Quotes for a Lovely Recession

When he was young, Mark Twain lost his job as a reporter in San Francisco. In Chapter 19 of Roughing It he describes how he started avoiding people:

For two months my sole occupation was avoiding acquaintances; for during that time I did not earn a penny, or buy an article of any kind, or pay my board. I became a very adept at "slinking." I slunk from back street to back street, I slunk away from approaching faces that looked familiar, I slunk to my meals, ate them humbly and with a mute apology for every mouthful I robbed my generous landlady of, and at midnight, after wanderings that were but slinkings away from cheerfulness and light, I slunk to my bed.

But also in those slinkings he slowly made the acquaintance of a fellow down-and-outer, and found he had much to offer:

This mendicant Blucher—I call him that for convenience—was a splendid creature. He was full of hope, pluck and philosophy; he was well read and a man of cultivated taste; he had a bright wit and was a master of satire; his kindliness and his generous spirit made him royal in my eyes and changed his curb-stone seat to a throne and his damaged hat to a crown.

When he wasn't conveniently being called "Blucher" the mendicant in question was known as John Henry Riley. Twain and Riley became friends, and eventually their fortunes improved. But if Twain had met Riley at some fancy club, and discovered he was a splendid creature while smoking cigars and drinking brandy, it wouldn't be quite such an epiphany, would it? I'm sure they were both glad to get some money again, but what a wonderful little moment. Now I should do things to get money myself. Bye!