A TALE FOR PESSIMISTS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3477, 13 October 1926, Page 3

A TALE FOR PESSIMISTS

Here is a French allegory that points a, moral worth remembering: A portrait, painter sat in his favourite cafe sipping his wine. His first small bottle finished, bo was about to order another, when his eye fell on a headline in (he Figaro, "Hard Times are Coming,” so instead of ordering his second usual bottle ho called for his check. “Is there anything wrong with the wino?” asked the landlord. "The wine is good, but; I did not order a second bottle because hard times are coming, and we must economise,” explained the artist. “Hard times,” said the landlord "Then my wife must, not Older the silk dress we planned, but must take one of cotton.” "Hard times,” repeated the dressmaker. when the order was cancelled. "This is no time to expand. T must not make the improvement I had planned in this place.” “Hard times, oh?” said the builder, when the dressmaker cancelled the building plans. “Then I cannot, have my wife's portrait, painted." £o he wrote (he artist and cancelled his order. After receiving the letter. the artist, went again to his favourite eafe. and ordered a. small bottle of vine to soothe him. (in a nearby rhair was the paper in which he had read of hard times two days before. He picked it up and read more closely,/' aml found it was two years old!