Life and Literature Part 116

1605

j.a.pANESE PROVERBS.

He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is humble. Teach him.

He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him.

He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a wise man. Follow him.

1606

Punctuality is one of the characteristics of politeness. He who does not keep his appointments promptly, is hardly fit for the society of gentlemen.

1607

Punctuality begets Confidence and Respect.

--_From the German._

1607a

PUNCTUALITY AS A VIRTUE.

It is neither polite nor honest to be behind hand when one can just as easily be on time. An artist solicited and obtained permission to paint a portrait of Queen Victoria. The hour and place for the important undertaking were named. Promptly the queen was present; but the artist was not when the hour came. He arrived at length, but too late, for her majesty had departed, leaving a message that she would not return. The queen had kept her promise, but the artist had failed to keep his, and thus lost the rare chance to win both fame and fortune.

--_T. J. MacMurray._

1608

_Lord Nelson used to say_: "I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me."

1609

_Horace Mann said_:--Unfaithfulness in the keeping of an appointment is an act of dishonesty. You may as well borrow a person's money as his time.

1610

To be unpunctual is sometimes considered a mark of consequence by little great men, but the truly great have always thought differently.

1611

Purposes, like eggs, unless they be hatched into action, will run into decay.

--_Smiles._

1612

CONSUMPTION OF THE PURSE.

I can get no remedy against the consumption of the purse: borrowing only lingers and lingers it out, and I find the disease is incurable.

--_Shakespeare._

1613

Who has an empty purse must have a sweet tongue.

1614

Not to oversee workmen is to leave them your purse open.

--_Franklin._

Q

1615

_Quakerwise._--"William, thee knows I never call any bad names; but, William, if the mayor of the city were to come to me and say, 'Joshua, I want thee to find me the biggest liar in the city,' I would come to thee and put my hand on thy shoulder, and say to thee, 'William, the mayor wants to see thee.'"

1616

THE BEST TIME TO QUARREL.

In Lanarks.h.i.+re, there lived a sma' laird named Hamilton, who was noted for his eccentricity. On one occasion, a neighbor waited on him, and requested his name as an accommodation to a bill for twenty pounds at three months date, which led to the following characteristic and truly Scottish colloquy:

"Na, na, I canna do that."

"What for no', laird? Ye hae dune the same thing for ithers."