The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-06-10
b, From Moore's Rural New Yorker.
NATHAN, THE WISE MAN.

| We uuNC tctu iuIu'ouCu WIN uuHoth
lion Of portion of this celebrated dram
Of LEssrNG. The whole is too long 70
our use, but we copy below portion G
The Sd Act, containing fine ofien,a
parable. To introduce il, we will Civ
brief siaiementiof the preceding par
of the drama. Sultan Saladin, hearing
much of the wisdom Of Nathan, a ricl
Jew of Jerusalem, calls him before hin
with the pretence Of putting ito tbs
test, ,bui with The real purpose of extor,inf
money, should he fail TO shilsfy all hi'
questions. He asks him which religion
m law appears the mos. just, that Of the
Jew, the Musselman, or the Ctrstianl
declaring himself at loss TO choose
between them. and anxious for informa'
ton from man so, wise and Just as
Nathan. The Jew, seeing his whole
purpose, replies by relating tho story
below:
Nathan:-In former ages there lived
man in the East who possessed an
incstin.able ring, obtained from beloved
hand. The stone in Il was an opal, which
presented hundred beautiful colors,
and had the secret and miraculous power
Of making him who wore j, in good
faih, pleasing to God and man. Il is not
surprising, therefore, that the man Of The
East never suffered it 10 come off from
his finger, and determined 10 reiain il in
his house forever. This he accomplished
as folIows:-He gave the ring TO the
dearest of his sons, and commanded that
lie again should bequeaIh II to H'al one
Of his sons who was most dear 10 him, Z,
and iha, The most beloved, without regard
10 birth, should be the head and prince
Of the house. ani 14i.
Thus this ring descended from son to
son; finally to father Of three sons,
who we're all equally obedient TO him.,
and whom he consequently cnnld not
forbcar to love equally. Only from time
10 time, sometimes the one aud somes
times the other, (jusi as each happened
TO be alone with him, and The other two
did not share his ou'p"uring heari,)
seemed 10 be worthy Of the ring, and he
had the genile weakness TO promise j. 10
each. Thus the affair went on smoolhly
as long as il could. Bu, when the hour
of death came, the good father was very
much at luss. He is sorry thus 10
mnrily Two of his sans, who were relying
upon his word. Wbs, must be done?
He secretly sends for an artist, and orders
hin To make two rings like the one he
and spare no expense or work
10 make them perfectly resemble the
genuine. The artist succeeds instiis.
and having finished 'hein, he biings them
To the father, who cannot himself dis
tingush the genuine from the counterfeit
Glad and full OF joy, he calls his sons,
each separately, aud having given each
his blessing, land his ring, -lhe fnther
dies. Do you heav, Sul,auf 02 -9al
Saladin--(Who had turned inside per
plexsdD-I hear. Only finish yonr tale
quickly. Will j, soon be atan end!
alf N-Ii is already, for wba, follows is
understood of itself As soon as the
father is dead each one of the sons
comes with his ring, aud wishes TO be
the head Of The house. In vain do they
examine, complain and quarrel. Il was
impossible to prove the genuine rngi-,
(aiiera pause, in which he expects The
Sul,an's answer,)- quite as impossible
as now the true religion. a9
Sal.--Whai! is this to be the answer
TO my qnestioD2 5i5 81 5a8
N.--This %ill only excuse me if ! do
to distinguish the rings which
the father reqhes, ed To be made, wilhlhe
that they should not be dislin-
guishable. aifag q
Sal. The ringsl Do moi make sport
with me. | thought that the religions
which | mentioned to ynu, we're dis'ih
guiaIabls as far as dress, as far as food
aud drink are concerned.
N.-But not on ihe par: Of their
For are they not all founded
upon history, either written or handed
down by tradition? And history mus'
surely be accepted, only on its fidelity
and credit. Now whose fidelity and
credi, do we hold the leas, doubnu?
Surely our own, surely that of thnse
whose descendants we are, and which
from our childhood has left upon us marks
Of her kindness, and never disappointed
us, except when Disappointment was
more salu,ary. How can | believe my
parents less Than you yours, or the oiler
ways Can | require Of you 10 dislrnsl
your ancestors, SO as not 10 contradicl
mine, or the o,hes ways The same
Iemsrks may be made Of The Christian.
Go humself.)-By The living
This man is right; | must remain silent.
Met us return 10 our rings. As
may be Inferred, the three sons accused
each other, and each swore 10 the judge
Thai he had received The ring directly
from The fathers hand was ,rue,-'
after having for a long time been promised
10 emmy the prerogaiive, e,-which was mol
less true. 'i.e father. each assured.
could not have been deceiiful toward
him. and rather than permit such a thing
10 be suepeclcd of his beloved father. he