The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-09
TIE WISH. .ANeHT,.. !,

1
built, what romantic palaces spring up
like that of Aladdin; what parks spread
themselves over the earth; what sup erb.
TERRACES lighted with springing flames Of
lnaphtha rising from bronze statues con-
fffont the silent. night and oppose them
| selves to the starsl AS I bGttoned up
Emy oYereeat and walked away from the,
house, still ringing with CHEEKY laughter
at the delicious nonsense that had been
evoked, found myself fnutterifg as /
walked down Fifth avenue, "If had a
million, I would show the world some-
thing worth seeing. There's Stewart.
| LOOK at his ugly white marble pile.
With my million would do better than
that. There's Astor; look at the library.
Now, with my million l wonld do some-
thing that should MAKE that take a back
place. And then think Of Aspinwairs
picture gallery, and John Taylor john
ston's collection. If you hada million,
| fogiesi Not a million of dollars, but a
million OF English pounds sterling, or
better still, a million of bright, shining
splendid gold eagles" BY this time tine
thought that the sum was increasing
pretty RAPIDLY stole into my pefceptiye
faculties, and 1 burst out into loud
laugh, which undoubtedly gave the
| policeman on the beat bad opinion of
me. But still, laugh as I might, the
thought of unlimited wealth, with all its
suggestions of possible luxury and re-
| finement, clung about me, and L could
not rid my mind Of the thick-coming
! elor's den, and dotfed my evening splen-
der OF raiment and donned the comfort
| Of an old army blouse, assumed my easy
chair, wheeled it before the fire; spread
out my legs, and lighted tmy cigarette,
the million Of eagles still clung glutin-
ously to the cells Of my brain and lmagi-
nation wrote million, million in every
| wreathing. curl of smoke. My rapid
fancy began sedu .ously to trace what
| should be my line OF conduct il l had the
imagined eagles. and / had already
| built a superb palace on the Hudson,
purchased Tom Bowling and Nettie
| Norton, and was breeding winners OF
| the Withers and the Belmont, when un-
luckily iell asleep before either OF
! THESE great races nau been won by any
| Of my colts.
In the twinkling of an eye found my
! self passing through an old gateway
such as those that break the monotony
Of the walls in the ruined tortlticatiuns
of Spanish-American cities. The SEN
| tries Saiuted, but evidently not to me,
| tor their eyes did not perceive me. AS l
passed through l saw upon the other
side wide champaign country, lit up
with innumeraDle lights that showed
with variable distinctness, myriads 0f
| tents LAID out in long, long rows.
There was hustle and confusion
through the temporary streets OF this
city OF tents, but 1 saw nothing distinct
| ly. AS neared the main street be-
] came aware that some one was at my
side. l turned and saw close to me
something very shadowy, but with a
clear, translucent face of woiiuerful
brightness and beauty.
was little frightened, but with a
smile Of ineffable Kindness the appafl-
ton spoke, ~ am," said he, she whom
YOU have so often invoked, in common
with all mankind. am the Wish-angel,
and I come TO grant all that man can
wish," 'Wil you," cried I eagerly,
| agrant me my wish?' "Surely," he an
| sWered, 81 will, but, as special, favor
| to- you, will not let you ask tor anything
! until you have accompanied me as an
swer the appeals of others. I ou by my
side shall see the wish made and an
swered, and shall, if you can, learn from
| what you see the wisdom to frame your
own wish. For know that surely it shall
be granted" So saying, he moved to-
| ward the first tent, and followed very
| much surprised and something troubled.
4 There was that in the absence of we'll
| defined form which awoke apprehension
| in nv heart, but the face was SO beauti-
1 ful and the head SO splendid, being, as it
4 were. carved out of lambent light against
the background OF the night, that my
ldisquietudes were stilled. as ] gazed
l upon it, and my calmness returned.
A When we stood before the first tent
4 IooI in q
at a plain table, lighted by cheap kero-
sene lamp. The interior OF the tent was
i'll defined, more like the fieecy mass of a
gray cloud than anything else could
Think of. AS il moved by q sudden i'm.
pulse, the young girl threw her work
down upon the ground and began to
I pace about the room with agitated steps
d At length her emotion found vent in
words, and, raising her eyes streaming
, with tears upward to the unseen Father
she exclaimed: son, that ] might leave
this wretched, wretched lifej that
b might find u good husband who would
II support me in ease and give me ricl
dresses, and that ] might never have tt
pinch and pare and save and count m,
!. dimes again. The Wish-angel smiled
4 upon her, and turning to me said: "Sh'
has wished TWO things, a husband tina
. shall be good to her, and husband tina
u shall relieve her from money burden
Q and troubles. Whichever she desire
q most she Will haye."
Slowly, as ! looked, the girl and tht
liable and The lamp disappeared, and up
9 on the cloudlsh Interior figures began i
v form. There was the young girl, aud be
|, side her suitor, who disappeared an,
another came. Then, as in dissolyin
l. view, another interior appeared-th
i parlor of splendid home. and the gin
!. was there as the mistress. She sat wai1
ing nervously for the entrance OF
y rough, coarse husband, ,. wealthy an
|. purse-proud, who treated her as bough
e slave, and flung presents TO her as aim
are flung to beggar. The Wish-angt
smiled sadly. 'sSne has her WISH. yo
% see what she has chosen" Then w
ej went to the next tent,where were a nun
ir Der Of big boys, shouting, talking, laugh
:, ing.
~ All went cut save one, who took u
% his book with evident dislike, and afte
: some very feeble attempts to study
:, threw it to the ceiling, ''Bother the oil
. book, What use is it to study? Fathe
8 says money is not made by studying
but by smartness. Pm going TO max
70 oney, am, wish ! mad a situado
!, In some brokers Office. There. ar
~ younger fellows than me made the
e pile before now" The angel looked 3