“Why, a compliment,” was the reply. “The Stoics were a great school of philosophers. They taught simplicity in life. Diogenes was a Stoic.”
“Who?” asked the Patriarch, bending over and fixing his hand to his ear.
“Diogenes.”
“D’ogenes—D’ogenes,” said the old man. He paused; then added, “D’ogenes—yes, I’ve heard the name but I can’t exactly place him.”
“Well, you certainly never met him,” said the collegian. “He lived a couple of thousand years ago in Athens. His idea was to get as close as possible to nature, so he lived in a tub.”
“Didn’t they hev no suylums in them days?” asked the Loafer.
“Diogenes wasn’t crazy,” cried the student. “He was a great philosopher. They tell one story of how he went walking around Athens carrying a lantern in broad daylight. When asked what he was doing, he said he was looking for an honest man.”
“What was the lantern fer?” the Miller inquired.
“Why, he was looking for an honest man,” shouted the collegian.