"Rust?" Andy looked slightly bewildered.

"What's this?" asked the neighbor, taking something from Andy's
counter.

"An old knife," was the reply. "It dropped out of the window two or
three months ago and was lost. I picked it up this morning."

"It's in a sorry condition," said the neighbor. "Half eaten up with
rust, and good for nothing."

"And yet," replied the shoemaker, "there was better stuff in that
knife, before it was lost, than in any other knife in the shop."

"Better than in this?" And the neighbor lifted a clean, sharp-edged
knife from Andy's cutting-board.

"Worth two of it."

"Which knife is oldest?" asked the neighbor.

"I bought them at the same time."

"And this has been in constant use?"

"Yes."

"While the other lay idle, and exposed to the rains and dews?"

"And so has become rusted and good for nothing. Andy, my friend,