Henry Baird Favill, AB, MD, LL.D., 1860-1916, a ... - University Library

594 HENRY BAIRD FAVILL
Delivered, Fourth Annual Boys' Dinner, Chicago Association of
Commerce, December 21, igii.
Printed, Chicago Commerce, December 29, 191 1.
IT is
WISHBONES AND BACKBONES
rather customary for us elders to deplore the noncontinuity
of our wisdom; to deplore the fact that our
sons do not listen to us, do not learn from us, do not
profit by our experience. Many of us have come to think
that that is inevitably inherent in the nature of the boy
and man relation. Many of us have come to think that
that is desirable upon the hypothesis that a boy can
not learn except by experience and that he can not really
have a sound footing until he has been knocked down a
few times.
I beheve neither of these things to be true and I consider
it really a great waste from a humane standpoint that
we who have worked so hard, felt so much, suffered so
much, and enjoyed so much, should not be able to start our
boys along farther in the race than we were started. And
although it
is not true that they do not start farther in the
race than we started, it is true that they do not start as far
along in the race as they might.
But is this voluntary with them? Is it because the boy
is incorrigible or bullheaded or wilful or conceited that he
is not able to avail himself of these fountains of wisdom
which we offer him? How well, gentlemen of the elder class
How clearly have we blazed
How honest have we been in letting the boys see
here, have we done our part ?
the way ?
the real foundations of our experience and getting the real
picture of our life struggles that we are trying to impress
upon them for their benefit' I maintain the fault is not
with the boys. The fault is with us, and with a much too
large extent are we letting authority stand for instruction.
In this country more than in any other country there is