The Money Box ~ Robert Lynd

1. Robert Lynd (1879-1949) wrote under the pen name 'y.y'.

2. He is one of the greatest essayists of English Literature.

3. As an Irishman, he gives delightful sketches of Irish life.

4. He developed his natural prose style. In this mode his essays are readable and impressive. 

5. Desmond Mar Carthy had said about Lynd, "He understood well that the art of the essayists is to find little paths for us, leading out of the thoroughfare of everyday interests into the gardens of fancy and thought."

6. Lynd applies the typical Irish incisiveness and sense of humour to his observation of life.

7. Lynd remarks, 'The world is crying out just now for a relief of good humour'.

8. Lynd is fond of epigrams, ironies and bathos.  

9. He refers to his wide readings and draws tell-tale analogies.

10. But he is never rhetorical and urbane like his contemporaries - Belloc, Chesterton and Lucas

11. This prose style is the most concrete. He uses expressive words and phrases.

12. He weaves out the finest rhythmic patterns with his easy simple natural style.

13. 'The money box' is like the delusion of wealth.

14. When the coins get into the Box, it becomes not quite a pleasant thing.

15. However, opening this becomes a significant thing for the mind.

16. It is understood that the desire to spend something overcomes the desire to save, even at such a young age.

17. The writer desired wisdom, but not at the cost of labour but rather at the cost of a few shillings.

18. And even in the small things of life, he failed to comfort himself; like the philosopher Epictetus.

19. He commands a spiritual attitude of nature that is incapable.

20. The essay begins with the money box.

21. This money box the author's niece had brought home from a Christmas party.

22. The money box was beautiful.

23. It was in the shape of a house, with a painted window.

24. But she could not open it, so she asked Lynd to open it.

25. To open a money box was the most important thing to know, says the author.

26. Because no child puts a pense without knowing how the Box could be opened.

27. Her other friends also had money box.

28. But as they put the pences, they took it out as soon as they saw the apple toffee

29. The only way to open the money box was to by a tin opener.

30. But this would spoil the box and this was not a proper way.

31. To take out two pence, one would waste a 6 pence money box.

32. Some money box cannot be opened. It opens when it gets full.

33. Perhaps by some kind of spring.

34. There the children stuff the Money Box to get it opened.

35. And then by a miracle, the Money box opened.

36. The author's niece was very happy.

37. The author says that parents should realize that a Money Box is a waste of money.

38. The Money Box was also a waste of the children's time.

39. The essayists ask if such was the universal experience of saving money.

40. Has no child ever saved money?

41. The Money Box was not, part of the nursery 

42. It was just a monument to the worldly wisdom of kids.

43. No child ever asked for Money-Box.

44. But at the same time, they did not dislike either.

45. Robert Lynd says, as a child he was also excited.

46. But he could never save.

47. Children have visions like their elders to become rich.

48. Children also loved the licorice alphabet.

49. But the gift of the Money Box was crafty.

50. Children could buy other gifts such as Roman Candles concertina, and fishing rods.

51.       (A) But with the Money Box Children learn early,

           (B) that twelve pence makes a shilling

           (C.) Twenty shillings make a pound & that saving makes you    

                  rich.

52. A child looking through the Slit of the Money Box seems to behold Paradise.

53. The writer says there was another Paradise at the windows of the confectioner's shop, and the stamps, in the beginning, were the Boy's own paper.

54. The author says that later in life also, it was difficult to give up this gift.

55. The author says that he could never buy anything from his savings.

56. He always looked at the Money Box as an enemy.

57. The essayist says he never ever bought anything from his savings.

58. Robert Lynd says the money box was just a tin drum.

59. He says to put a penny in it and keep putting it. upside down. The penny will never fall.

60. Then to take it out you have to be very artful you need to balance the penny on the top of the knife to take it out through the slit.

61. And this was most exasperating.

62. The essayists says Tantalus must have had a money box full of pennies.

63. (64) And when he needed the penny, he was helpless to take it out.

