United States or Albania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
After inquiring about everything that had led up to my sad plight, the wise man said that the spirit of the well, as a punishment, had changed me into a miser. He said that only when I was sleeping would I be in my natural state, and even then if any one chanced to enter my room or catch a glimpse of my face, I would be at once changed back into a greybeard."
"He wished to go since he was a little boy," said old Jeremy, an aged pilgrim in a faded crimson shirt. Every one paid respect to Jeremy and listened to him. He was a placid greybeard who had spent all his life upon the road, full of wisdom, gentle as a little child, and very frail.
In Australia alone, of all countries, can any sport be called national in the sense that the whole nation, from the oldest greybeard to the youngest child, takes an interest in it. Cricket must, I suppose, take the first place amongst Australian sports, because all ages and all classes are interested in it; and not to be interested in it amounts almost to a social crime.
"No, no!" the old man passionately retorted, "there can never be too many books! We still and ever require fresh ones! It's by literature, not by the sword, that mankind will overcome falsehood and injustice and attain to the final peace of fraternity among the nations Oh! you may smile; I know that you call these ideas my fancies of '48, the fancies of a greybeard, as people say in France.
"I don't mean in that way," said the greybeard hastily; "I've been very much interested in your conversation. I was alluding to my unfortunate financial situation. You mayn't hardly believe it, but at the present moment I am absolutely without a farthing. Don't see any prospect of getting any money, either, for the next few days.
And Townsend, why, he has puns in plenty; but, when there's any work to be done, he's the worst fellow to be near one in the world he can do nothing but laugh at his own puns. This poor little fellow that we hunted into the corner has more sense than all of them put together; but then he is a Greybeard." Thus speculated the chief of a party upon his sleeping friends.
The greybeard was obviously disconcerted at this new check to introductory conversation, but the defeat was only momentary. "Persia. I should never have taken you for a Persian," he remarked, with a somewhat aggrieved air. "I am not," said Crosby; "my father was an Afghan." "An Afghan!" said the other, smitten into bewildered silence for a moment. Then he recovered himself and renewed his attack.
The old greybeard uttered no word, and when his companion tried to ask him the meaning of it all he felt that his voice died in his throat.
Put thus, it must surely gain over every honest, straight-thinking man. In comparison, the points Ocock was going to advance shrank to mere legal quibbles and hair-splitting evasions. Then the plaintiff himself went into the witness-box and Mahony's feelings became involved as well. This his adversary! this poor old mangy greybeard, who stood blinking a pair of rheumy eyes and weakly smiling.
Every one, down to the greybeard whose name the little one bore, declared that there had never been a lovelier young mother than Barine or a handsomer child than the infant Pyrrhus; but Dion could no longer endure to remain on the cliff.
Word Of The Day