The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-11-01

Z
with both the power and the will to
crafty his utmost wishes, that now
was the fortunate moment when he
had but to speak and get whatever
he chose to ask, and SO he thought
and thought. At last bright idea
occurred to him, and, raising his
head, he looked the lustrous stranger
in the face.
DWELL, Midas, I see that you have
at length hit upon something that
will satisfy you. Tell me your wish. -
cit is only this" replied Midas :
'I am weary of collecting my trea-
sures with so much trouble. I wish
everything touch to be changed to
gold
''The Golden Touch p exclaimed
the stranger ''You certainly deserve
credit, Friend Midas, for your am
bilious wish. But are you quite
sure this will satisfy your"
elbow could it fail said Midas.
"And will you never regret the
possession of it?'
"Why should II" asked Midas. I
ask nothing else to render me per-
fectly happy"
''Be it as you wish, then, replied
the stranger, moving his hand in
token of farewell, tomorrow at
sunrise you will find yourself gifted
with the Golden Touch"
The figure of the stranger then be-
came exceedingly bright, and Midas,
dazzled, shut his eyes. On opening
them again, he keheld only the yell
low sunshine in the room. King
Midas hardly closed his eyes that
night, in his anxiety for the morn
ing, and the day-god had hardly
peeped over the hills, when he was
broad awake, and began to touch the
objects within reach. He was griev-
ously disappointed to see that they
remained exactly as before, and he
lay in very disconsolate mood,
thinking over the promise of the
stranger, he now feared would not
come true, until bright sunbeam
shone through and gilded the ceiling
overhead.
And he thought the sunbeam re-
Elected queerley on the white cover
lit of the bed, looking closely at it,
what was his astonishment and de-
light to find that this linen cloth
had changed into what seemed a
woven texture of the purest and
brightest gold. The Golden Touch
had come to him with the first sun
beam.
Midas started up in a kind of joy
full frenzy, and ran about the room,
grasping at everything. He seized
one of the bedposts, and it imme-
diately became a column of fluted
gold. He took up a book, and on
running his fingers through the
leaves, behold it was a bundle of
thin golden plates. He put on his
clothes, and as enraptured to see
himself in a magnificent suit of gold
cloth, which retained its fexibility.
Midas now took his spectacles from
his pocket and put them on his nose,
but discovered he could not see
through them; taking them off, he
found the glass to be plates of thin
gold, and of course worthless as
spectacles. This last annoyed Midas,
but he said, 'I5 is no great matter
after all; we cannot expect any great
good without some small neon
venience with it.
Wise King Midas was so exalted
with his good fortune that the palace
seemed not spacious enough to hold
him. He therefore went down
stairs into the garden. Here he
found a great number of beautiful
flowers in full bloom and others In
bud. Very delicious was their fra
GRANGE, but Midas knew q way to
make them more precious, and so he
took great pains to go from bush to
bush and touch each flower and bud
and soon every one of them, and
even the little worms and insects on
them, were changed to glittering
metal.
Midas then went into breakfast
and as the morning air and his early
walk had given him an appetite, hC
was ready for a hearty meal. Little
Marygold had not yet made her ap
pearance, so telling a servant to Cal
her, he sat down to the table to be
gin his own breakfast. It was no
long before he heard his little daugh
ter coming along the hall, crying
bitterly. This surprised him, 70
Marygold was one of those delight
ful children who are always Cheerful
and happy, and her father did no
know what to think.
AS Marygold opened the door
sObbing as if her heart would break
her father said, Chow now, my httl
daughter Pray what is the matte
this fine morning?" Marygold, with
out taking her apron from her eyes
held out her hand, in which was on
of the roses. which Midas had SO re
Gently changed to gold.
''Ah, dear father" sobbed tn
l child, cas- soon as I was dressed
! ran into the garden to gather som
roses for you, because 1 know 20
like them, especially when gathere
for you by your little daughter. Blu
, oh dear, dear me? what do yo
think has happened? Such a mi.
5 fortune! All the beautiful rose
that smelled so sweet are blighte
l and spoilt. What can be the ma
t ter with them ?
/ pooh! pooh my little girl" r,
2 piled her father. "You can easil
exchange one of those golden rose
7 for a hundred of the ordinary kim
Sit down and eat your bread al
t milk. " Midas in meanwhile had pou
t ed out cup of coffee, and as he lif
t ed spoonful to his lips and sippe
a he was astOnished to perceive TIT
e the instant his Inns touchad the ]