Bill and the Boys,OR WIT AND WEALTH.Aswe have finished Bill Keeler’s story of the lottery ticket, we will now proceed to relate another tale which was told by one of the boys who belonged to the story-telling circle of Salem, and which we shall entitle Wit and Wealth.A great many years ago, and in a far-off country, there were two boys—one of them was the son of the king and bore the name of Selim; the other was the child of a poor man and was called Bazeen.Selim was brought up in luxury and permitted to have his own way. He was dressed in the richest silks; his ears were decorated with diamonds, and jewels of great price glittered upon every part of his person. He was surrounded with servants, who were attentive to his wishes, and prompt to gratify every passion and caprice.But while so much pains were taken to amuse the young prince and minister to his pleasures, his education in most respects was neglected. He was instructed in horsemanship, music, dancing and military exercises, but he had a contempt for books, and utterly refused to learn to read. He seemed to think it was enough to be a prince—that by birth he was superior to all others. He made, indeed, a mistake common enough among people of high fortune, in feeling that the rank and condition in which he was born gave him a right to claim superiority in every respect over all around him. He forgot that there is no royal road to learning—that the prince as well as the plebeian must study to acquire knowledge, and that a person with a fullpurse may be a pauper with respect to brains.Young Bazeen was very different from all this. His father, as we have said, was poor. He had no jewels with which to decorate the person of his son, nor could he do more in respect to dress than to clothe him in the plainest attire. But he had still the power of giving his boy an education, for learning was little prized in that country, and the schoolmaster undertook the education of Bazeen for a very small compensation. Thus, the boy was taught the learning of that day, and among other things was made acquainted with several different languages.When the two youths we have described were approaching the period of manhood, they joined the army of their country and went on an expedition against a distant enemy. Bazeen was attached to Selim’s corps, which consisted of a troop of horse, and though a private soldier, he attracted the notice of the youthful prince. They at last met the enemy, and their army being defeated in the terrible engagement which followed, they were both taken and carried into captivity.The appearance of Selim marked him as a person of some consequence, and he was therefore ordered into the presence of the king whose soldiers had made him prisoner. Bazeen accompanied him as his attendant. The young prince had taken care to decorate his person in the most costly manner, expecting in this way to dazzle the eyes of the monarch, before whom he was to appear.The two prisoners were soon led into the presence of the sovereign. He received the young prince graciously, and began to ask him questions about the battle, and the country from which he came. But he soon perceived that Selim was ill informed upon these subjects, and that he was, in fact, deficient in intelligence and observation. He then turned his attention to Bazeen, and put nearly the same questions to him that he had done to Selim. Bazeen answered modestly, and with some hesitation, doubting whether it was proper to show himself superior in knowledge to his royal master. The monarch penetrated his feelings, and commanded him to reply. The youth was therefore forced to answer, and soon showed himself to possess a great deal of knowledge. “Bring me a book!” said the king to one of his servants. The book was brought and handed to Selim; but he shook his head disdainfully, and remarked that at his father’s court, princes scorned the drudgery of learning to read. “Such tasks,” said he, “are reserved for our slaves. Give the book to Bazeen, he can read!”The lip of the monarch curled, but he did not speak. The book was handed to Bazeen, and he read the passage that was pointed out. “It is well,” said the king, “and now hear my decree. Bazeen shall be my secretary, for he has learning; and his mind, which is the noblest part of man, fits him to be the companion of princes. Selim despises learning, and shows that while the body—the inferior part—is glittering with jewels, he has still a base and grovelling mind! Selim is at heart a slave, and slavery shall be his doom. This is my decree.”The sentence of the king was put in immediate execution. Bazeen was raised to a high station in the palace, and Selim was compelled to perform the meanest offices of the household. But the former was scarcely less unhappy than the latter. He performed his duties faithfully, but he did not enter heartily into the service of a king who was the enemy of his country. The condition of Selim was also a constant source of misery to him. He therefore entered into a scheme for effecting the escape of his young master and his own. In endeavoring to carry this into effect, they