Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/101

 He lent  him  besides,  the  sum  of  $50,000,  telling  him he would  send  a trusty  messenger,  while  the  dinner was going  on,  to  fetch  it. Accordingly, while  the guests were  at  table,  a liveried  servant  appeared  with a note, requesting  the  master  of  the  house  to  lend his friend  that  amount  for  three  days. The host, apologizing for  attending  to  urgent  business,  left  the table, and  taking  the  roll  of  notes  from  an  iron  safe, counted them  out  before  the  assembled  company before intrusting  them  to  the  servant. His daughters and  sons-in-law  were  astonished. From that time forth  they  totally  changed  their  behavior  to their  father; his  daughters  vied  with  each  other in their  attentions  to  him. When he  died,  the  safe from which  he  took  the  money  was  opened; they expected a rich  legacy. To their  amazement  only a few stones  were  found  in  it,  and  a paper  whereon were these  words: “ That  man  is  a fool  who  divides his property  between  his  children  during  his  lifetime.”

The miser  is  his  own  worst  enemy. A certain miser, who  grudged  himself  the  bare  necessaries  of life,  was  seriously  ill. As he  grew  worse  and  worse, he was  at  length  prevailed  upon  to  have  medical  advice. The doctor  diagnosed  his  malady  and  declared that he  had  at  most  three  days  to  live. He exhorted him to  send  for  the  priest  and  prepare  for  death. When he  had  gone,  the  miser  did  not  follow  his  advice and  summon  the  priest; he  got  out  of  bed  and taking a quantity  of  bank-notes  and  bonds,  he  put them in  the  fireplace  and  set  fire  to  them. He did