The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-10-02
MI j s. celIan @ ou 8 .
ADAM AND EVE OVER AGAIN.

There was an old couple who earned a
poor living, working hard all day in the
field.
"See how hard we work all day." said
the wife, land it all comes of the foolish
curiosity of Adam and Eve. If it had not
been for that, we should have been living
now in beautiful garden, with nothing
to do all day long"
YES" said the husband "if you and |
had been there, instead of Adam and Eve,
all the human family had been in paradise
still"
The Count, their master, overheard them
talking in this way, and he came to them
and said:
"How would you like it if l took you in
to my palazzo there, to live, and gave YOU
servants to wait on you, and plenty to eat
and drink ?"
"Oh that would be delightful indeed 1!
That would be as good as paradise itself ~
answered husband and wife together.
"Well, you may come up there, if you
think so. Only remember, in paradise
there was one tree that was not to be touch
ed; so at my table there will be one dish
not to be touched. You mustn't mind that
said the Count.
"Oh, OF course not" replied the old peas
ant; that's just what l say, when Eve had
all the fruits in the garden, what did she
want with just that one til It was forbid
den2 And 1--WE, who are used to the scan
tiest victuals, arc supplied with enough to
live well, what does it matter to us whcth-
or there is an extra dish or not on the ia
bic 2"
Every well reasoned" said the Count.
"We quite understand each other then p
"Perfectly," replied both husband and
wife
"You come to live at my place, and have
everything you can want there, so long as
you don't open one dish, which there will
be in the centre of the table. If you open
that you go back to your former way of
life"
1--WE quite understand" answered the
peasants.
The Count went and called his servant,
and toldhim to give the peasants an apart
ment to themselves, with everything they
could want, and sumptuous dinner; in
the middle of the table was to be an earth
en- dish, into which he was to put n little
bird alive, so that if one lifted the cover,
the bird would fly out. He was to stay in
the room and wait on them, and report to
him what happened.
The old people sat down to dinner and
praised everything they saw, so delightful
it all seemed.
Look that's the dish we're not to
touch" said the wife.
mo; better not look at it," said the
husband.
"Pshaw There's no danger of wanting
to open it when we have such lot Of dish.
es to eat our fill out Of" returned the wife.
So they set to and made such a repast
as they had never dreamed Of before. BY
degrees. however, as the novelty of the
thing wore off, they grew NOR" and more
DESTROYS for something newer and newer
still. Though when they at first sat down
| it seemed that two dishes would be ample
to satisfy them, they had now seven or
eight, and they were wishing there might
be others coming. There is an end to all
things human, and no other came. There
only remained the carthcn dish in the mid
die of the table.
1--WE will just lift the lid up little wee
Bit" SAID the wife,
mo, don't talk about it," said the hus-
band.
The wife sat still for five minutes. and
then she said
"If one just lifted up one corner of the
lid, it would scarcely be called opening it,
you know"
"Better leave it alone, altogether, and
not think about it at all"
The wife sat still another five minutes
and then she said: IF one peeped in just
the least in the world, it would not be any
harm, surely, and I should so like to know
what can the Count have put in that dish ~
"I'm sure can't guess in the least" said
the husband, land l must say can't see
what it can signify to him if we did look
at it."
mo, that's what l think, aud besides,
how would he know if wo peeped2 II
would not hurt him." said the vile.