64. He shares his experience with the money box.

65. He says the more the Money Box defied him, the more he was determined to take out the pennies.

66. If he was not able to take out the pennies, he would widen the slit of the money box.

67. Or still, take out the top of the Box.

68. The pennies come out as the pigeons come out of the pigeon loft.

69. Then the essayist goes on to say that after this the shape of the money box changes.

70. He compares it with the reminiscent of Mr. Murdstone (a character of).

71. The shape changes into a mouth that can laugh like the Falstaffian (a character of Shakespeare)

72. The essayists says that Money Box is immensely useful for the child who owns it.

73. Before it was full of vices. It had no virtues.

74. And after you know how to open it; it becomes a highly serviceable box.

75. Robert Lynd turns on a humorous but practical aspect of the Money Box.

76. The essayists asks that is that point of ethics, whether it is dishonest to rob one's own money, from the money box.

77. He says all of us have two selves -

•    the self that wishes to have.

• and the self that wishes to spend.

78. And both of these selves differ from each other as one differs, from his first cousin!

79. Not only this says the essayists, but both selves are also hostile to each other. They are distinct from each other.

80. The self that saves gets thwarted and

81. The self that spends gets irritated.

82. when the self that saves puts the pennies stealthily in the   

     money box,

83. The self that spends seems to cry out, "Stop Thief! That belongs to 

     me.

84. And the self that saves cries out in anguish that the penny belongs to 

     him.

85. The essayists say that this was tragic for both the selves.

86. It was like staying together but serving a life - sentence in each other's company.

87. They were unable to escape from his neighbors as one of the Siamese twins.

88. The essayists further say that this condition continues. One gets the victory over the other.

89. Each time they keep dragging each other to the court, "before the grave magistrate - 'Conscience'.

90. He says he could not remember when his self to save ever won on the self to spend. It was like a waterloo.

91. The essayist says that she was avaricious as anybody.

92. But then he could never save. The only Money that he saved was when he could not spend.

93. Robert Lynd says that he would never understand or approve-

'Many a mickle makes a muckle' or 'Take care of the pence and the pounds' will take care of themselves'.

94. And that the teaching of the edifying book which had a story about a boy who became rich by savings.

95. The essayist says that he also wanted to become rich, but not by savings but by a miracle.

96. It would be meanness to deny the stomach of a chocolate bar.

97. Why should the stomach suffer at the cost of the pocket?

98. The stomach is human, sensitive and warm. 

99. The pocket is inhuman, unfeeling and cold.

100. It was better than the pocket should serve the stomach.

101. Why should the stomach serve the pocket?

102. Every child who breaks his money box knows this very well.

103. The essayists says one should have pleasure in saving money.

104. People save for the future of their children.

105. (105) Maybe they save to fulfill something that they have in their 

    heart.

106. And yet some save for the sake of saving.

107. Saving is a passion like a drink, hobbies, and collecting old stamps.

108. Savings is a common passion. It has been mentioned by many novelists.

109. Novelists from Balzac to Mr. Arnold Bennett have made savings a dominant theme

110. He Says, "Does it usually begin I wonder, with a money box?"

111. The essayists refer to Cruikshank, who drew horrifying pictures.

112. He showed the progress of the love of liquor from the cradle to the grave.

113. There the child is dozed off to sleep by giving Sip of liquor.

114. The liquor was given by the foolish parents.

115. This was the forecast of making the child drunkard.

116. The essayists say that the money box is as fetal as kindness.

117. He refers again to Cruishank, The story says that the grandfather gifts a Moneybox to his grandson. The child could hardly walk then.

118. Ten years later, putting a button into the Collection to save money.

119. At the age of 40, he has sufficient money.

120. But he showed himself poor. He never enjoyed anything, no theatre, no riding, nothing.

121. By 60, he is very rich, but he takes himself to be a pamper.

122. He gives up the morning paper. Read the paper in the free Library.

123. At 80, even after he had money, he did not know how to spend it.

124. He was a wastrel, who never wasted money.

125. It was a sad story. This story was a warning to the parents.

126. They should never gift money box to their children.

127. And if they give, they should also give them the tools and Chisel. 

128. This would not harm the child. The author ends up saying - "The only Money-Box Consonant with the virtue is a box, out of which one can take money when one wants."

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End of "Moneybox".

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