An Expensive Virtue--Cardinal Virtues Part One
An Expensive Virtue (Alms giving) Charity by Bouguereau About two years ago, myself and a friend were walking down The Embarcadero In San Francisco when a Buddhist monk approached us. He was bald, middle-aged, and Asian. He wore bright orange and yellow robes and dark red sandals. He looked every bit what you'd expect. He immediately slipped a set of beads on my friend's right wrist. He then nodded, and smiled. My friend said, "Thank you." He prepared to walk away when the monk stopped both of us. He then presented me with a set of beads. They were a dark rosewood color, and held together be an elastic band. They reminded me of rosary beads, except these fit in a tight circle around the wrist. The monk then insisted, "YOU PAY NOW!" "How much?" My friend asked. "Twenty!" The monk proclaimed. My friend almost took his beads off rather than pay. Instead, he handed the man a twenty. I did likewis...