A Departure

           ItisaveryfinethingtobearealPrince.TherearepointsaboutaPirateChief,andtosucceedtotheCaptaincyofaRobberBandisatrulymagnificentthing.ButtobeanHeirhasalsoaboutitsomethingextremelycaptivating.Notonlyalong-lostheir—anheirofthemelodrama,struttingintoyourhithertounsuspectedkingdomatjusttherightmoment,loadedupwiththeconsciousnessofunguessedmeritandofrightssolongfeloniouslywithheld—buteventobeacommonhumdrumdomesticheirisaprofessiontowhichfewwouldrefusetobeapprenticed.

           Tostepfromleading-stringsandrestrictionsandoneglassofportafterdinner,intopropertyandlibertyanddueappreciation,savedup,polishedandvarnished,dustedandlaidinlavender,allexpresslyforyou—why,eventhePrincedomandtheRobberCaptaincy,whentheiranxietiesandresponsibilitiesareconsidered,havehardlymoretooffer.Andsoitwillcontinuetobeaproblem,totheyouthinwhomambitionstruggleswithacertainsensuousappreciationoflife’sside-dishes,whetherthecareerheiscalledupontoselectoutoftheglitteringknick-knacksthatstrewthecounterhadbetterbethatofanheiroranengine-driver.

           Inthecaseofeldestsons,thisproblemhasawayofsolvingitself.Inchildhood,however,theactualheirshipisapttoworkontheprincipleofthe“Borough-English”ofourhappierancestors,andinmostcasesofinheritanceitistheyoungestthatsucceeds.