Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-16
X MIA cLAUDs.

Hans Klausten was a mean man, a
verv mean man indeed, or he would
never have lent that axe to a neighbor;
for Hans had new axe, sharp and
bright, that jEould chop a stick. in a
twinkling, but This one he always kept
for his own private use, and whenever
a poor neighbof came in to borrow an
axe to cut a little wood, Hans would
lend him that old, long handled, worn
ont axe, that you'd not split pine
chip.
Hans was cobbler; he mended al
the shoes ia the village; nor did he con-
fine his 10 ending powers to shoes, since
ne, was expert3at mending almost any
Wing except his manners" the good
housewives used to say; "pity he could
not mend these, for they were such that
he was caIlsdaSurly Hans.
lit happened one autumn evening that
Hanss opposite neighbor, Silas Good
man, a kind hearted man, stood warm
ing his hands by the stove in HanE's
shop, when D poor man living near BY
cane to ask Hans 70 lend him an axe.
Hans, as usual, lent hin the axe that
would not4eus, 50, after a little while,
she poor man-brought it back, saying,
$.Tbe axe with not cut at all :"
+ "a We'll, leaveit then" growled Hans
80 the poor man laid lown the axe.
and went away to get his wood cut as
best hemigIrt
"Hahs, said SiIas, nwhy do you not
get that axe ground q"
Hans stared at him amazed ssfs
~ Do youthiak am going to grind
axes TO lend shiftless people2 Why do
they not gat.axes of their ownf"
Il - They are poor, said Silas.
~ Then they are lazy" said Hans.
a1ndustrious people are not poor /
work, and nsVer have to borrow or to
beg" @
- Everybodyis not 50 lucky as you"
retnrned SiIass have known the
most industrious, hard Rorking men get
sick, so that they could not work; then
they must rely somewhat on the kind
meas of their fsllow-creatures. Hans,
that axe you never use yourself; give it
to me, will you2 and whoever comes to
you to borrow an axe send him to
me" NN A
"Take 1T and welcome" -gramblsd
surely Hans
So SiIas took the axe home with him.
He bad it made sharp and bright, and
used it himself, and lent it to anybody
that wanted 10 borrow an axe, and
many blessings were showered upon his
head for lending so willingly his beauti-
full axe.
The autumn grew on into winter, the
SHOWS felEsdeep, and the cold winds
drifted them over the fence-tops; bit.
ter winter il was, and sad, sad winter
it was for Hans Klausten. For the 6rst
time in bis life he got the rheu matism,
80 he could work but little; then his
rheumatism got worse, and he could not
work at all. sAli the pans and pals,
and shoes and boots in the village want
ed panding, and the goods wives began
TO look about for somebody else to mend
them, aimee Hans had given up work;
but there was nobody else at hand, SO
pthsy grsW5expert in such matters them
selves, and got along as well as they
could, IN the hope that Hans would soon
get to work again. But though all the
village knew that Hans was sick, no one
knew his real condition, for there was a
/ general idea that he was rich and no
one supposed he wanted for anything.
Silas. TOO, going to seeAhim one very
Geld cay, was surprised to find him with
out any Gre. sasalr
4 fsWhy doh't yan have a FIRE HansY'
said he. "Let me make one for you, or
At least chop some wood for you. Where
is your axeT' 'i177
GRrokan ~ aaid Hnna
fsaThen I'll pc and fetch mine, or
rather yours, for 1t is the old one YOU
gave me, that ! had sharpsned."
stop, cried Hans, IS Silas was
going, Athere is no use for Jour axe for
Ihaye norwood to cut.
Upon this ySilas began to look into the
condition of things True enough-no
wood IN the wood-shed, no victuals in the
lardar, except q pieeeof a loaf Of bread,
and poor Hans lying helpless in bed,
with no one to help him, as he was
bAehelor and had always lived alone.
= Hans, cried Silas, after an inspec-
ton OF the premises, "why did you not
letiyour nsig hbors know your condition.
Is there any shame in being poor2 not
among Christians, certainly, since our
great Lord and Master wanted the
neeessariesg of life often, and accepted
the charity of his creatures. will 90
and feEcheaxe and wood and everything
else!s E;4oW
.Silas, brought wood and chopped ii,
sad made a roaring ere in Hans store.
land shat very day he had whole load
Of wood packed away in Hans wood.
She'd and, more than this, be SO inter
.estSd this neighbors in helping poor
Hans, that his harder was soon filled.
and one Kind ola dame knit him warm
socks, and another came every dav to
make him broth, and among them all,
they took such good c, e OF him that, in
months time, be was as we'll as ever,
and husier than ever. mending all the
stock of broken pots and kettles that
bad seenmnlated during his sickness.
But it was not the sane Hans who
bad got sick that npw got we'll az ain,
bat = yery d lferent Hans, indeed, "Sur-
~ Hans was gone, and in his place was
Q bars who had a kind word for every
'bpdYR who lent and gave freely, and Of
his best, to anybody in need, q Hans
whom every one in shsRiIlage loved and
stespeeted1 q AQ e ii fssaeL IS IA
ssSARsI SAID hans one day, II want
you to seh me back that axe I gave YOU
oncs--the axe that would not cut; |
Fantr p for It reminds me Of the day
Ypn brought it over, and fetched wood
end made the FIRE in my stove. That
Kindness first overcame me-from that
day Iwas an altered man. 1RIZBT 3
eTH make yoR q present Of it." said
Slas, "hpt the poor old thing is pretty
wellsworn out ncw.aA 3T - = -
Hans lived to be rich man, q bene-
factor 70 all the poor around him; but
be always kept on table in a corner
tne are th0t a0ould NOT cslt,--N. P, In