The Shasta courier., 1866-07-07

that he requested my grandfather to receive
the trifie of interest monthly, and for the
first two months he said it comnletely
cleared him OUT To pay it. Nv grandfather
was, therefore. rather surprised one Satur.
day evening. rs he sauntered down the VIII
lage street, to see four decrepit old people
hobbling down the steps of his shnp. each
carving good sized loaf. and loudly prais
ing the generosity of Mr. Bryce. The sun
was just setting, and cast ruddy glow on
the young bakers face as he stood leaning
against the post of his door; but he started
in some confusion when he saw my grand
father, and hastily asked him to enter his
shop. " reckon you are surprised, SIR" he
said, to see me giving away bread befnre
I've paid my debt. But Just look round.
sir. Those four loaves were all / had left,
except what can eat myself, and they we're
stale; so think what they d have been by
Monday morning"
u don't wish to interfere with your char
tiles. !" said nv grandfather
But, sir" said Bryce, 81 want YOU to
see that Pm as eager to pay off that money
as 1 can be; but people won't buv stale
bread-they won't indeed and so thought
/ had right TO give away those four
loaves, being they were left upon nv
hands,
think so, too," said my grandfather.
who was then quite young man, land
shall think so next Saturday and the Satur.
day after"
Thank you, sir, I'm sure," said the ba
k5r
In course of time the debt was paid,
though almost every Saturday those old peo.
nle hobbed from the door, And now Mr..
Bryce's rights were found to increase with
his business and enlarge with his family.
First he had only right to give away the
stale loaves, being he was in debit" then
he had right to give awav all that was left,
being he was out of debt" While he was
single he had right to lake dinners for
nothing. : being. he had no family to save
for" When he was married he had a right
to consider the poor. = being as he was so
prosperous as to have enough for his own.
and something over" When he had ten
children, business still increasing. he found
out that he had right to adopt his wife's
little niece" for, bless you. sir, he observed.
I've such lot of my own. that pudding
that serves for ten shares serves for eleven
just as we'll. And as for schooling. wonldn,t
think Of it. if my boys and girls were not rs
good scholars as I'd wish 10 see; for snare
nothing for their learning-bmt being thew
are. and money still in the till, ,chu TIE a
right to let this little one share. In fact.
When man has earned jolly hot dinner
for his family every day, and seen em saw
grace over it, he has a right TO give what they
leave ont to the needy, especially if his wife
is agreeable"
And so Mr.. Bryce. the baker, went on
prospering and finding out new rights to
keep pace with his prosperity. In due time
his many sons and daughters grew up; the
latter married. and the former were placed
out in life. Finally, after a long and happy
life. Mr.. Bryce. the baker. died, and in his
will, after leaving $500 apiece to all his sons
and daughters, he concluded his beouests
with this characteristic sentence:
6 And, my dear children, bv the llessing
OF God, having put you out well in life, and
left you all handsome. feel (especially as |
have the hearty consent of all) that have
right to leave The rest of my property, viz
t7OO, for the use of those that want it.
First. the village of fD-being very much
in want of good water. l leave E40O. the es
timated cost for digging well and making
pump over it, the same to be free to all
and the interest of the remainder leave to
lie spent in blankets every winter, and given
to the most destitute widows and orphans in
the parish.
So the we'll was dug and the pump was
made; and as long as the village lasts. op
positc his own shop door the sparkling water
will gush out; the village mothers will gos-
sip as they fill their buckets there; the vii.
lage fathers will cool their sunburnt fore
heads there. and the village children will
put their ears to it and listen to its gurgling
down below. a witness to the rights and
proof of how his rights were used by Bryce
the baker