“穷则独善其身，达则兼善天下”，意思是不得志的时候就要管好自己的道德修养
，得志的时候就要努力让天下人都能得到好处。
When Andrew Riach went to London, his intention was to become private secretary to a member of the Cabinet. If time permitted, he proposed writing for the Press.
"It might be better if you and Clarrie understood each other," the minister said.
It was their last night together. They faced each other in the manse-parlour at Wheens, whose low, peeled ceiling had threatened Mr. Eassie at his desk every time he looked up with his pen in his mouth until his wife died, when he ceased to notice things. The one picture on the walls, an engraving1 of a boy in velveteen, astride a tree, entitled "Boyhood of Bunyan," had started life with him. The horsehair chairs were not torn, and you did not require to know the sofa before you sat down on it, that day thirty years before, when a chubby2 minister and his lady walked to the manse between two cart-loads of furniture, trying not to look elated.
Clarrie rose to go, when she heard her name. The love-light was in her eyes, but Andrew did not open the door for her, for he was a Scotch3 graduate. Besides, she might one day be his wife.
The minister's toddy-ladle clinked against his tumbler, but Andrew did not speak. Clarrie was the girl he generally adored.
"As for Clarrie," he said at last, "she puts me in an awkward position. How do I know that I love her?"
"You have known each other a long time," said the minister.
His guest was cleaning his pipe with a hair-pin, that his quick eye had detected on the carpet.
The young man nodded.
"What I fear," he said, "is that we have known each other too long. Perhaps my feeling for Clarrie is only brotherly—"
"Hers for you, Andrew, is more than sisterly."
"Admitted. But consider, Mr. Eassie, she has only seen the world in soirées. Every girl has her day-dreams, and Clarrie has perhaps made a dream of me. She is impulsive5, given to idealisation, and hopelessly illogical."
The minister moved uneasily in his chair.
"I have reasoned out her present relation to me," the young man went on, "and, the more you reduce it to the usual formulae, the more illogical it becomes. Clarrie could possibly describe me, but define me—never. What is our prospect7 of happiness in these circumstances?"
"But love—" began Mr. Eassie.
"Love!" exclaimed Andrew. "Is there such a thing? Reduce it to syllogistic8 form, and how does it look in Barbara?"
For the moment there was almost some expression in his face, and he suffered from a determination of words to the mouth.
"Is love a study at all?" asked Andrew, bitterly. "It is but the trail of idleness. But all idleness is folly9; therefore, love is folly."
Mr. Eassie was not so keen a logician10 as his guest, but he had age for a major premiss. He was easy-going rather than a coward; a preacher who, in the pulpit, looked difficulties genially11 in the face, and passed them by.
Riach had a very long neck. He was twenty-five years of age, fair, and somewhat heavily built, with a face as inexpressive as book-covers.
A native of Wheens and an orphan12, he had been brought up by his uncle, who was a weaver13 and read Herodotus in the original. The uncle starved himself to buy books and talk about them, until one day he got a good meal, and died of it. Then Andrew apprenticed14 himself to a tailor.
When his time was out, he walked fifty miles to Aberdeen University, and got a bursary. He had been there a month, when his professor said good-naturedly—
"Don't you think, Mr. Riach, you would get on better if you took your hands out of your pockets?"
"No, sir, I don't think so," replied Andrew, in all honesty.
When told that he must apologise, he did not see it, but was willing to argue the matter out.
Next year he matriculated at Edinburgh, sharing one room with two others; studying through the night, and getting their bed when they rose. He was a failure in the classics, because they left you where you were, but in his third year he woke the logic class-room, and frightened the professor of moral philosophy.
He was nearly rusticated15 for praying at a debating society for a divinity professor who was in the chair.
"O Lord!" he cried, fervently16, "open his eyes, guide his tottering17 footsteps, and lead him from the paths of folly into those that are lovely and of good report, for lo! his days are numbered, and the sickle18 has been sharpened, and the corn is not yet ripe for the cutting."
When Andrew graduated he was known as student of mark.
He returned to Wheens, before setting out for London, with the consciousness of his worth.
Yet he was only born to follow, and his chance of making a noise in the world rested on his meeting a stronger than himself. During his summer vacations he had weaved sufficient money to keep himself during the winter on porridge and potatoes.
Clarrie was beautiful and all that.
"We'll say no more about it, then," the minister said after a pause.
"The matter," replied Andrew, "cannot be dismissed in that way. Reasonable or not, I do undoubtedly19 experience sensations similar to Clarrie's. But in my love I notice a distinct ebb20 and flow. There are times when I don't care a hang for her."
"Andrew!"
"I beg your pardon. Still, it is you who have insisted on discussing this question in the particular instance. Love in the abstract is of much greater moment."
"I have sometimes thought, Andrew," Mr. Eassie said, "that you are lacking in the imaginative faculty21."
"In other words, love is a mere22 fancy. Grant that, and see to what it leads. By imagining that I have Clarrie with me I am as well off as if I really had. Why, then, should I go to needless expense, and take her from you?"
The white-haired minister rose, for the ten o'clock bell was ringing and it was time for family worship.
"My boy," he said, "if there must be a sacrifice let the old man make it. I, too, have imagination."
For the moment there was a majesty23 about him that was foreign to his usual bearing. Andrew was touched, and gripped his hand.
"Rather," he cried, "let the girl we both love remain with you. She will be here waiting for me—should I return."
"More likely," said the minister, "she will be at the bank."
The banker was unmarried, and had once in February and again in June seen Clarrie home from the Dorcas Society. The town talked about it. Strictly24 speaking, gentlemen should not attend these meetings; but in Wheens there was not much difference between the men and the women.
That night, as Clarrie bade Andrew farewell at the garden gate, he took her head in his hands and asked what this talk about the banker meant.
It was no ignoble25 curiosity that prompted him. He would rather have got engaged to her there and then than have left without feeling sure of her.
His sweetheart looked her reply straight his eyes.
"Andrew!" was all she said.
It was sufficient. He knew that he did not require to press his point.
Lover's watches stand still. At last Andrew stooped and kissed her upturned face.
"If a herring and a half," he said anxiously, "cost three half-pence, how many will you get for elevenpence?"
Clarrie was mute.
"Why do I kiss you?" he cried. "What good does it do either of us?"
He looked fiercely at his companion, and her eyes filled with tears.
The only objectionable thing about Clarrie was her long hair.
She wore a black frock and looked very breakable. Nothing irritates a man so much.
Andrew gathered her passionately28 in his arms, while a pained, puzzled expression struggled to reach his face.
Then he replaced her roughly on the ground and left her.
It was impossible to say whether they were engaged.
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1
engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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2
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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3
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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4
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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5
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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6
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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7
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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8
syllogistic
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| adj.三段论法的，演绎的，演绎性的 | |
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9
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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10
logician
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| n.逻辑学家 | |
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11
genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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12
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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13
weaver
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| n.织布工；编织者 | |
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14
apprenticed
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
rusticated
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| v.罚（大学生）暂时停学离校( rusticate的过去式和过去分词 )；在农村定居 | |
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16
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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17
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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18
sickle
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| n.镰刀 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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21
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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23
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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24
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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25
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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26
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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27
brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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28
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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