The balance distinguisheth not between gold and lead. Not all that tempts your wandering eyes, And heedless hearts, is lawful prize, Nor all that glisters, gold. Do not hold as gold all that shines as gold. There can be no other criterion, no other standard than gold. Yes, gold which never changes, which can be shaped into ingots, bars, coins, which has no nationality and which is eternally and universally accepted as the unalterable fiduciary value par excellence.
Water is best.
But gold shines like fire blazing in the night, supreme of lordly wealth. One trouble is that nations are off not only the gold standard but also the golden standard. Some people say we have more gold than is good for us. Still, if we have to be afflicted with something, we probably would like gold as well as anything. A gold rush is what happens when a line of chorus girls spot a man with a bank roll.