The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-25
THE ROLLING STONE.

HE IlOLLIANI lO4NE
If a youth of eighteen or twenty
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 ad-
vantage, by reason of his years. But
when the question is concrete and
pactical, he is equally well ISSUED of
the soundness of his own judgment.
knowledge and experience count for
very little when the sons whims or I'M
pulse do not happen to accord with pa
rental advice. The father very likely
quotes old saws from the copy books,
not because they are in the copy books,
but because his experience has con-
f1rmed their wisdom; but the young
man sees in them nothing save devices
to restrain 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 ne
felt the same respecting his parent
thirty or more years ago, but had since
learned that the copy book was fair
ly good guide, containing in its pre-
cepts the sum OF human wisdom. The
young man does not believe ii. The
analogy of the rolling stone that gath
ers no moss does not hold good in the
case of some of his friends who have
begun to prosper although they have
been unstable. He Is not content to
work for n mere pittance while learning
a trade or profession when there are
open to him political jobs that yield
4 o., ,;ol,
ton is required. In vain the parent
explains that in the long run men are
paid in proportion to the services they
are capable of rendering, and that 1t is
better to accept low rate Of wages
while one is learning to do something
that will always command a fair salary
than to get better pay for kind of la
Dor that Is not uplifting and offers no
for advancement. The
young man rejects all advice Of this
kind. He is willing to take the risks of
being a rolling stone. He will try first
this thing and then that until he has
dropped into a good place, But the
years roll round, and some day he
know how to do anything well; that
the world has no particular use for that
kind of a man, and that he is getting
too old to learn trade or profession
that is likely to prove remunerative
Ie 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 it is too late, and he is condemned
to roll on for the remainder Of his life,
gathering no moss. Yet his trubula-
lions and sufferings Of those Who for
for themselves, recover in
time to make amendment might be es-
capped if the young would give more at
IGNITION to the advice of their elders and
accept with reverence the experience
IF mankind as expressed in popular
sayings. Nothing becomes proverbial
Until it has successfully passed the crit
cism Of many generations of men, and
We may be quite sure that there is
great truth, if not whole truth, in
my proverb that is generally accepted.
"A rolling stone gathers no moss"
Prove an exception, and another pro-
yerb explains it, for exception proves
he rule and both of these proverbs
ire founded upon long and varied ex-
The way to succeed in life is
o have definite (and good purpose
ind to follow it persistently The re-
wards may be slow in coming, but they
will come more surely to those who
lualify themselves to deserve rewards
han to those who rely upon chance to
ring them good fortune.
sun.