--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was wild when he was young; a long…" description: "\"“He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations. Ay, it must be that; the ghost ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_he-was-wild-when-he-was-young-a-long-whi_2180870.jpg" --- # He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be… ![“He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations. Ay, it must be that; the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace: punishment coming, PEDE CLAUDO, years after memory has forgotten and self-love condoned the…” quote by Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_he-was-wild-when-he-was-young-a-long-whi_2180870.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_he-was-wild-when-he-was-young-a-long-whi_2180870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_he-was-wild-when-he-was-young-a-long-whi_2180870.jpg) > ““He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations. Ay, it must be that; the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace: punishment coming, PEDE CLAUDO, years after memory has forgotten and self-love condoned the fault.”” [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Past sins linger, and divine law offers no forgiveness deadline, leading to consequences. **In simple terms:** Old wrongs can resurface with punishment. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and amend past actions. Themes guilt justice consequences Mood reflective somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - legal judgments - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts moral responsibility eternal law redemption Questions to Reflect On - What hidden transgressions might you be ignoring? - Can justice be truly timeless? A Different Perspective Human nature may resist accountability; some may deny guilt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Statute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statute/) ## Related quotes > [In the law of God, there is no statute of limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/in-the-law-of-god-there-is-no-statute-of-limitations/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [There's no statute of limitations on doing what's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/there-s-no-statute-of-limitations-on-doing-what-s-right/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [“The standard set up by statute is not a rule of law, it is rather a way of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telpner/the-standard-set-up-by-statute-is-not-a-rule-of-law-it-is-rather-a/) Telpner > [“17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-smith/17-it-shall-be-a-perpetual-statute-for-your-generations-throughout/) [William Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-smith/) > [“The world is filled with toxic bureaucrats that blatantly ignore the laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-filled-with-toxic-bureaucrats-that-blatantly-ignore-the/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Our statute is a currency which we stamp with our own portrait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/our-statute-is-a-currency-which-we-stamp-with-our-own-portrait/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I might not like a statute... but if you know what to expect, you can plan. The law is static. It's stable. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/i-might-not-like-a-statute-but-if-you-know-what-to-expect-you-can/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [A statute is written to entrap meaning, a poem to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/a-statute-is-written-to-entrap-meaning-a-poem-to-escape-it/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“Obedience is the virtue that determines whether a person is either a servant or a rebel. 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He is a fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/we-are-all-travelers-in-the-wilderness-of-this-world-and-the-best/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [The little rift between the sexes is astonishingly widened by simply teaching one set of catchwords to the girls and another to the boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-little-rift-between-the-sexes-is-astonishingly-widened-by-simply/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [The problem of education is twofold: first to know, and then to utter. 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