Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-18

The Prince and His RING.
The king was dead, and the prince, young
and inexperienced, came to the throne. But,
because he feared God and loved justice, he
shrank from exercising authority, and care sat
heavy at his heart. Greatly he desired TO aSso-
ciate with him in the government good and wise
men; but, while he doubted and feared, the
days went by and the vacant offices were still
untitled. Judgment was not executed for there
were no Judges; the wrongs of the innocent were
not redressed, nor were the guilty punished.
The people murmured; but still the prince
hesitated and feared TO act. At length he sent
for Anciris, the magician, and said: Fashion
for me talisman that shall reveal to me the
hearts of men. Let no evil in deed or word or
thought exist that shall not be revealed by the
talisman which thou shalt create" 90. mighty
prince" said Anciris, ito hear is TO obey, and
the thing which thou hast commanded shall
assuredly be done" Again the days went by,
and the people marveled that still the prince
delayed TO organize his cabinet and name his
prime minister And many evil things we're
done on account of tile unsettled state of the
empire; but the prince said nothing, thinking,
only a few days more aud all will be made
right" At length Anciris appeared, and
showed the prince a marvellous ring. Ii was
inscribed within and without with sacred SYM
bols, and was set with rare gems II had,
moreover, the double power of rendering its
wearer invisible and revealing to him all the
evil that dwet in the hearts of those upon whom
he CHANGED to look.
Now shall / be able to choose my officers
with wisdom" said the prince, "and to admin
lister the laws justly, never confoundng the in
nocent with the guilty. l shall know the in
most thoughts of my mobiles, and who are
truely attached 10 my person. No disguise
will avail anything, for l shall read mems
motives as one reads the pages of an open
book"
So the prince put the ring upon his finger, and
went out to test the virtues OF his talisman and
see what was done in the city. At first he could
hardly repress feeling OF indignation that no
one rose at his coming, that heads remained COW
cred, and the talk went on regardless of his
presence. Then remembering that he was I'M
seen, he addressed himself to the study of char
acter as it was presented 10 him under this new
aspect He listened TO the conversation of the
mobiles who had been his fathers cOunseorS.
and was shocked TO see the discrepancy between
their thoughts and words. Startling revelations
met him at every turn. Men who had expressed
the utmost devotion to his person regarded his
character with secret contempt, and studied how
they might turn his weaknesses to their own adj
vantage. Those who had protested the love
of virtue were self seeking and unprincipled.
One was dishonest, another covetous; this one
lustful, that one ambitious; and even the sanity
prime minister-bs fathers friend-spoke half
truths and had other motives than those he
avowed.
"These are the vices of the rich," said the
prince. "Among the lowly shall find the yir-
tue that flies the palace and the court"
So he wandered from street to street, looking
into the homes Of people in various conditions
He had asked that the evils OF men might be dis
closed TO him; but it seemed to him that he
found nothing but evil All lives were black
with it. Evil propensities daTkened all charac
tiers. Even the little children were waning in
innocence-already putting forth the symptoms
Of terrible depravity.
Atlength, overwhelmed with what he saw the
prince retraced his steps to the palace, and, seek
inc his private apartment sent for the magi-
clan.
"Take back thy evil gift" said he, plueking
the ring from his finger Cast 1t into the depth
of the sea; nay, hide it az the center of the
world. Let no man henceforth behold what
have this day seen. Would that as easily as [
put by thy gift might put away the remem-
brance OF what it has disclosed, win back from
the grave of yesterday the faith l have lost"
"lf your majesty" said the magician, twill
put the ring on the other hand, you may find
a counter charm, for the knowledge of which
you deplore; for then shall you see the good
In Others and the evil that dwes in your own
heart
Again the prince put the ring upon his finger
and sat silent and with closed eyes, while all
evil he had ever done, and all that under favor
ing circumstances he might have done, was re-
vealed to him. Raising, at length, his stream
ing eyes to heaven, he said: God thank thee
that henceOrth l need know the secrets of no
heart save my own. May its weaknesses and
sins teach me day by day the lesson of humility.
Finding so much imperfecton in myself, lei me
not look for perfection in others: and, striving
to improve my own life, may learn charity for
all men, and seek ever to be guided by thy wis
dom, led by thy truth, even as a little child is
led by his father"
That night, as the prince slept, an angel bore
away from his remembrance the visions of the
day; and when next he looked into the faces
OF his lords and mobiles, into the faces of his
subjects-men and women and little children
he saw the good that was in each, the possible
beauty to which, through the minstrations of
Coos providence, they slowly grew. But the
evils of his own heart he saw clearly; and day
by day he put them from him by GOOD works.
by humility, and by unceasing vigilance.
No longer seeking an impossible perfection
he made the best use of the instruments at
hand. Looking for honesty, he developed it;
imposing large trusts, he made men trustwor-
thy; scrupulous in his own life, he made virtue
the fashion; and, illustrating an ever higher
standard of excellence, his people grew daily in
goodness and wisdom. at is a good thing to
know the hearts Of Others" said the prince;
"but better TO keep ones heart with all dill
gence, for out Oft are the issues of life Celia
BUTletgh in IqdeDeDde0t