were both detected and thrown into prison.It was some consolation to the two youths that they were permitted to be together, but after they had been confined for several months, time hung heavily on their hands. Their dungeon consisted of a small room, with scarcely a ray of light. Selim soon sunk into a miserable state of despair. He was permitted to retain his jewels, but how worthless were they now! They seemed, indeed, to mock his degradation, and even to embitter his misery. But Bazeen had jewels of another kind—those of the mind, which could even illuminate the darkness, and were of inestimable value even in the dungeon. They enabled him to support his confinement; his range of knowledge furnished him with constant sources of thought, reflection and emotion. He was thus not only able to keep his own mind in a cheerful state, but he often communicated the light of his mind to that of his dejected companion.A year had now passed, when at last the jailer in making his rounds entered the apartment, attended by a person holding a lamp in one hand, and a scroll in the other. The latter addressed the prisoners as follows: “I am instructed by the king, my master, to present to you this writing, and he that can read it is pardoned, and permitted to return to his own country.” Upon this he held out the paper, first to the prince and then to Bazeen. The latter ran his eye over it, but shook his head, saying “It is a hard task you give us; we have been confined in a dungeon for a year, and now you bring us a light which dazzles our eyes. Leave us the lamp for an hour, and when we are accustomed to the light, return and put us upon the trial.”The messenger of the king acceded to this proposition, and departed. As soon as he was gone, Bazeen, who had read the paper, told Selim the precise words it contained. He made him repeat them again and again, until they were fixed in his memory.At the time appointed the messenger returned. Selim took the paper, and repeated the words it contained, thus seeming to read it accurately. He was therefore released from the prison, and taking leave of Bazeen, departed from the dungeon. He was taken before the king, where Bazeen also was summoned. “I have heard the story of your wit,” said he to the latter, “and you have used it generously in behalf of your master. He shall have his liberty, for I have promised it; but you shall accompany him. He may depart; but let him carry with him the consciousness that wit is better than wealth, and the mind infinitely more worthy of decoration than the person.”
OR WIT AND WEALTH.
Aswe have finished Bill Keeler’s story of the lottery ticket, we will now proceed to relate another tale which was told by one of the boys who belonged to the story-telling circle of Salem, and which we shall entitle Wit and Wealth.
A great many years ago, and in a far-off country, there were two boys—one of them was the son of the king and bore the name of Selim; the other was the child of a poor man and was called Bazeen.
Selim was brought up in luxury and permitted to have his own way. He was dressed in the richest silks; his ears were decorated with diamonds, and jewels of great price glittered upon every part of his person. He was surrounded with servants, who were attentive to his wishes, and prompt to gratify every passion and caprice.
But while so much pains were taken to amuse the young prince and minister to his pleasures, his education in most respects was neglected. He was instructed in horsemanship, music, dancing and military exercises, but he had a contempt for books, and utterly refused to learn to read. He seemed to think it was enough to be a prince—that by birth he was superior to all others. He made, indeed, a mistake common enough among people of high fortune, in feeling that the rank and condition in which he was born gave him a right to claim superiority in every respect over all around him. He forgot that there is no royal road to learning—that the prince as well as the plebeian must study to acquire knowledge, and that a person with a fullpurse may be a pauper with respect to brains.
Young Bazeen was very different from all this. His father, as we have said, was poor. He had no jewels with which to decorate the person of his son, nor could he do more in respect to dress than to clothe him in the plainest attire. But he had still the power of giving his boy an education, for learning was little prized in that country, and the schoolmaster undertook the education of Bazeen for a very small compensation. Thus, the boy was taught the learning of that day, and among other things was made acquainted with several different languages.
When the two youths we have described were approaching the period of manhood, they joined the army of their country and went on an expedition against a distant enemy. Bazeen was attached to Selim’s corps, which consisted of a troop of horse, and though a private soldier, he attracted the notice of the youthful prince. They at last met the enemy, and their army being defeated in the terrible engagement which followed, they were both taken and carried into captivity.
