The Grange advance., 1874-08-26
ITEMS FOR the yOuNG FOLKS.
THE DISHONEST PEASANT.

In the year 1874 poor Frcncnman
was passing the winter in village in
Germany. One cold morning he had
occasion to buy load of wood. He
found a peasant who had one to sell.
ond asked him what the price was. The
peasant, who perceived BY his broken
German that he was a foreigner. and
that his ignorance might be taken adj
vantage Of, answered that the price
was three louis d'or>. The Fccnchman
endcavored to beat i':iu down. },ut in
Vain. At last he took it. a'::; Dos, the
money that Was asked,
Iho peasant delighted {" have ;;;:!:,
30 good /. bHrrniH. drove with li:;
empty curG u the village IN, Winch
was 10: Tar li>taHi. lid ur.'t.>"l brc;.::
fast. y h!!y It VA getting ready. hr
el:trrt :.lrJ tIlj landlord with an ac-
ctu;t o1 1i:,: way i. which il> hal
cheated; t;l;: E':crctran, and made MIN
pay three !ou's Il orS for {: load Of God
which. AZ th:: utmost: Was not worth
more than seven sil;llings and sixpcrcc
talking as If he had done a yrry
clever thin3.
The landlord was (. good mar> and
told him that he ought to he ashamed
of himself thus to have taken advantage
Of the ignorance Of poor foreigner.
''Wcl!,' said the peasant, with a
scornful laugh, 'the wood was mine i.
had right to ask just what l pleased
for it,
The landlord made no reply. When
breakfast was over, the peasant asked
how much was to pay. The landlord
replied, ''Three louis d'ors.'
''What t?'' said the peasant, 'three
louis d'ors for cup of coffee and a few
slices of bread and butter!' -
"Yes,' said the landlord, with the Ut
most composurc; the coffee and bread
and butter were mine; l have a right
to ask just what please for them. My
bill is three louis d'ors and shall
keep your horse and cart until you pay
me. If you think am charging you
too much, you can 80 before the
judge"
The peasant, without saying anything
more, went to the judges office and
made his complaint. The judge was
surprised and indignant at the land
lords extortion, especially as he had
always borne an excellent character.
H. ordered him to be brought be-
fore him and his reception Of him was
somewhat stern. But the landlord
told him the whole story-how the
peasant had taken advantage Of the
poor cmigrant' $ ignorance to cheat him,
what their conversation was. and how
his own con'uct WAS simply visiting
upon the head Of a d:shone st man the
wrong he had done to another.
Under such circumstances the judge
decided that the landlord had done
right: and that t,le peasant should pay
the three louis d'ors. The peasant,
with very i'll grace, drew out his purse
and laid the money on the table.
81 do not want this money!" said
the landlord to the judge. as you may
we'll suppose. Will You have the good
ness to change one of these louis 'ors.
and give the peasant seven shillings and
slxpcnce out of it-for that, as he con-
tessed to me, is all that his wood is
worth-and return the remainder to
the poor Frenchman? For the break
fast l want nothing
The judge counted out the seven
shillings and sixpence 10 the peasant,
and dismissed him with severe re.
buke. The rest was returned to the
Frenchman, who, on hearing the story,
went to thank the kind innkeeper. and
with great difficulty persuaded him to
accept small sum for the peasants
breakfast.
THE BROKEN PANE.
At our sch ool there was a bov by
the name of Robert Rich. One day he
was throwing stones, he hit a window,
and broke pane Of glass. No person