Read "Limitations" by E.F. Benson online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Tom came back from his museum about twelve, in an unusually sombre mood: the Discobolus apparently had not proved inspiring; and he took his books to Markham's rooms, tumbled them all down on the floor, lit a pipe, and took up his parable.
"Those things are no good to me," he said; "they may have been all very well when the race of men was a race of gods, when all the best athletes went to the games naked, and wrestled and boxed together; but it is out of date. Of course they are awfully beautiful, but they are obsolete."