Macmillan's Reading Books. Book V — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Macmillan's Reading Books. Book V
John Stuart Mill · en
Whang, the miller, was naturally avaricious; nobody loved money better
than he, or more respected those that had it. When people would talk of
a rich man in company, Whang would say, "I know him very well; he and I
are intimate; he stood for a child of mine." But if ever a poor man was
mentioned, he had not the least knowledge of the man; he might be very
well for aught he knew; but he was not fond of many acquaintances, and
loved to choose his company.
Whang, however, with all his eagerness for riches, was in reality poor;
he had nothing but the profits of his mill to support him; but though
these were small, they were certain; while his mill stood and went, he
was sure of eating; and his frugality was such that he every day laid
some money by, which he would at intervals count and contemplate with
much satisfaction. Yet still his acquisitions were not equal to his
desires; he only found himself above want, whereas he desired to be
possessed of affluence.
One day, as he was indulging these wishes, he was informed that a
neighbour of his had found a pan of money under ground, having dreamed
of it three nights running before. These tidings were daggers to the
heart of poor Whang. "Here am I," says he, "toiling and moiling from
morning till night for a few paltry farthings, while neighbour Hunks
only goes quietly to bed, and dreams himself into thousands before
morning. Oh that I could dream like him! with what pleasure would I dig
round the pan; how slily would I carry it home; not even nay wife should
see me; and then, oh, the pleasure of thrusting one's hand into a heap
of gold up to the elbow!"
Such reflections only served to make the miller unhappy; he discontinued
his former assiduity; he was quite disgusted with small gains, and his
customers began to forsake him. Every day he repeated the wish, and
every night laid himself down in order to dream. Fortune, that was for a
long time unkind, at last, however, seemed to smile upon his distresses,
and indulged him with the wished-for vision. He dreamed that under
a certain part of the foundation of his mill there was concealed a
monstrous pan of gold and diamonds, buried deep in the ground, and
covered with a large flat stone. He rose up, thanked the stars that were
at last pleased to take pity on his sufferings, and concealed his good
luck from every person, as is usual in money dreams, in order to have
the vision repeated the two succeeding nights, by which he should be
certain of its veracity. His wishes in this also were answered; he still
dreamed of the same pan of money, in the very same place.