Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-12-19
rHE rRfKcE AND Hiiiis RING. d \

Tho king was deed, and the prince,
young and ineSpefieneed. came 10 che
throne. But because hs feared God and
loved justice. be shrank from exercising
authofity, and care sat heavily at his hcsrt.
Greatly be desired to associate with him
ID The government good snd Wis. Rea ;
bat While he doubted and feared, The davs
vent By and the vacant oiaee; we're s,ill
untitled. Judgment vas not executed,
for there were no judges; The vrones "a
the innocent were not fedrssscd, nor wefe
The gsilty punished. TIE psorle mur-
eursd but the prince hssitsssd aud fess-
ed to act. At length he sent for Anciris,
the magician and said: Fashion for me
q talisman that shall reveal 10 me the
hearts Of men. Let no evil in deed or
word or Thought exist tha, shall hoY be re-
vealed BY the talismsn which thou shalt
create o. mighty prince. said Aueiris.
TO hear is to obey. aud the thing which
thou hast commanded shall assuredly be
done Again the days went BY, and the
people marveled that still the prince de-
laycd to organize his cabinet and name
his prime minister. And many evil things
were done on account Of the unsettled state
Of the empire; but the prince said moth.
ing, thinking. 'Ouly few more dsys aud
all will be made rigt,.' At length An
Girls appeared. and showed the prince a
marvellous ring. 1t was inscribed within
and without with s,cred symbols and was
set with rare gems. 1t had, moreover.
tie double power Of rendering its wcarer
invisible and revealing to him ali the evil
that dwell, in the hearts Of those upon whom
he chanccd to look.
Now shall be able to choose nv off.
GERS with WISDOM said the prince. and
to administer the laws Justly, never con-
founding the innocent with the guilty.
| shal. know the inmost thoughts Of nv
mobiles. and who are truly attached TO- m
person. No disgrise will aFaii anything,
for shall read mems motives as one reads
the pages Of an open book -.-
So the prince put the ring upon his fin-
ger. and went out to test the virtues of his
talis:han and see what was done in the
city. At first. he could hardly reprcss
the feeling Of Indignation that no cne rose
at his coming. that the heads Retained
covered. and the talk went on regardless
Of his presence. Then. remembering that
he was unseen. he addressed h:n,.elf 10
the study Of chataetar as Il was presented
to him under this new aspect. lie lis.
tened to the conversation Of the mobiles
who had been his fathers counselors, and
was shocked to see the Discrepancy te-
tween their thoughts aad their words
Startling. revelations met him at every
turn. Men who had expressed the ut
most devotion to his person regarded his
character with secret contempt, and studied
how .hey would turn his weakness to their
own advantage. Those who had profess
scd the love Of virtue were self-secking
and unprinciplcd. One was dishnues.
another covetous; this one lustful, that
one ambitious and even the sanity prime
minister-his fathers fricnd-spoke half.
truths and had other motives than those
he avowcd.
These are the vices of the rich said
the prince. Among the low'y shall
find the virtue that flies the palace and
the court
So h. wandered from street to street,
looking into the homes Of people in vari-
Gus conditions He had asked that the
evils of men might be disclosed 10 him ::
but it seemed to him tha. he furrd rott.
ing bu. evil. All lives were black with
it. Evil propensities darkcncd all char
actcrs. Even the little children were
wanting in innocence-alreadv putting
forth the symptoms of terrible depravity
At length. overwhelmed with what he
saw. the prince reiraced his steps to the
palace. and, seeking his private apart
ment. sent 70. the magician.
Take back thy evil gift.' said he, pluck
ing the ring from his finger. Cast it into
the depth of the sea nay. hide it at II q
centre CT the world. Let no man her &C.
forth behold What have this day secn.-
Would that a, easily as put by tb; gift |
might put away the remembranc. Of what
it has disclosed. Win hack ero'h the grave
of yesterday the faith lave lost
IF your majesty said the masiciah
will put the ring or the other hand. you
may End couute, charm for the knowl-
edge which you detiore; for then shall
you see the good in others and the evil
that dwells i. your own heart
Again tie prince put the ring upon hi.
finger. ard sat silent With closed eyes
while al evil he had ever dono, and all
that. under favorable circumstances. he
migk; have done. was revealed to him -
Ra:s;ns. at length. his streaming eye,
to heaven, he said: God. I thank The:
tina, hcncefort,, I need know the secret.
o. no heart save my own. May its weak.
ress and sins teach me day BY day th,
lessons of humility. Finding So much
in,perfec,ion ia myself. lie, me not look fol
perfection in others; and. striving to i'm.
prove my life. may learn charity for al
men. and seek ever to be guided by Thy
wisdom. led by Thy truth. even as littl.
child Is led BY his father
Tha. night. IS the prince slept. an an
ce. bore away from his remembrance the
tisions of the day and. when next b
looked Into the faces Of bis lords and no
bles, into the faces of bis subjecfs--me,
and women aud little ehildren-he sau
the good tha, vas in each. the possibls
beauty to which. through the miuis,rstioai
of Gods providence. they slowly grew
But the evils of his osu heart he sau
clearly. and day By day be pu, them from
him BY good works. BY humility. and b
unccssiug visilencc.
No longer seeking ar impossible pcr.
.cciion. be made the best use Of the in
strumsnts a. hand. Looking for honesty