Chinese Proverbs On Intimacy And Friendship

Confucius said: To dweil with a good man is like entering a house wherein are the fragrant " lan " flowers ; after a while you may not seem to smell the fragrance, beeause you yourself have changed - (your whole porson has beoome inipreernated with tho fragrance.) To dweil with bad man is like entering a market of abalones (a large shollfish) ; after awhile you do not notice the 6tench, because you yourself have changed - (your garmonts are saturatod with if.) The vessel in whieh cinnabar is stored will havo the carnation color ; the vessel which contaius blaok varnlsh will become black. Therefore, all ye gentlemen ! tako great care with whom ye aRsociate. Association with good men is like the fragrance of the lan-wai rlower, Let one man cultívate it, and all people will enjoy its fragrance. Association with bad men is like carrying a child to the top of a wall : if the man misses his step, both will moet with disaster. In the family eayings of Confucius it is said : To dweil with a good man is like walking in a gentle mist : although your garments do not becomo suddenly wet, yet they are all the time iinbibiug the moisture. Among mankind we uso riches to try friendship - (real frijndship is tosted by woalth and poverty). Fire is used for trying gold. With water we take a stick to sound it as to deepnese or