Whilst he was thus standing surveying his riches, all at once there was a
loud knock close by him. The knock was not at the door of his room, but
at the door of his heart. It opened, and he heard a voice which said to
him, "Hast thou done good to thy family with it? Hast thou considered the
necessities of the poor? Hast thou shared thy bread with the hungry? Hast
thou been contented with what thou hast, or didst thou always desire to
have more?" The heart was not slow in answering, "I have been hard and
pitiless, and have never shown any kindness to my own family. If a beggar
came, I turned away my eyes from him. I have not troubled myself about
God, but have thought only of increasing my wealth. If everything which
the sky covers had been mine own, I should still not have had enough."
When he was aware of this answer he was greatly alarmed, his knees began
to tremble, and he was forced to sit down.
Then there was another knock, but the knock was at the door of his
room. It was his neighbour, a poor man who had a number of children whom
he could no longer satisfy with food.
Pages:
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233