will obtain, but the lazy man never; for 'a life of lei sure and a life of laziness are two things.' 10. "But with our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eyes, and not trust too much to others; for, as Poor Richard says, 'Three removes are as bad as a fire;' and again, 'Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee;' and again, 'If you would have your business done, go; if not, send;' and again, 'The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands;' and again, Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge.' 11. "A man's own care is profitable, for if you would have a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself.' 'A little neglect may breed great mischief.' 'For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; and for want of a horse, the rider was lost,' being overtaken and slain by the enemy -all for want of a little care about a horseshoe nail. 12. "So much for industry, my friends, and atteution to one's own business; but to these we must add frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, keep his nose to the grindstone all his life, and die not worth a groat at last. If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting.' 'The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes.' 13. "Away with your expensive follies, and you will not then have so much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families; for 'what maintains one vice would bring up two children.' Beware of little expenses. Many a little small leak will sink a great ship.' makes a mickle;' 'A Here you are all got together at this sale of fineries and knickknacks. You call them goods, but, if you do not take care, they will prove evils to some of you. 14. "You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may be, for less than cost; but, if you have no occasion for them, they must be dear to you. Remember what Poor Richard says: 'Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.' 'Silks, satins, scarlet, and velvets put out the kitchen fire.' These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences; and yet, only because they look pretty, how many want to have them! 15. "By these and other extravagances, the greatest are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who, through industry and frugality, have maintained their standing. 'If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some; for he that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing; and, indeed, so does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it again. 16. "It is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the frog to swell in order to equal the ox. After all, this pride of appearance can not promote health, nor ease pain; it makes no increase of merit in the person; it creates envy; it hastens misfortunes. 17. "But what madness it must be to run in debt for superfluities! Think what you do when you run in debt: you give to another power over your liberty. If you can not pay at the time, you will be ashamed to see your creditor; you will be in fear when you speak to him; you will make poor, pitiful, sneaking excuses, and by degrees come to lose your veracity, and sink into base, downright lying; for the second vice is lying, the first is running in debt,' as Poor Richard says; and again, 'Lying rides upon debt's back.' 18. "When you have got your bargain, you may perhaps think little of payment; but 'creditors have better memories than debtors; creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of days and times.' If you bear your debt in mind, the term, which at first seemed so long, will, as it lessens, appear extremely short. Those have a short Lent who owe money to be paid at Easter.' 19. "This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but industry, and frugality, and prudence may all be blasted without the blessing of Heaven. Therefore ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them." 20. The old gentleman ended his harangue. The people heard it, and approved the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon; for the auction opened, and they began to buy extravagantly. I found the good man had thoroughly studied my almanac, and digested all I had dropped on these topics during the course of twenty-five years. The frequent mention he made of me must have tired any one else; but my vanity was wonderfully delighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth part of the wisdom was my own which he ascribed to me, but rather the gleanings that I had made of the sense of all ages and nations. 21. However, I resolved to be the better for the echo of it; and, although I had at first determined to buy stuff for a new coat, I went away resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy profit will be as great as mine.-I am, as ever, thine to serve thee. Benjamin Franklin. FOR PREPARATION.-I. From "Poor Richard's Almanac" for the year 1758. Dr. Franklin wrote under the nom de plume of “Richard Saunders,” called also "Poor Richard." In this piece he makes a sort of collection of his rules of economy. The maxims contained in it are the key to thrift, and perhaps exercised more influence upon the American people belonging to the two generations succeeding the Revolution than any other writing. II. Griev'-ous, busi'-ness (biz'nes), prof'-it-a-ble, sue-çèss'-ful, něç'es-sa-ries, dil'-i-gençe, min'-ute (-it). = = III. What is the root or radical of a word? (See CIV., where is given an illustration by means of the root gr.) From raj, the Sanskrit (old Hindoo) for shine, or blaze out, come rajata, = silver, shining metal (Lat. argentum); and rajah, = ruler, = one who is arrayed in glittering dress. (Rage to blaze with anger.) So rays shine out from a center, and whatever shoots out from a center may be named in the same way; hence radii (Latin for spokes of a wheel, raying out from the hub); rota, a wheel; radix, a root, Greek rhiza (raying out into the ground); Greek rhadix (the shoot or branch of a tree), a rod. So, for rajah, the Romans said rez (regs), meaning king, and rego = to rule; whence regal, regulate, regular, right, rectitude, erect, direct, etc. (The g drops out, and then we have rule, ruler, royal, etc.) IV. Quote, auction, frugality, chargeable, leisure. V. Make a list of the kinds of taxation mentioned in the piece be sides government taxation. "Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of days and times" (humorously called "superstitious," because, like superstitious people, they are very particular about demanding the money due them at the exact time—a business necessity, of course). CXXIV. THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS. He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, 2. "Shall I have naught that is fair?" saith he; Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me, 3. He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes, It was for the Lord of Paradise He bound them in his sheaves. 4. "My Lord has need of these flowerets gay," The Reaper said, and smiled; "Dear tokens of the earth are they, 5. " Where he was once a child. They shall all bloom in fields of light, And saints, upon their garments white, 6. And the mother gave, in tears and pain, 7. Oh, not in cruelty, not in wrath, 'Twas an angel visited the green earth, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. FOR FREPARATION.-I. What pieces of this author have you read? II. Naught (nawt), păr'-a-dise, sheaves, fields, wräth (räth). III. Explain the capitals used in the first stanza. Mark the feet and accented syllables in the first stanza. IV. Sickle, "bearded grain," sheaves, tokens. |