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The lion's cub

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RICH AND POOR.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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RICH AND POOR.

Seated beside his father's tomb
I saw a rich man's son one day,
Who speaking with a poor man's son
Reproved him, in his lordly way.

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“My father's tomb of marble is,
Costly and beauteous to behold;
And lo, on alabaster graved
His name in characters of gold.
What likeness to thy father's tomb
Has it, as high as that is low?
Builded of brick, with dust thereon,
Not more than Summer winds might blow.”
“Peace,” said the poor man's son. “Before
The heavy stone that on him lies
Thy father shall have moved a jot,
Mine will have entered Paradise.
‘Hear, rich and poor,’ the Prophet saith:
‘And choose ye straightway which is best,
Earth, which rich men disquiet so,
Or Heaven, which is the poor man's rest.’”