Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-04-29

and then seemed 10 sink into a revery; but
when the mistress of the house set some supper
before him, he looked up timidly in her kind
face.
lam afraid cannorpay for much Of a sup
per, tonight
You shall not pay anything for it, nor your
bed either, was the reply. Eat, 1t will do your
heart good, man.
Yes" added the innkeeper, who had come
( in moment before, eat; it does one good TO
eat such days and nights as theseI I think my
wife may as well follow Haster Elias rule as she
calls it, with you
The other travellers had gone up to their beds;
the innkeeper, his wife and the old man were
alone when this was said. The old man drop
ped his knife and fork, and exclaimed, in trem-
bling voice: "What does that mean?" The
innkeeper laughed outright. "why. man.
said he it does not mean that We murder or
rob-heaven help us, there would be no robbing
of you-that we murder or rob travellers here?
l Eat your SUPPER lie continued, more gently
"a Why when my wife sees chance ofdoing any
good to oanybody-giving a man a supper, for
instance or a bed, or sending some fire wood to
a neighbor-why she does 1t, and she calls it fol-
lowing Master Elias rule; that's all it means
The old man had not resumed his supper.
who is Master Elias7" he asked
The innkeeper and his wife were amused al
the agitation OF their visitor.
Thirty years ago. he went on, ~ kept a
school in this village, and was called Master
Elias"
The innkeeper's wife was holding his hands
in hers, and looking through her tears into his
face. "The same the samer' cried she. Mas
ter Elias, have you come back:'
The innkeeper stood astonished, might say
agast at this scene. Master Elias had been such
proverb, such MYSTERIOUS being, neither the
innkeeper nor any one else had ever certainly
known whether he was a mortal man Of flesh
and blood or some creature OF imagination
written about and read about in books; SO that
the apparition OF Master Elias. standing in per-
son in the parlor of his inn, affected him very
much as might an apparition of some unesrthly
being from another world.
Master Elias, don't you remember me:"-
But no-you cannot-I was poor beggar girl
once-and when my mother was sick went to
your house, and you gave me half of everything
you had-have you forgotten it? the barley loaf
Inever have. Ihave followed your rule always,
and give half to the poor, and my good husband
there can tell whether. in the twenty years
have been married to him, all things have not
gone on well with us"
| The innkeeper had by this time recovered
from his amazement. He shook his guest by
the hand, and told him to make his home in the
inn for the rest OF his life, if he liked it.
1t might be thought that however much the
innkeepers wife had prospered by followingher
rule of charity. Master Elias had not hourished
by it, at least; for he was old and poor-he had
been sick great deal-out of employment-and
had started for this village, his home of thirty
years ago, homeless and friendless. But did not
his reward come at last? In the inn he found a
home; in the innkeeper's wife daughter, in
her children pupils, whom he loved to teach, for
his intellect was bright and his mind well stor-
ed; in the villagers and all he found friends,
for his name was already among them associa-
ted with goodness and virtue; and at last, be.
side his little sisters grave, he found a resting
4 place, where on little white stone is recorded
how the people cherished the memory of Mdste,
4 Elias rule, and looked forward with a cheerful
hope of meeting him where that rule of charity
shall be ever the rule whereby ,Oe are to be
Judged.