True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-12-22
Heyer weigh SO, heavy on, y our soul il
cannot, mount to glory." x sg,rg

cannot mount to giory." =.
Franz Dutchkin stood looking at hel
as she plodded along the darkening road,
and not till she was lost amid mist, mud
and darkness, did he turn 10 his bright
room, and closing the door, ia. down
again in his armchair before the FIRE
but a spellh had fallen over him; nothing
was so bright and comfortable as before,
When be looked into the fire, he saw the
figure he had been watching walking
down its glowing alleys. with sometimes
Tor its companion the slender, boyish
form of the poor scholar he had so rudely
turned from his door that day. If he
looked at his blinking old clock, their
faces peeped a. him from every quaint
moulding; they we're on the walls every
where /; his mind was full of them (; and
ever as he began to count over 10 himself
the wealth ofhis bursting barns the good
wife's words, "Pray Jesus the gold you
have refused the poor may never weigh
so heavy on your soul it cannot mount to
glory" blotted out his calculations and
he had to begin all over again. Twas
strange, he wondered al himself; such
acts we're no new thing; they constituted
his life; but never before had they dis.
turbed him; He filed his pipe, heaped
the great logs on his fire, and tried to
forget. but in vain the blazing fagots
cracked the poor woman's words; they
formed the burden Of the cricket's song
The very smoke Of his pipe twined itselI
into her face, as it curled upwards and
faded away. At length, being unable to
banish these thoughts, Franz no: only
suffered them patiently, but even began
TO calculate how much gold would be re.
quired 10 weigh down a mans soul, and
almost to wish, wicked fellow that he
was, that some demon would give him
the trial, not that he wished OF was will
ling TO be damned, but then he coult
think Of twenty plans to keep the gold
and cheat the devil. In such. thoughts
as these time slipped by; the fire smoul
dered 10 glowing Goals; shadows crep'
out on tile walls; the wheels of the old
clock began to rumble, and forth from
his retreat started The little man in The
red night cap, and changed his bags TO-
gether twelve times. This Franz expect
ed; but what was his astonishment when
instead of retiring modesty into his den,
as was his won't, the goblin, demon, o.
whatever he was, winked his eye ant
nodded his head at Franz and, afte
cutting few funny capers, seated himsel
on the mantle shelf Franz was bewil
dered; he rubbed bis eyes, and looked
and rubbed them again; but they per
sisted in saying that the little man in the
red night cap was sitting there, knocking
his heels together, and nodding and wink
ing as though there was some deep secre
between them. la..g" r1..a
81 can do it for you, Franz Dutchkin, y
said he, with knowing wink a; IL cal
do it. Look at these; they are full o
gold. And he shook his tiny bags tri
umphantly in the air. Franz could mol
forbear laugh. A thousand such LilIi
putiau bags would not have been a droI
in the bucket to his desire. "Never fear :
said the little demon, frowning apgrily
81 could pour enough gold from them Il
buy you, if pleased. Lay down ant
put your strong box on your breast, ant
will pour in gold as long as you cal
bear its weight |; but have care you d.
not let me give you more than you cal
lift, for though I may give, l cannot tax
il from you." '
10 Franz did as be was bid, and the it'll
demon, perching himself on the side O
the box, commenced pouring in steady
stream of gold from his little bags, A
first Franz was very cautious trying tn
weight Of the box every second or so
but at last The gli.tering stream SO Devil
dered and excited him, that though b
felt the weight beginning 10 crush him
he. could not bear 10 cry enough. H,
tried its weight once more, and loun,
his utmost strength barely sufficient L
move il: '"Stop, stop now" cried he
but with a sigh, for he still longed 70
more. : o.Tt.s t.. .'5 T. /. 'a7
"Oh ! no, not yet; you are not allow
ing for my weight" said tho little demo-
briskly, at the same time pouring, in sucI
a quantity that Franz screamed out il
agony he was dying, With a maliciou
laugh, the little demon sa, for tim
watching his Intellectual struggles an,
mocking his agony, and then skipped Of
and left him writhiug and groaning i
despair. ,..r.t,.' ,.....'a
Vain were all his struggles; days
months, years passed slowly by, still h
lay weighed to the earth BY the load O
wealth which seemed crushing on, hi
life, and yet he could not die. Ate
many years, or ages. as they seemed. b,
knew instinctively that the end of al
things was at hand, and the messenger
Of God were gathering the righteous TO
| gether, to save them from the destruction
which was coming upon the world. Hi
heart was filled with terror and despair
for he was pinned to the earth by hi
cursed gold, and must perish with il i
the flames. While ne was weeping an
struggling, there entered an angelic form