The Hickman courier., 1872-10-26

'The Golden Touch - exclaimed
the stranger. You certainly deserve
crediG, Friend Midas, for your am
bitious wish. But are YOU quite
sure this will satisfy you ?"
GLOW could it fail ? said Midas
"And Will you never regret the
possession of It?
"Why should II" asked Midas. I
ask nothing else 20 render me per
fectly happy"
BE 1t as you wish, then, replied
the stranger, moving his hand in
token of farewell. tomorrow at
sunrise you viii find yourself gifted
with the Golden Touch.
The figure of the stranger then bo-
came exceedingly bright, and Midas,
dezzled, shut his eyes. On opening
them again, he Leheld only the Yel-
los sRushue ia re room. King
Midas hardly closed his eyes that
night, in his anxiety for the morn
ing, and the day-god had hardly
peepcd over the hills, when he was
broad awake, and began TO touch the
objects within reach. He was griev-
ouslv 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 Il bright sunbeam
sbone through and gilded the ceiling
overhead.
And he thought the sunbeam re-
H..I,.1 -.,,C1.1--- 80, tI,o ,.r1-F.
lit OF the bed, looking closely at it,
what was his astonishment and de-
light TO find that this linen cloth
mad changed iato what seemed
woven texture Of the purest and
brightest gold The Golden Touch
had come to h;m with the first sun
beam.
Midas started up in a kind of Joy
ful frenzy, and ran about the room,
grasping at everything. lie seized
one Of the bedposts, and it imme-
diately became a column Of 1luted
gold. He took up q book, and on
running his fingers through the
leaves, behold it was q bundle OF
thin golden plates. He put on his
clothes, and : as enraptured to see
himself in q magnificent suit OF gold
cloth, winch retained its hexibihty
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 10 be plates OF thin
gold, and of course worthless as
spectacles. This last annoyed Midas,
but he said, ct is no great matter
after all we cannot expect any great
good without some small neon
yenience with il. "
Wise King Midas was so exalted
with his good fortune that the palace
seemed not spacious enough to mold
him. He therefore went down
stairs into the garden. Here he
found a great 11Eplbor of beautiful
flowers IN full bloom and others in
bud. Very delicious was their fra
grance, but Midas knew a way to
make them more precious, and so he
took great pains TO 60 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, he
was ready for hearty meal. Little
Marygold had not yet made her ap-
pearance, so telling a servant to call
/ her, he sat down to the table to be-
/ gin bis own breakfast. It was not
/ long before he heard his little daugh-
ter coming along the hall, crying
bitterly. This surprised him, for
MarygoId was one OF those delight
ful children who are always cheerful
and happy, and her father did not
know what 10 think.
AS Marygold opened the door,
sobbing as If her heart woald break,
her father said, Chow now, my little
daughter Pray what is the matter
this fine morning ?" Marygold, with
out taking her apron from her eyes
held out her hand, in which was one
Of the roses. which Midas had so re-
Gently changed TO gold.
"Ah, dear father" sobbed the
child, cas- soon as [ was dressed /
ran into the garden to gather some
roses for YOU, because l know you
like them, especially when gathered
for you by your little daughter. But
oh dear, dear me? what do you
think has happened Such a mis-
fortune! All the beautiful roses
that smelied so sweet are blighted
and spoilt. What can be the mat
ter with them ?
"Pooh! pooh my little girl" re-
piled her father. You can easily
exchange one Of those golden roses
for hundred of the ordinary kind
Sit down and eat your bread aad
milk Midas IN meanwhile had pour
ed out cup of coffee, and as he lift
ed a spoonful to bis lips. and slipped
be was astonished TO perceive thai
the instant his lips touched the Ii
quid it become molten gold and the
next minute hardened into lump
He then took up one OF the little
trout on his plate. To his horror il
was Immediately changed into a gold
fish that looked as if it had beer
made by the best goldsmith in the
world. It was beautiful to look al
and very valuable, no doubt, only
King Midas Just at that moment
would much rather it had remained
real trout.
81 don't quite see, he thought t.
himself, chow am to get any break
fast; this is little too much of {
/ good thing" He took up one ofth'
smoking cakes; it became heap o
yellow gold. Almost in despair h,
helped himself to boiled egg and i
was at once like one of those the
famous goose in story-book was IL
the habit of laying. "Well, this is {
quandary, such a costly breakfas
and nothingto eat, " thought he, lean
ing bac- in his chair and iookinl
quite envionsly at little Marygold
who was eating her bread and mill
with great satisfaction. Already b.
was hungry what would he be din
ner time and how ravenously hun
cry by supper. How many day
could he stand It.
Here, SO great was his hunger tia
: he oroaDed aloud. and Dretty littl