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。