ere inflexibly opposed to it: then he wished to try
his fortune in the army, our efforts to win your approbation to this
were equally ineffectual. I pity the young man; it is terrible for a
hair-brained fellow to be irrecoverably destined to sit behind a table,
poring over acts and processes. If you have been too indulgent
formerly, you are now a great deal too severe towards him."

"You do me wrong, infatuated man," exclaimed the Counsellor vehemently;
"it was not exacting too much to require of him to pursue my profession,
in which I have been so useful myself, it is an honourable and
benevolent one to mankind and corresponds with the noble freedom of our
sentiments; sufficient time remained to stroll about, to read, to make
verses and to indulge his passion for the chase. I was then convinced
that naval and military service were only chosen by him, that he might
escape from my paternal eye. I could not persuade myself that he chose
them as his profession with foresight and reasonable will. It grieved
me to lose him entirely; only too often ill-advised youths seek these
pretexts to sink into a busy idleness: for what is the soldier in
peace? At that time we had no war. I agree with you in what you say
about the dissipated life of our young men; but, perhaps, you will
laugh, when I assert that this passion for hunting is equally
insupportable to me. As soon as I perceived this rising within him, I
considered him as almost lost, for all young people, that I have ever
yet seen, entirely devoted to this occupation, are idlers, who cannot
again settle to any business; this seeming occupation with its
exertions and sacrifices teaches them to despise time, they dream away
their lives until the hour, that calls them up again to follow the hare
and the woodcock. And besides the penchant he has to rove about the
mountains, he frequently does not return for three or four days
together, he then walks about the house without rest or quiet, opens a
dozen books, begins a letter, or a stanza, scolds the servants and then
rushes out again; and thus passes day after day, and week after week."

The doctor looked at him, smiled, and then, after a pause, said: "Let
him alone, he will soon become tame, I have no fears on that account,
and why do you make yourself uneasy, my good friend? you are quite rich
enough; and even if he earns nothing, if he only learns to take care of
his fortune, to enjoy with moderation his income and to do good