Butisn\'titamistakenottoallowustomakeourownmistakes，tolearnforourselves，toliveourownlives？Mustwebealwaysworkingfor\'thebalance，\'inonethingoranother？
Iwanttobemyself——togetoutsideofthiseverlasting，profitable\'plan\'——toletmyselfgo，andlosemyselfforawhileatleast——todothethingsthatIwanttodo，justbecauseIwanttodothem。\"
\"Myboy，\"saidhismother，anxiously，\"youarenotgoingtodoanythingwrongorfoolish？Youknowthefalsehoodofthatoldproverbaboutwildoats。\"
Hethrewbackhisheadandlaughed。\"Yes，mother，\"heanswered，\"Iknowitwellenough。ButinCalifornia，youknow，thewildoatsareoneofthemostvaluablecrops。Theygrowalloverthehillsidesandkeepthecattleandthehorsesalive。Butthatwasn\'twhatI
meant——tosowwildoats。Saytopickwildflowers，ifyoulike，oreventochasewildgeese——todosomethingthatseemsgoodtomejustforitsownsake，notforthesakeofwagesofonekindoranother。Ifeellikeahiredman，intheserviceofthismagnificentmansion——sayintrainingforfather\'splaceasmajordomo。I\'dliketogetoutsomeway，tofeelfree——perhapstodosomethingforothers。\"
Theyoungman\'svoicehesitatedalittle。\"Yes，itsoundlikecant，Iknow，butsometimesIfeelasifI\'dliketodosomegoodintheworld，iffatheronlywouldn\'tinsistuponGod\'sputtingitintotheledger。\"
Hismothermoveduneasily，andaslightlookofbewildermentcameintoherface。
\"Isn\'tthatalmostirreverent？\"sheasked。\"Surelytherighteousmusthavetheirreward。Andyourfatherisgood。Seehowmuchhegivestoalltheestablishedcharities，howmanythingshehasfounded。
He\'salwaysthinkingofothers，andplanningforthem。Andsurely，forus，hedoeseverything。HowwellhehasplannedthistriptoEuropeformeandthegirls——thecourt-presentationatBerlin，theseasonontheRiviera，thevisitsinEnglandwiththePlumptonsandtheHalverstones。HesaysLordHalverstonehasthefinestoldhouseinSussex，pureElizabethan，andalltheoldcustomsarekeptup，too——familyprayerseverymorningforallthedomestics。
By-the-way，youknowhissonBertie，Ibelieve。\"
Haroldsmiledalittletohimselfasheanswered:\"Yes，IfishedatCatalinaIslandlastJunewiththeHonorableEthelbert；
he\'sratheradecentchap，inspiteofhisingrowingmind。
Butyou？——mother，youaresimplymagnificent！Youarefather\'smasterpiece。\"Theyoungmanleanedovertokissher，andwentuptotheRidingClubforhisafternooncanterinthePark。
Soitcametopass，earlyinDecember，thatMrs。WeightmanandhertwodaughterssailedforEurope，ontheirseriouspleasuretrip，evenasithadbeenwritteninthebookofProvidence；andJohnWeightman，whohadmadetheentry，waslefttopasstherestofthewinterwithhissonandheirinthebrownstonemansion。
Theywerecomfortableenough。Themachineryofthemassiveestablishmentranassmoothlyasagreatelectricdynamo。Theywerebusyenough，too。
JohnWeightman\'splansandenterpriseswerecomplicated，thoughhisprincipleofactionwasalwayssimple——togetgoodvalueforeveryexpenditureandeffort。Thebanking-houseofwhichhewasthechief，thebrain，thewill，theabsolutelycontrollinghand，wassoadmirablyorganizedthatthedetailsofitsdirectiontookbutlittletime。
Butthescoresofotherintereststhatradiatedfromitandweredependentuponit——orperhapsitwouldbemoreaccuratetosay，thatcontributedtoitssolidityandsuccess——themanyinvestments，industrial，political，benevolent，reformatory，ecclesiastical，thathadmadethenameofWeightmanwellknownandpotentincity，church，andstate，demandedmuchattentionandcarefulsteering，inorderthateachmightproducethedesiredresult。Therewereboardmeetingsofcorporationsandhospitals，conferencesinWallStreetandatAlbany，consultationsandcommitteemeetingsinthebrownstonemansion。
ForashareinallthisbusinessanditsadjunctsJohnWeightmanhadhissonintraininginoneofthefamouslawfirmsofthecity；
forheheldthatbankingitselfisasimpleaffair，theonlyrealdifficultiesoffinanceareonitslegalside。Meantimehewishedtheyoungmantomeetandknowthemenwithwhomhewouldhavetodealwhenhebecameapartnerinthehouse。SoacoupleofdinnersweregiveninthemansionduringDecember，afterwhichthefathercalledtheson\'sattentiontothefactthatoverahundredmilliondollarshadsataroundtheboard。
ButonChristmasEvefatherandsonwerediningtogetherwithoutguests，andtheirtalkacrossthebroadtable，glitteringwithsilverandcutglass，andsoftlylitbyshadedcandles，wasintimate，thoughalittleslowattimes。Theeldermanwasinratherararemood，moreexpansiveandconfidentialthanusual；and，whenthecoffeewasbroughtinandtheywereleftalone，hetalkedmorefreelyofhispersonalplansandhopesthanhehadeverdonebefore。
\"Ifeelverygratefulto-night，\"saidhe，atlast；\"itmustbesomethingintheairofChristmasthatgivesmethisfeelingofthankfulnessforthemanydivinemerciesthathavebeenbestoweduponme。AlltheprinciplesbywhichIhavetriedtoguidemylifehavebeenjustified。
Ihavenevermadethevalueofthissaltedalmondbyanythingthatthecourtswouldnotuphold，atleastinthelongrun，andyet——orwouldn\'titbetruertosayandtherefore？——myaffairshavebeenwonderfullyprospered。There\'sagreatdealinthattext\'Honestyisthebest\'——butno，that\'snotfromtheBible，afterall，isit？
Waitamoment；thereissomethingofthatkind，Iknow。\"
\"MayIlightacigar，father，\"saidHarold，turningawaytohideasmile，\"whileyouarerememberingthetext？\"
\"Yes，certainly，\"answeredtheelderman，rathershortly；\"youknowIdon\'tdislikethesmell。Butitisawasteful，uselesshabit，andthereforeIhaveneverpractisedit。Nothinguselessisworthwhile，that\'smymotto——nothingthatdoesnotbringthereward。
Oh，nowIrecallthetext，\'VerilyIsayuntoyoutheyhavetheirreward。\'
IshallaskDoctorSnodgrasstopreachasermononthatversesomeday。\"
\"Usingyouasanillustration？\"
\"Well，notexactlythat；butIcouldgivehimsomegoodmaterialsfrommyownexperiencetoprovethetruthofScripture。Icanhonestlysaythatthereisnotoneofmycharitiesthathasnotbroughtmeinagoodreturn，eitherintheincreaseofinfluence，thebuildingupofcredit，ortheassociationwithsubstantialpeople。Ofcourseyouhavetobecarefulhowyougive，inordertosecurethebestresults——noindiscriminategiving——nopenniesinbeggars\'hats！IthasbeenoneofmyprinciplesalwaystousethesamekindofjudgmentincharitiesthatIuseinmyotheraffairs，andtheyhavenotdisappointedme。\"
\"EventhecheckthatyouputintheplatewhenyoutaketheoffertoryuptheaisleonSundaymorning？\"
\"Certainly；thoughtheretheinfluenceislessdirect；andImustconfessthatIhavemydoubtsinregardtothecollectionforForeignMissions。