Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-16
The AvariciOus Merchant.


giro, one of the most avaricious character
in tho world for though he had realized
handsome property, all his thoughts wer
bent upon amassing more and more, hi
avarice still increasing with the increase o
his wealth. 1t happened that on returning
one day from sale of some of his goods
with purse Of four hundred gold crowns
while engaged in transacting other business
he was unlucky enough to loose the whole
sum, nor was he aware of his loss until hi
reached home. Arriving there he opened ar
immense chest containing many thousand
crowns, and on preparing to add the four
hundred to the number, he was struck dumb
with astonishment to find that they were
gone. He uttered an exclamation of hor-
ror every time he put his hands into his
pockets, till conyinced at last that his loss
was but too true, he ran off in great con-
sternation along the path he had come in
quiring of the very dogs he met on the way,
whether they had seen or seized upon his
treasure. He was quite confounded whom
he reached the place where he had first re-
ceived the money without obtaining the least
tidings of it.
Almost overwhelmed with despair, he
suddenly bethought him, as a last resource,
to apply to the magistrate, entreating that
a public crier might be instantly sent forth,
and offering reward of forty crowns for
the recovery Of his treasure. With great
courtesy he acceded to the request, express
ing himself, at the same time, concerned
to witness the excessive affliction under
which the unfortunate Filargiro seemed to
labor. The reward was accordingly pro-
claimed, and tie gold soon afterwards made
its appearance in the hands of an old lady,
who found it on her way home from church.
Fearful lest her conscience should be loaded
with such weight of gold, though extreme
ly poor, she would have been very greatly
perplexed in what way to act, had she not
luckily heard the crier announcing the re-
ward of forty crowns, which she hoped she
might receive with q safe conscience.
Observing her destitute appearance, the
judge very humanely inquired whether she
had any means of procuring her subsistence,
and whether she had no one to assist her.
81 have nothing" she replied, s.but what
gain by the work of my hands, and the help
Of one daughter; We weave and spin, Sig
nor, to earn as much as we want, living in
the fear of the Lord in the best wav we are
able. Ny daughter to be sure, | should
wish to see married before die; but have
nothing to give her for portion.' The
judge on hearing the poor woman's account
of herself, highly praised her integrity in
thus restoring what she might so easily have
reserved for herself, and for marriage
portion for her daughter; observing that it
was an action of which he feared that few
others, under the same temptation, would
have been capable. he then summoned the
merchant, informing him that the lost treas
ure was found, and requesting him at the
same time to put into the woman's hands
the stated reward.
The raptures of the miser were truly
amusing when he beheld and seized upon
the gold hut on hearing the demand for
the stipulated sum his countenance fell, and
he began to think how he could possibly
withhold the promised reward. Having
numbered the pieces once or twice exactly
over, though he found them perfectly cor
rect, he turned towards the old woman, say
ing, "There are four and-thirty ducats
short of the sum put into this bag.' The
old lady appeared extremely confused at
this accusation, exclaimed in distressed
tone to the magistrate, "Oh, sir, can that
be possible? is it likely should have stolen
thirty-four ducats, when / had it in my
power to possess myself of the whole? No,
believe me, swear, as value my hopes Of
heaven, that / have restored the exact sum
which l found on my return from church;
not single farthing have taken out"
But the miserly old wretch continuing to
affirm most solemnly that the ducats were in
the same bag with the crowns, and that she
must consider them as a sufficient remunera-
ton, the affair seemed to perplex the worthy
Judge not little. Yet, when he reflected
that the old miser had only mentioned the
four hundred crowns in the first instance, he
began to suspect his design of imposing
upon the poor woman, in OF der to save the
paltry sum offered as a reward. He felt the
utmost indignation at the discovery of this
deceit, believing no punishment to be too
severe for this despicable breach of faith.
But checking his rising passion for mo-
ment, he reflected that the most effectual
chastisement he could bestow upon the mi
ser's attempt to impose upon the magistracy
would be to make him fall into the very
snare he had laid for another. With this
view he thus addressed the merchant: "And
why did you not mention the full amount of
your loss before proclaiming the reward 3'
:" overlooked it.; quite forgot it," was
the reply.
"But it seems somewhat strange that you,
who appear so particular about triaes,
should not have recollected the circumstance
of the ducats. And as far as can under
stand, you wish to recover what is not your
own. mean to say that this bag Of gold
could never have belonged to you at all,
L. a