CHAPTER XV
THE SHADOW OF PARTING
The programme at Abbottabad concluded with a
public meeting at which several addresses and a consoli-
dated purse of Rs. 1,125 were presented to Gandhiji on
behalf of the whole district. Piquancy was added to the
proceedings by the circumstance that the framers of the
address had allowed their pen to run away with their
feelings and indulged In language of wild hyperbole to
greet Gandhiji, whom they described as " the greatest man
on earth ". Gandhiji in a reply which was full of delicate-
banter gave them a severe castigation, for their use of un-
balanced language, which they should remember for the
rest of their lives. " I thank you for the address that you
have presented to me," he began. " You have in your
address expressed your gratification at having in your
midst f the greatest man on earth \ I wondered as I
listened to your address as to who that ' greatest man"
could be. Certainly it could not be I. I know my short-
comings but too well. There is a celebrated story about
Solon the great law-giver of Athens. He was asked by
Croesus, who was reputed to be the wealthiest man of his-
age, to name the happiest man on earth. Croesus had
fondly hoped that Solon would name him. But Solon re-
plied that he could say nothing as no one could be adjudg-
ed happy before his end."" " If," continued Gandhijir
" Solon found It difficult to pronounce on a man's happi-
ness during his lifetime, how much more difficult it must
be to adjudge a man's greatness ? True greatness is not
found set upon a hill, for the vulgar crowd to gaze at. On
the contrary, my seventy years* experience has taught me
that the truly great are often those of whom and of whose
greatness the world knows nothing during their lifetime.
G-od alone is judge of true greatness, because He alone
knows men's hearts/*
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