The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-09-15
threatened to send him away as ,

threatened to send him away as a
stranger. Upon this old John wrote
to the merchant who held his money
saying, "Send me 300 florins of the
capital l deposited in your hands
for l am aged and weak, and for
fourteen years have not heard OF
my children. Doubtless they are
dead. 1t will not be long ere fol-
low them to the grave. ...-
The honest merchant promptly re-
piled to the old mans demand. ~
return you,' he wrote, "the sum you
ask. The balance remaining is per.
haps greater than you imagine. II
has increased, little by little, to more
than 1000 fiorins. I'D.
When the money arrived the peas-
ants stared with wonder, and declar.
ed that John Schmid must be a con.
jurer. But the old man himself, in
spite of his riches, was unhappy. He
wished to join his sons, whom he
thought to be no more. He would
often exclaim, 81 shall die in solitude
no son Is left to close my eyes,
However, he recovered from his i'll
ness, and 1t was destined that he
should not die alone.
One Sunday evening he was seated
with other peasants under linden
tree, when a servant on horseback
rode up, and inquired If any one
could direct him to the cottage OF
John Schmid? The villagers, full OF
establishment, replied, "You need not
seek him in his house, for he is here.
As they stared and whipered inqui.
ries to one another as to what was to
come NEXT two handsome carriages
entered the village, and stopped be-
fore old John Schmid's door. Three
wcll-dressed gentlemen and two Ia
dies descended from the coaches, and
as old John made his appearance
threw themselves successively into
his arms. s.- s..
"My dear father" said the eldest,
"can it be possible that you have for
gotten us? l am Pierre. 1 have
become awholesale grocer at Varso-
vie, in Poland, and this lady is my
wife,, Then the second spoke: al
am your son, Gabriel, and also bring
you a daughter-in-law. 1 to, reside
at Vasovic, and deal in corn" Pres
emily the third son came forward.
al" he said, sam George. Ihave re-
Gently returned from India, where 1
have made & fortune by commerce.
Seeing by the Gazettes that my BROTH
ers were in Poland, l Joined them,
and We all agreed to travel hither TO
seek you, and TO make you happy for
the rest of your life" Poor old
was overcome, and shed tears.
He invoked blessings On his chill
dren.
"To you," exclaimed one of them
"we owe all Of our good fortune.
Had you not taught us that nothing,
be It ever so despised, is useless
had you not made US industrious.
persevering, and economical, we
should still have been mendicants."
The rest of John Schmid's life was
spent in happiness, for one or the 9TH
er Of his sons always remained with
him. The money which had accu-
during their long absence,
was drawn from the merchant in
whose hands IL had so much increas-
I'd, and employed in building school
IOr the gratuitious education of poor
children.
To those who, like me, were aware
Of the means 6y which the Schmid's
grew rich, their rise In the world is
known to be the certain result of in
icgrity, industry. and perseverance in
to account thing. generally
useless. Spite, however,
Of all l can urge, one or two Of the
most prejudiced villagers shrug their
when John Schmid's name
5 mentioned, and insinuate that lie
must have made compact with a ccr-
ain namelesS person.