It’s better to be a stray dog in this world than a man without money. I’ve tried both ways and I know. A poor man stinks and God hates him.
Myra’s uncle doesn’t want his niece to marry Oswald Henshawe because Oswald has no money. He considers that there is no worse thing in the world than being poor and it is stupid to marry such a man. John Driscoll is convinced that poor people are lazy and don’t want to work and move forward, that is why they are miserable and unlucky, no one wants to have a deal with them. The poverty “stinks” and scares away other people.
Yes, it’s he. He used to be a friend of mine. That’s a sad phrase, isn’t it?
When Myra and Nellie were in the theatre, Nellie asked her about the young guy, who looked familiar to her. Myra answered, that it was the guy, Nellie thought about, and that he used to be her friend. But there was a time when he could have stood by Oswald in a difficulty—and he didn't. He passed it up and Mrs. Henshawe has never forgotten him that. And she became really upset, remembering those times. In fact, it is always sad to remember such thing as losing friend. People try to avoid such memories, but it is impossible – we will always remember lies and betrayal of people who used to be close to us. That is why it is always sad to remember those, who “used to be” someone for us, who meant a lot for us. It makes us come back to the times that will never return.
Oh, that’s a cruelty of being poor; it leaves you at the mercy of such pigs! Money is a protection, a cloak; it can buy one quiet, and some sort of dignity.
Maybe money can’t make us happy (although Mrs. Henshawe would disagree), but it can give us protection, the confidence in tomorrow that can sustain us. Myra didn’t understand this when she was young; she ran away without money and with a man who had no money, and she didn’t care. She was in love and the whole treasures of the world were nothing for her. But when she grew older, she understood the great power of money, its influence. She is not a young stupid girl anymore, but mature woman, who lived a luxurious and lost everything, and she knows that there is nothing worse on this beautiful world that being poor. The person who has no money is constantly thinking of what he or she will eat tomorrow, how to pay for accommodations, and so on. But the one who has money doesn’t think about such things, because the one is secured by money. This person thinks about huge things that will help to earn more money, because it is prestigious to be rich and dynamic in this manner. They are powerful, self-confident and can help others to solve their problems. That is why it is always profitable to have a “moneyed” friend.
It’s all very well to tell us to forgive our enemies; our enemies can’t hurt us very much. But, oh, what about forgiving our friends? That’s where the rub comes!
Myra is convinced that our friends can be more dangerous than our enemies, because close friends know all our secrets, our souls. She remembers the meeting with her former friend in the theatre and wished Nellie hadn’t seen him. It was such a torture to see his face again; he shouldn’t have done what he did, she betrayed her, and she hates him. Myra is convinced, that the person, who breached your confidence and betrayed you, is the most evil person on the whole world. You can forgive your enemy, but you can’t forgive the person, who used to be your friend. It’s too hard. There always remain bitter memories – we may forget the slander our enemies said about us, but we will never forget the tiny lies of our friends.
