder of his life, gathering no moss. Yet his tribulations and sufferings of those who. fortunately for themselves. recover in time to make amendment | might be escaped if the young | would give more attention to the ad- l vice of their elders and accept with reverence the experience of mankind as expressed in popular sayings. Moth 1 ing becomes proyerbial until it has successfully passed the criticism of many generations of men. and we may be quite sure that there is a great truth, if not whole truth, in any pro- Nerb--that is generally accepted. "A rolling stone gathers no moss" Prove an exception. and another proverb ex- plains it's for sex cs6t ton proves the l rule,,s and bot Ii sn these proverbs are founded upon long and varied expert ence- TheSwaEt0 succeed in lifeiis tc have definite land goed) purpose and to ;foHowett spersistentl The rewards may be slow in coming, but theyf will come more surely to those who qualify l themselves to deserve rewards than to thuse who rely upon chance to bring them good fortune.-BaltfmOfe Sun.