The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-12-05

put into the bucket, and whlried up lhCo
the moonlight. Then the little man
took them all on his back, and scam
pered across the felds-to their fathers
house, and climbed in window, and
put them safely into their beds. Ihey
were very tired, and soon fell asleep;
and the next lay, the first thing Girls
pus did was to look at his cup.
"My brother and sister had grand
things promised to them," thought he;
I wonder what I am to do with
wretched wooden cup!I will put it In
the kitchen it is no better than other
cups" t
But as he looked, he saw, as on the
previous night, a single clear drop in
the bottom, and as before, he drank it.
I" I am well satisfied with my cup"
exclaimed he there is some magic in
it-time will show"
Many long talk did the three chill
dren have about their adventure at the
well and in vain did the other two try
to drink from the mysterious cup.
They might hold it up side down as
long as they pleased, the drop chung to
the bottom; they might try to touch
it, it disappeared without wetting their
fingers. Only Crispus could enjoy it;
and the moment he slipped it out, anoth-
er one filled it's place, as bright as ever.
They made several more expeditions
to the well, but they saw only the
moonlight streaming down in the dark
ness, and heard only the night breeze
string the long grass. So atlast they
gave up going there, and in time ceased
talking Of the occurrence, and seemed
all to have forgotten it, except Crispus,
whose wooden cup was his remem-
brance; and oftimes, when worldly mat
tiers were wrong with him, when his
old father was peevish, and his custom
er's feet were hard to fit flor he had
taken up his fathers trade), when bad
debts made their fare and fire scanty,
when, after stitching at shoes all day,
he had to stitch up his shabby garments
by highlander all these infections,
often and often would he sip up the
little pearly drop in the bottom of his
cup, and be as merry and lighthearted
as ever.
In far off country, over the ocean,
events were transpiring which were
soon to change the fortunes of the cob
bler's humble home. In a magnificent
chamber, in a great marble palace, an
old man lay dying. One thought only
had engrossed his whole life-to hoard
up riches; but, as he lay now under his
silken coverings, attended ouly by
strangers and menials, some images
came fitting acrost his memory he had
not found time to entertain in his days
of health.
"My poor old BROTHER" said he"
doubt if he be living yet. But he had
two boys, and the youngest is my
namesake. Yes, he shall have all my
money"
And thus the matter was settled;
and all his possessions-his ships and
merchandise, his houses and lands, his
gold and jewels-were poured like
very fairy gift, into the humble cottage
of the poor old cobbler.
"This must be what the gnomes
promised you," whispered Crispus to
his brother, when the news came
Now you will take our sister to your
grand castle, and then she will have
the diamond necklace and ride in the
grand coach which, they promised to
her, while I must stay and take care of
my old father, with only my wooden
cup"
With that he sighed, and took up his
cup; the drop was very large and
bright at the bottom, and he drank it
off.
Never mind" said he, cit is not
castles and diamonds that make people
happy. Who knows but l may be the
merriest of the three, after ALL
So the brother and sister departed to
their grand home, and to riches without
stint or measure. They found some
things, too, which they had not bar
gained for-lawsuits and losses, vexa-
lions and notifications from abroad,
and strife and contentious at home, for
poor little Nellie had found husband
who liked better to spend her money
than to love her.
"What care for all this splendor,"
said she, as she walked over her velvet
carpet. 81 am not half as happy as,
when 1 played with the flowers in our
homely garden, or sat on nay fathers
workbench while he made the shoes p
All, poor Nellie, you found pleasant
things, too, sometimes and might have
enjoyed them, had you not always been
pining after something pleasanter still |!
"Let us go and see Crispus," said
the grand brother one day to her; for
he was gentleman now, and Crispus
would scarcely have known him. "Let
us see how he and his wife live!'
So, after journey of many days, in
great style, with coaches and footmen
and outriders, they arrived at the cob
bler's cottage. F
Their old father had long been Sleep
ing in the church yard, and Crispus had
taken his place, to mend, as be had
done, all the shoes in the village.
He had wife now, and some rosy
children, but he had never been able to
grow rich ; and, though he seldom was
troubled about the matter, yet, when
the grand company arrived that day, he
looked at his pine table and bare floors,
and wooden chairs and benches, and the
brown crockery on his shelves, and the
hard beds, and said, "What a fool
was not to take something better from
the 0nOmes. )" Then he looked at hts