"You, Clifford? Impossible! What puts that into your head?"
It was something difficult to furnish any good reason for such a
movement. The only obvious reason spoke loudly for iny remaining
where I was.
"This is unaccountable," said he. "You are doing here as few young
men have done before you. Your business increasing--your income
already good--surely, Clifford, you have not thought upon the
matter--you are not resolved."
I could plead little other than a truant disposition for my proceeding,
but I soon convinced him that I was resolved. He seemed very much
troubled; betrayed the most flattering concern in my interests;
and, renewing his argument for my stay, renewed also his warmest
professions of service.
"I had hoped," he said, "to have seen you and William, closely
united, pursuing the one path equally and successfully together.
I shall have no hopes of him if you leave us."
"The probability is, sir, that he will do better with the whole
responsibility of the office thrown upon him."
"No! no!" said the old man, mournfully. "I have no hope of him.
There seems to me a curse upon wealth always--that follows and
clings to it, and never leaves it, till it works out the ruin of
all the proprietors. See the number of our young men, springing
from nothing, that make everything out of it--rise to eminence and
power--get fortune as if it were a mere sport to command and to
secure it; while, on the other Sand, look at the heirs of our proud
families. Profligate, reckless, abandoned: as if, reasoning from
the supposed wealth of their parents, they fancied that there were
no responsibilities of their own. I saw this danger from the beginning.
I have striven to train up my son in the paths of duty and constant
employment; and yet--but complaint is idle. The consciousness of
having tried my best to have and make it otherwise is, nevertheless,
a consolation. When do you think to go?"
"In a week or two at farthest. I have but to rid myself of my
impediments."
"Always prompt; but it is best. Once resolved, action is the moral
law. Still, I wish I could delay you. I still think you are committing
a great error. I can not understand it. You have established
yourself. This is not easy anywhere. You will find it difficult in
a new country, and among strangers."
"Nay, sir, more easy there than anywhere else. If a man has anything
in him, strangers and a new country are the proper influences to
bring it out. Friends and an old community keep it down, suppress,
strangle it. This is the misfortune of your son. He has family,
friends--resources which defeat all the operations of moral courage,
and prevent independence. Necessity is the moral lever. Do you
forget the saying of one of the wise men? 'If you wish your son
to become a man, strip him naked and send him among strangers'--in
other words, throw him upon his own resources, and let him take
care of himself. The not doing this is the source of that misfortune
which only now you deplored as so commonly following the condition
of the select and wealthy. I do not fear the struggle in a new
country. It will end in my gaining my level, be that high or low.
Nothing, in such a region, can keep a man from that."