There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom, but without the one the other cannot be gained. We cannot have a harvest of wheat without seed and skill of cultivation. Knowledge is the root of wisdom; wisdom is the ripe fruit of knowledge. The love of knowledge has been characteristic of most great men. They not only loved knowledge but they were willing to work hard to attain it. When a man wins success, people say, "He is a genius." But the real cause for his success was that the love of knowledge led to the effort to obtain it. Useful knowledge is the knowledge which is of benefit to ourselves and to others, and that is the most important which is the most useful. It is the belief of many people that knowledge is better than riches, and that its possession brings more comfort to the owner than anything else. The power of intellectual knowledge, without the owner of moral principle, often tends to evil. Character is the criterion of knowledge. Not what a man has, but what he is, is the question. The quality of soul is more than the quantity of information. If we have noble purpose, our intellectual attainments will naturally turn to the loftiest uses. (From On Knowledge by W. F. Mark-wick and W. A. Smith)