Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-26
USES OF THE PROVERBS.
Adages That Are Witty and Otherwise
Celebrated Writer'S Words.
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe.
Many proverbs have come down to US
from remote ages and are coming to all
nations. 1t is said that a king of Samos
worked his slaves nearly to death In max
ing a vineyard; this provoked one Of them
to prophesy that his master would never
drink of the wine. The king, being told of
This, when the first grapes were produced
took handful, and pressing the Juice into
a cup in the presence of the slave, derided
him as false prophet. MANY things hap
pen between the cup and the lip" the slave
replied. Just then shout was raised that
a wild boar had broken into the vineyard.
The king, without tasting, set down the
cup, ran to meet it, and was killed in the
encounter. Henceforth the words of the
slave passed into proverb From this
Greek original came two French proverbs,
Between the hand and the mouth the soup
is often split and wine poured out is not
Swallowed Neither is so near the origi-
nal as our English There's many slip 'twixt
cup and lip" 1t is curious to trace how
similar ideas have taken root In different
languages and the various modes of illus
trating the same thought. To take, for in
stance. one or two familiar proverbs in our
hand is worth two in the bush" The same
idea is expressed by Italians when they
say, Better an egg today than a pullet
tomorrow" and the French proverb is still
than two you-shall- have-its." Better a
leveret in the kitchen than wild boar in
the forest is the Livonian saying convey
ing the same meaning. Another we'll
there's a way" which signifies that If a
man has but the resolution he will make
use Of such means come to hand to at
tain his object. The French counterpart
of this says, He that has a good head does
not want for hats"
The proverbs on luck are numerous and
expressive In all languages. In English We
say 1t is better to be born lucky than
In the apt proverb, Throw him into the
Nile and he will come up with fish in his
mouth" while the Germans say, III he
flung penny on the roof a dollar would
says. God send you luck, my son, and lit
tie wit will serve you" There is a Latin
adage. Fortune favors FOOLS" and it is to
this Touchstone alludes in his reply to
sent me fortune" The Germans say Jack
gets on by his stupidity" and For
tune and women are fond of fools;" there
is also Latin proverb which shows that
makes fool of him whom she too much
favors"
There is no doubt that much of what is
called success in life depends upon get
there. Some unlucky Englisnman is re.
sponsible for the saying, IF my father had
made me a halter, men would have been
born without heads" but this can scarcely
be called original, as an unfortunate Arab
ages ago, declared, 'If 1 were to trade In
winding sheets no one would die" 1t is to
men of this stamp the French amply the
proverb, Fails on his back and breaks his
nose:' the Italians. He would break his
neck over stew" ''Misfortunes seldom
come sing!y' has many equivalents in ali
languages. The Spaniards say. Welcome
misfortune, If thou contest clone and
wv hither goest thou, misfortune? To where
there is more?'