Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-11
When a Boy Kno,Us More
Than His Father

L
Ours would have been very, different history, if
~ Abe Lincoln, age sixteen So had been guided by
the wisdom of Thomas Lincoln, age thirty-six or So
"Now, Abe" we can imagine him saying, "don't waste
time readin' them books Readin done any
good and what good enough for mes good enough
for you"
Lincoln knew than his father 1t divine
disobedience that led him to close his to the
who had brought him into the world, and open his
heart to the vision that to help him conquer the world
Robert Louis Stevenson knew more than his father
That father would have shackled him to the dry prob
lens of engineering He could not understand the OBJ
stinacy of the boy who refused to apply himself That
obstinacy saved great author from misery med-
ocre engineer. That obstnacy enriched the ages
Jesus Christ knew more than His father.
"Thy father and have sought thee sorrowing, said
His mother to Him.
And neither His mother nor His father could hear the
Voice that calling Him away from them, the Voice
that to find fathers and mothers and brothers and
sisters for Him among all those who should do His will
"Le despse thy YOUTH wrote Paul to
Timothy.
The boy who has not some firm convictions and
willingness to defend them. against the arguments
of those older than himself, is not likely to amount to
much, either as boy man.
But they must be conrcions not prejudaces, not
selfish impulses or passions.
| know two who ''knew more than their fathers
One boy is the office manager of large manufacturing
concern and his salary is $40 week
Better go in school," said his father to him when
he seventeen old "Better to college better
get al! the education while you have the chance
You'll need it afterwards"
But the boy quit school and went to work.
He was promoted from oficeboy to bookkeeper from
bookkeeper head bookkeeper from head bookkeeper
to Office manager.
His path looked golden and long And then suddenly
he stopped.
"You that MANI" said the president of his
to me the other day. "There is man who might have
become general manager of this he had had
college education His salary might have been $4,000
year instead it's $4,000. He's reached his limit. What
shame that he hasn't education enough to go on"
He "knew more" than his father And his boyish
obstinacy is costing him $4,000 year.
know another man who "knew more" than his father.
keep yourself clean, my son." said the father to him.
you'll never regret it. And some day you'll thank
heaven you did"
But the boy knew than his father. He knew
that every young who is worth his salt must sow
his wild oats.
So he sowed right merrily
| saw him the other day. He to about get
ting job.
He pale, and anemic, and his hands twitched, and
he forever rolling cigarettes. He could not
trate his mind subject for couple of minutes
l couldn't give him job: could. God knows
what will become of him. He would starve if it were
not for the few dollars he gets from his father
The father who he thought, didn't know much be-
YOUTH is the handspring of the world.
Its insurgency, it's inquistveness its eagerness try
the untried and do the impossible, drives the world
forward in spite of the conservatism of age
Fortunate those of us who recognize the divine
Importance of youths cocksueness and conceit and yet