t the artist
was not when the hour came. He arrived at length, but too late, for her
majesty had departed, leaving a message that she would not return. The
queen had kept her promise, but the artist had failed to keep his, and
thus lost the rare chance to win both fame and fortune.

--_T. J. MacMurray._

1608

_Lord Nelson used to say_: "I have always been a quarter of an hour
before my time, and it has made a man of me."

1609

_Horace Mann said_:--Unfaithfulness in the keeping of an appointment is
an act of dishonesty. You may as well borrow a person's money as his
time.

1610

To be unpunctual is sometimes considered a mark of consequence by little
great men, but the truly great have always thought differently.

1611

Purposes, like eggs, unless they be hatched into action, will run into
decay.

--_Smiles._

1612

CONSUMPTION OF THE PURSE.

I can get no remedy against the consumption of the purse: borrowing only
lingers and lingers it out, and I find the disease is incurable.

--_Shakespeare._

1613

Who has an empty purse must have a sweet tongue.

1614

Not to oversee workmen is to leave them your purse open.

--_Franklin._

Q

1615

_Quakerwise._--"William, thee knows I never call any bad names; but,
William, if the mayor of the city were to come to me and say, 'Joshua, I
want thee to find me the biggest liar in the city,' I would come to thee
and put my hand on thy shoulder, and say to thee, 'William, the mayor
wants to see thee.'"

1616

THE BEST TIME TO QUARREL.

In Lanarkshire, there lived a sma' laird named Hamilton, who was noted
for his eccentricity. On one occasion, a neighbor waited on him, and
requested his name as an accommodation to a bill for twenty pounds at
three months date, which led to the following characteristic and truly
Scottish colloquy:

"Na, na, I canna do that."

"What for no', laird? Ye hae dune the same thing for ithers."

"Ay, ay, Tammas, but there's wheels within wheels ye ken naething aboot;
I canna do 't."

"It's a sma' affair to refuse me, laird."

"Weel, ye see, Tammas, if I was to pit my name till't, ye wad get the
siller frae the bank, and when the time came round, ye wadna be ready,
and I wad hae to pay't; sae then you and me wad quar