That not to know at large of things remote
From use, obscure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life
Is the prime of wisdom,”
says Milton; and
“But if you’ll prosper, mark what I advise,
Whom age and long experience render wise,”
says Pope.
Stock Exchange speculation is very deceitful to the eye, and also to the ear. In some respects its associations are like those of a morass, under whose smooth and inviting surface are hidden the remains of unwary travellers. Those who are new to the business see only the glittering surface, and hear only of the fortunes made by stock brokers. People seldom tell of their losses.
Individuals who are tempted, not only by curiosity, but by a love of excitement, and more than all in this case by the love of gain, go into the markets and lose their money, and quit the place with much the same feelings as the man who paid a penny to see a horse with his tail where his head ought to be.