The appearance of Selim marked him as a person of some consequence, and he was therefore ordered into the presence of the king whose soldiers had made him prisoner. Bazeen accompanied him as his attendant. The young prince had taken care to decorate his person in the most costly manner, expecting in this way to dazzle the eyes of the monarch, before whom he was to appear.
The two prisoners were soon led into the presence of the sovereign. He received the young prince graciously, and began to ask him questions about the battle, and the country from which he came. But he soon perceived that Selim was ill informed upon these subjects, and that he was, in fact, deficient in intelligence and observation. He then turned his attention to Bazeen, and put nearly the same questions to him that he had done to Selim. Bazeen answered modestly, and with some hesitation, doubting whether it was proper to show himself superior in knowledge to his royal master. The monarch penetrated his feelings, and commanded him to reply. The youth was therefore forced to answer, and soon showed himself to possess a great deal of knowledge. “Bring me a book!” said the king to one of his servants. The book was brought and handed to Selim; but he shook his head disdainfully, and remarked that at his father’s court, princes scorned the drudgery of learning to read. “Such tasks,” said he, “are reserved for our slaves. Give the book to Bazeen, he can read!”
The lip of the monarch curled, but he did not speak. The book was handed to Bazeen, and he read the passage that was pointed out. “It is well,” said the king, “and now hear my decree. Bazeen shall be my secretary, for he has learning; and his mind, which is the noblest part of man, fits him to be the companion of princes. Selim despises learning, and shows that while the body—the inferior part—is glittering with jewels, he has still a base and grovelling mind! Selim is at heart a slave, and slavery shall be his doom. This is my decree.”
The sentence of the king was put in immediate execution. Bazeen was raised to a high station in the palace, and Selim was compelled to perform the meanest offices of the household. But the former was scarcely less unhappy than the latter. He performed his duties faithfully, but he did not enter heartily into the service of a king who was the enemy of his country. The condition of Selim was also a constant source of misery to him. He therefore entered into a scheme for effecting the escape of his young master and his own. In endeavoring to carry this into effect, they were both detected and thrown into prison.
It was some consolation to the two youths that they were permitted to be together, but after they had been confined for several months, time hung heavily on their hands. Their dungeon consisted of a small room, with scarcely a ray of light. Selim soon sunk into a miserable state of despair. He was permitted to retain his jewels, but how worthless were they now! They seemed, indeed, to mock his degradation, and even to embitter his misery. But Bazeen had jewels of another kind—those of the mind, which could even illuminate the darkness, and were of inestimable value even in the dungeon. They enabled him to support his confinement; his range of knowledge furnished him with constant sources of thought, reflection and emotion. He was thus not only able to keep his own mind in a cheerful state, but he often communicated the light of his mind to that of his dejected companion.
A year had now passed, when at last the jailer in making his rounds entered the apartment, attended by a person holding a lamp in one hand, and a scroll in the other. The latter addressed the prisoners as follows: “I am instructed by the king, my master, to present to you this writing, and he that can read it is pardoned, and permitted to return to his own country.” Upon this he held out the paper, first to the prince and then to Bazeen. The latter ran his eye over it, but shook his head, saying “It is a hard task you give us; we have been confined in a dungeon for a year, and now you bring us a light which dazzles our eyes. Leave us the lamp for an hour, and when we are accustomed to the light, return and put us upon the trial.”
The messenger of the king acceded to this proposition, and departed. As soon as he was gone, Bazeen, who had read the paper, told Selim the precise words it contained. He made him repeat them again and again, until they were fixed in his memory.
At the time appointed the messenger returned. Selim took the paper, and repeated the words it contained, thus seeming to read it accurately. He was therefore released from the prison, and taking leave of Bazeen, departed from the dungeon. He was taken before the king, where Bazeen also was summoned. “I have heard the story of your wit,” said he to the latter, “and you have used it generously in behalf of your master. He shall have his liberty, for I have promised it; but you shall accompany him. He may depart; but let him carry with him the consciousness that wit is better than wealth, and the mind infinitely more worthy of decoration than the person.”