I don't want to sacrifice nobody to satisfy my aspirations. Why? Because I've got none. That's priceless. Take the Press, take Parlyment, take Mayors--all mad on aspirations. Now it's Free Trade, now it's Imperialism; now it's Liberty in Europe; now it's Slavery in Ireland; now it's sacrifice of the last man an' the last dollar. You never can tell what aspiration'll get 'em next. And the 'ole point of an aspiration is the sacrifice of someone else. "All these fellers 'ave got two weaknesses--one's ideas, and the other's their own importance. They've got to be conspicuous, and without ideas they can't, so it's a vicious circle. When I see a man bein' conspicuous, I says to meself: 'Gawd 'elp us, we shall want it!' And sooner or later we always do. I'll tell you what's the curse of the world, sir; it's the gift of expressin' what ain't your real feeling. And--Lord! what a lot of us 'ave got it!" LINES FROM THE TEXT: "'adn't an aitch in their eads." Curious existences sometimes to be met with, in doing no harm Gift of expressin' what ain't your real feeling Half-realized insults Look at the things they say, and at what really is Looked his fellows in the face without seeing what was in it. Never ought to take it on 'earsay from the papers Point of an aspiration is the sacrifice of somone else Would never do if we could see them being done FIVE SHORT TALES /gutenberg/etext01/5tale10.txt The First and Last A Stoic The Apple Tree The Juryman Indian Summer of a Forsyte PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT: We've got to be kind, and help one another, and not expect too much, and not think too much. That's--all! And he thought 'Young beggar--wish I were his age!' The utter injustice of having an old and helpless body, when your desire for enjoyment was as great as ever! They said a man was as old as he felt! Fools! A man was as old as his legs and arms, and not a day younger. "I don't believe in believing things because one wants to." Though she had been told that he was not to come, instinct had kept her there; or the pathetic, aching hope against hope which lovers never part with. Full of who knows what contempt of age for youth; and youth for age; the old man resenting this young pup's aspiration to his granddaughter; the young man annoyed that this old image had dragged him away before he wished to go. LINES FROM THE TEXT: