Three Hundred Gold Pieces.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 21

Three Hundred Gold Pieces.

_ Once .upon a time there was a prosperous tanner, . .. . ... . ; t -After years of labour 'and economy, he fovind- himself tho happy possessor o'f three •hundred gold pieces of money, which lie coiicealod in a ccrtain dark corner of the houso, and thofknowlcdgo of which ho kept to him:self. -,!., .. . When-ho'Was out and about.'his'daily-occu-pations, anxiety for tho safety of his trcasuro broast, and when he/returned,'"his first Caro..wa3 to, ease his mind by., .counting and .rccountinjr the coins,''and- again, "cautiously and unobsprved, depositing the puisc, of gold' in its hiding place. *•••, . Sometime? the good man would • bring, his golden storo' to his business ..room,; (iiul find pleasure in ; cleaning • and polishing the three, hundred shining picces. Now, one day, when ho was-.thus", occupied, ho was. surprised by visit of a friend. Not wishing, to crbate any false impression as to his, being, a. wealthy man, or to disturb the,.established notion that,it was as much as H6'could do, 'to;.'mako both ends ; meet, as the - saying .• is,- lie.; hastily gathered , together • the:' glittering - tell-tales, and dropped tho;. purse containing >'them into an empty pitcher'close at hniid-'for temporary, concealment; ' But. th'o. business -which had brought '.the friend !t6\the,'.'farni ( ..was'.of,- such an urgent lia.turo-.that it obliged; bo'tli\men to ,tako•.a., hurried sio tho:;iieighhouring. towii. ' iSpj calling liisf ivifoj; the "farmer desired herto. prepare a' meal ;;fo£.,them by the'_timo- : thcy canie bacli.'i When.-tliey/had _. started;-' tlib-. busy wife began her preparations for cooking,, and presently, y/ould not.'haVo a' sufficient supply.' of water,.-, she : took ; :the;'pitclior, un-'awar^;-ofv,its'precious'■'cohtents,.!;ju.icUwent to the door'to find someone whom sho could send it by to the. well. •' ... Just., at .'the moment the .village butcher was' passing, ' and' ho,,sqqd,-lYaturcdly goffered his services, which \yero civilly accepted.;. The butcher.;.however, ..forgot, ta.say. tbat/,! as''hp was .going On:.to the''town., to,, l>uy.la;:c'6.w;''lip would.. jiot' b'b "able"!to oblige. hfir' asj oSpedt tiously"a"s"she might wish! Weil, as might be expected,- he had gone a, little way " only.'before discovering, tho pyrse; ; , Surprised and delighted; he hid it upon' his person, and/ leaving the pitcher in

on tho margin. Aftorwards, when dressing, ho became so engrossecl with his business concerns, that ho went away, forgetting to tako ,up tho purse. Then oame a shepherd'to tho pool to water his flock. While thus engaged ho perceived tho purso, of which ho took possession •with a thankful heart as a gift dropped frohi Heaven at his feet. •_.li) : tho .evening, as'ho'sat at tho door of his lonely hut, ■ examining the contents (if the-pursoj he was amazed to find himself tlib ownorof three hundred gold picces ofmciiey. JDesiring to hoard up this godsend to enablo him'.-to livo ill comfort when disabled ; liy ; ag'e and infirmity from following' his present ,occupation, lio considered how.ho should best safeguard tlio 1 treasure so mysteriously ebiiimitted to his'ca-ro; -'At.length ho decided to destroy;tlio : old purse,*, and to mako ; a .now one, in-whjch,lie"could : carry his riches about with him. :■■ Meamvliile, when'th'o'farme'r discovered his loss, he returned to the.pool-iii great trepidation,: but: found no trace of the mi'ssing'purse. Sadly ho retracted his'steps homewards', and told his : wife ;of;: his misadventure.' " With much feeling slio fell to aipbr'aiding her husband with bis niiserly. habits, and suffering her-arid .-tho family to bo pinched-even for necessaries 1 of life, .while: lie rt'elit about heavily laden.:with gold:.: !:'• 0 .''But, to-bo. sure, . said-. she,-"it is Oiir duty in;,this world of chanco: and change to tako precautions, and selfrreliniico'-'is-a'vir ; tuo certainly approved; of ' Heaven. :j . Your precaution .and;, selfri'eliance;' God' help us! have brought, us all: to:, a' pretty .-.pass:-;.: f-'.x And with :mu,ch.-more ;;in .tho'-Sffm'o :straiil did the good housewife endeavour to'appeaso hor-.'Kusuan.d's vexation and-.'.grief;rniut.' at length, ; .in'a. cpntrito st-ate.of. mind, calm-and resigned, lie. committed;;:himself !.; andrihis affairs, to Ileaven.:; ,; ■On itho other,- hand,.-fclie' Shepherd'was'" : a's'r sailed,nvith -ever-rcciirring 'dread: aivd'alixiety for;.tho -safety ;.of his.-.ricliesi Tho; goldoii burdenjhe carried with him weighed heavily upon: his; .spirits; as, .well, as his body.:. Hi's nights were disturbed and his days gloomy with apprehension. Ho Sought! solitude, and: 110 -longer, stopped tho. wayfarer for tho accustomed' interchange .-of gossip. .. . One. day lie. came-with -his .'flock;.to -a! well.' disconsolate 011 the -'low -.wall that suvrounded.vtho,spring, :ho ~was :terrifiedv/itli tlio sudden appearance;.of a troop of horse; men gallpping towards hi.rn,. ;■ In groat fear lest, - ho slinuld bs searched and ,-.robbed!! he dropped? 1 tho;.;purse - among .the", fungus' 'and■ mossy,/growth 1 beside,•. the trough; '•..-'Noting the spot,;that,.lie...might 1 return to it. afterwards,;-. ho assumed, what 110 ..littlo fcltj' nn appearance pf iuncqncern. by. tho timo.tho ■ horsemen camoirtip. To hi.s great-discom-posu'ro, ho found they had no'immcdiato. intention of quitting,tho- spot, >■ and, .night

In tho evening of tlio samo day tho shepherd wont again to tho farmer to bewail his -second loss, and was not displeased to find tlio butcher and two or three of tlio neighbours assembled. Ho related the incident of the morning, and made it- an excuso for coming so soon for another instalment'. of tho money duo to liim from 'the farmer. At- this point tho farmer's wilo liroiight 111 two pieces of a hollow stick and asked the shepherd if be recognised them. "Iu 'silenco and shame, he hoard tho farmer relato that, as was bis wont, ho went to tho river to perform bis ablutions and picked up a stick out of the water, taking it homo lor firewood. When it was dry ho broke it into!.t\);o pieces, and thereout fell tho one hundred".piotfos of gold which the shepherd had''.extorted from him , tho night before. Tlib ' fa'nn'er; recounted from the beginning tho losses' he had sustained and the mysterious .restitutions that- had followed." Tho butcher iand shepherd both .confessed tho share- eaelv! of them had - had. in tho disappearance of tho : farmer's savings, but nrgp'd as 'si plea for pardon that they wero only-'tools ill. tho hands of destiny. '."For," added tlio shepherd, "tlio craftiness of man cannot prevail against, the decreo of Providenco that tho rightful owner shall liavo full restitution." •Then tho farmer forgave the butcher and shepherd, and lived, in good fellowship with his neighbours for many years, not troubling himself ovbrinuch ' about tho .vicissitudes of time; 'but..'always endeavouring to framo his actions to : the decrees and Will of God.