Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-12-15

contesseo tnat only Win kfngs ha1 he
found such spiendor and exfravagance !;
and what made it more singular to him
was. tha. he should miss here the best and
nobless thing that the earth produced.
In vain did she attempt to obtain full
Ter explanation Of the strange guest, and !,
being questioned too pressingly, he dis
appeared, and was not seen again.
Richberta's pride and curiosity, equally
excited. allowed her no quietude. She
possessed in vaiehbles all that could be
mentioned |; hoxszer,s ,sss xlc best aufnc
blest thing was wanting, She consulted
scholars and philosophers, sent for magi-
clans and astrologers, but none knew how
to name that thing which for years she
had not possessed.
! In her restless desire she had ships
, equipped TO cruise through all the oceans
and seas to visit every land, with orders
not to return till the required article had
been found. The commander of her feet
put 10 sea, undecided whittier to direct
his ships. One part he sent to the East,
| another to the West, while he himself,
with his remaining vessels, relied on the
favor of the winds. 1t happened that, by
leak, par: Of the provisions became
spoiled, and although there was NO want
of meat, wine. and other luxuries. the
-four and bread had become unfit for food.
and the want of it was soon felt most Sc
verely.
In this strait. the commander saw
quickly what he must consider the best
things the earth produced the spices
and perfumes of India, nor the pearls from
the depths Of the sea, nor diamonds of
most priceless value: Jm Mat uniccrsally
hrtriag giTt Of nature, the indispensable
and inestimable nourishing bread. He
recognized now the sense of the obscure
words spoken by the stranger, and bis
resolution was quickly made. He steer
ed to Baltic harbor, where he took in a
full cargo of the finest wheat, with which
he sailed tn Stavcren As soon as he ar
rived he appeared before Hchbcrta, who
had not exE ected him so quickly. and an
nounced to her that he now knew what
was the best of all the earth's productions:
had found it. and in abundance; had
brought it with him. He then related, TO
his astonishcd mistress how he had OBJ
taincd this knowledge. and that the mys-
tcrious guest could only have meant the
falling bread. He, therefore, believed he
had executed her order iu a satisfactory
manner
But Richberta was not ofthe same opin-
ion. She east reproachful looks at the
confoun,led servant. and painfully sup
pressing her rage. demanded to know on
which side of the ships he had taken in
the cargo. She was answered, =. On the
right side" &" Well, them" said the
naughty Richberta. :. | command YOU to
cast the whole cargo into the sea from the
left"
In vain were appeals and expostulations
made against the CARRYING out of this or
der; uselessly did the faithful servant beg
ot her not to destroy the rich gift If God.
but nj least to alleviate the wants of the
needy poor with it J.; uselcssly did he send
to her crowds of poverty stricken wrctches
to soften her heart All was in vain
Before her own eyes she had the rich
wheat cargo, which could have given
bread TO many, thrown into the sea amid
the howlings aud cursings of the multi
tudc. The bottom of the sea had receiv-
cd the cargo. but the grains became the
seedlings of ruin. terminating in the
mud, continually covered with new earth.
there shot up forest Of storks, without
ears, of unusual growth, always springing
higher, which, like the sea fungus or the
spiders. covered the surface of the water
As the oft-movcable mass OF earth there
hy found support, au Immense sand
bank was formed before the harbor of
Stavorcn, which no human power was
able to break through The numerous
ships of the town and also those of the
rich Richberta, being unable to find an
entrance iuto the port, were the sacrifices
of the raging waves. Commerce and rich
Is were destroyed, and continually recur-
ring strokes of misfortune precipitated the
proud virgin merchan, from the pinnacle
of splendOr and happiness into want and
misery.
But the sea, to whom an accustomed
channel had been closed. ragged with ever
new anger against the bank, and during
n tempcstuous s.orIs il broke through the
dykes. flooded the town aud bore it hasti,s
" into the sea. asa long wished for booty
Where Stavoren once stood now rolls
the troubled waves of the Zuyderzee. =
But when the clear water allows its bot
tom to be seen, the shippers view with
horror. through its depths, the streets.
proud towers. and high gables of the PAL
aces Of this now sunken but once maguiii-
cent town.