Translator:
Arnold, Edwin, Sir, 1832-1904, Griffiths, R. T. H., Monier-Williams, Monier, Sir, 1819-1899
devour the meal. One day a great friend of his, named Vinakarna, also a
mendicant, came to visit him; and observed that while conversing, he
kept striking the ground with a split cane, to frighten me. 'Why don't
you listen?' said Vinakarna. 'I am listening!' replied the other; 'but
this plaguy mouse is always eating the meal out of my begging-dish,'
Vinakarna looked at the shelf and remarked, 'However can a mouse jump as
high as this? There must be a reason, though there seems none. I guess
the cause--the fellow is well off and fat,' With these words Vinakarna
snatched up a shovel, discovered my retreat, and took away all my hoard
of provisions. After that I lost strength daily, had scarcely energy
enough to get my dinner, and, in fact, crept about so wretchedly, that
when Chudakarna saw me he fell to quoting--
'Very feeble folk are poor folk; money lost takes wit away:--
All their doings fail like runnels, wasting through the summer day.'
"Yes!" I thought, "he is right, and so are the sayings--
'Wealth is friends, home, father, brother--title to respect and fame;
Yea, and wealth is held for wisdom--that it should be so is shame,'
'Home is empty to the childless; hearts to them who friends deplore:--
Earth unto the idle-minded; and the three worlds to the poor.'
'I can stay here no longer; and to tell my distress to another is out of
the question--altogether out of the question!--
The Plain Man and His Wife
Team THE PLAIN MAN AND HIS WIFE By ARNOLD BENNETT AUTHOR OF "THE OLD ADAM," "THE OLD WIVES' TALE," "BURIED ALIVE," ETC. NEW YORK: GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
'Say the sages, nine things name not: Age, domestic joys and woes,
Counsel, sickness, shame, alms, penance; neither Poverty disclose.
Better for the proud of spirit, death, than life with losses told;
Fire consents to be extinguished, but submits not to be cold.'
'Verily he was wise, methought also, who wrote--
'As Age doth banish beauty,
As moonlight dies in gloom,
As Slavery's menial duty
Is Honor's certain tomb;
As Hari's name and Hara's
Spoken, charm sin away,
So Poverty can surely
A hundred virtues slay.'
'And as to sustaining myself on another man's bread, that,' I mused,
'would be but a second door of death. Say not the books the same?--
'Half-known knowledge, present pleasure purchased with a future woe,
And to taste the salt of service--greater griefs no man can know.'
'And herein, also--
'All existence is not equal, and all living is not life;
