TWILIGHT LAND

fore. I know well who thou art, and how thou hast
lived. Shun thy evil companions, live soberly, and thou
hast enough to make thee rich for as long as thou
livest.” :
“Have no fear,” cried the. young man, joyfully. “I
have learned a bitter lesson, and henceforth I will live
wisely and well.” ;

So, filled with good resolves, the young man went the
next day to his creditors and paid his debts; he bought
back the house which his father had left him, and there
began to lead a new life as he had promised.

But a grey goose does not become white, nor a foolish
man a wise one.

At first he led a life sober enough; but by little and
little he began to take up with his old-time friends again,
and by-and-bye the money went flying as merrily as ever,
only this time he was twenty times richer than he had
been before, and he spent his money twenty times as
fast. Every day there was feasting and drinking going
on in his house, and roaring and rioting and dancing and
singing. The wealth of a king could not keep up such a
life for ever, so by the end of a year and a half the last
of the treasure was gone, and the young spendthrift was —
just as poor as ever. Then once again his friends left
him as they had done before, and all that he could do was
to rap his head and curse his folly.

At last, one morning, he plucked up courage to go to
the old man who had helped him once before, to see
whether he would not help him again. Rap! tap! tap!
he knocked at the door, and who should open it but the

old man himself. “ Well,” said the greybeard, “what do
you want ?”

!

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