The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1874-11-25
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TIE DISHONEST PEASANT.

In the year 1924 poor French i'm
migrant was passing the winter in
a village of Westphalia, in Germany.
He was obliged to live with the great
est economy in order not to go beyond
his means. One cold morning he had
occasion to buy a load of wood. He
found peasant who had one TO sell,
and asked the price of it. The peas
ant, who perceived by his broken Ger
man that he was foreigner, and that
bis ignorance might be taken advant-
age Of, answered that the price was
three louis d'ors.
The Frenchman edeavored to beat
him down, but IN vain. The psasapt
would abate nothing Of his first de-
mand. The immigrant, finding it use
less to waste words with him, and be-
ing in pressing need of the fuel, at
last took it, and paiG the money that
he was asked for it.
The peasant, delighted to have so
good bargain, drove with his empty
cart to the village inn, which was not
far distant, and ordered breakfast.
While it was getting ready he enter
tanned the landlord with an account of
the way p which he had cheated the
Frenchman and made him pay three
\ louis d'ors for load Of wood, which
at the utmost was not worth more than
S2-talking as if he had done clever
thing.
But the landlord was good man,
and feeling justly indignant at the
peasants conduct, told him that he
ought to be ashamed of himself thus
to have taken advantage Of the ignor'
ance Of a poor foreigner.
WELL" said the peasant, with q
scornful laugh, "the wood was mine.
| had "A right to ask just what | pleas
ed for it, aud nobody has right to
cali my conduct in question"
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" said the peasant, "three
louis d'crs for cup OF coffee and a
few slices of bread and hutter? ?"
"Yes," said the landlord with the
utmost composure 'the coffee and
bread aud butter were mine; have
right to ask just What | please for
them. My bill is three louis d'ors,
.aud | shall keep your horse and cart
until you pay NE. If you think | am
charging you too much you can go be-
fore the Judge"
The peasant, without saying any.
thing more, went to the judges Office
apd made his complaint. The judge
was surprised and indignant at the
landlords extortion, especially as he
had always borne an excellent charac-
Ter.
He 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 immigrants ignorance to cheat
him, what their conversation was, and
how his own conduct was sim ply visit
ing upon the head of dishonest man
the wrong he had done to another.
Under such circumstances the Judge
> decided that the landlord had done
right, and that the peasant should pay
| lUG LuTct lOHlS u ulos IuO peasant
with very i'll grace, drew out his
: purse and laid the money on the table.
> Il do not want this money" said
{ the landlord to the Judge, "as your
Il honor may well suppose. Will you
have The goodness to change one ol
these LOUIS d'ors and give the peasant
i two dollars Of it-.lor that, as he con
fessed to me, is ell that his wood is
worth-and return the remainder t.
d the poor Frenehman? For the break
e fast / want nothing"
Il The Judge was much moved at the
If words of the good innkeeper HC
II counted out the two dollars to tha
It peasant and dismissed him with a SC,
It we're rebuke. The rest was returned
e to the poor immigrant, who. on hearing
ie the story, went to thank the kind inn
rs keeper. and with great difficulty per
g spaded him to accept a small sum fol
g the peasants breakfast.