The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-01-12

As he took the coins one by one out OF bis
cap, you can fancy his surprise when he found
a large and valuable gold piece among them.
He had never had so much gold 10 his hand
before, and with childish Imagination he sup
posed it to be worth about fifty times as
much as it really was. He knew in a mo-
ment that the count had given it to him by
mistake, for no one ever threw gold to beg
CARS. l suppose he felt very much as you
would feel should you suddenly discover that
some one had made mistake, and had given
you thousand dollar bill instead of ten
cent scrip. The Italian poor are usually
thieves as well as beggars, and the strangest
part of this story is that Carlos mother was
an exception to this rule. She had given
him some ideas of honesty, and at this mo-
ment they all came rushing back to him
As ne sat turning the shining coin over aud
over in his hand to admire it, the thought
that he ought to find the owner and return
the treasure, somehow crept in through the
matted black hair which hung over his brown
forehead. Boys never stop to consider a
thing long, and with Carlo it "nO sooner
said than DONE" or rather begun. lie
jumped up all excitement and started back
for St. Peters. But the count had gone,
and no one of course knew where, He ran
through street after street, and peeped down
all the narrow lanes which ne had not time
to explore, but in vain; the gay carriage
was nowhere to be seen. Toward night, as
he had really given up the search, but still
could not help looking about as he sauntered
along, ne saw the counts equipage standing
before shop. He darted in, held out the
gold piece to its owner, and told him he had
found it among the coins in his hat and sup
posed it had been given by mistake.
The gentleman at once recognized the lit
tie beggar of the morning, and exclaimed,
How did you ever find me again ?" Carlo
told him in his simple, child like way, how
he had search for him all day without sue
cess, till he had seen the carriage before the
shop-door. The count looked at him in
greater establishment than he had gazed at
the wonderful church a short time before
Who ever heard of an honest Italian beg
CARR After talking awhile with the boy and
asking him good many questions about bis
manner of life, his home and parents, he took
him into the carriage and told him to direct
the driver to the street where he lived. So
of drove Carlo to the crack of the same whip
which had tried to find his poor little ears IN
the morning. The mother was aatonished
enough to see her son arrive in such fine
style. The count talked with her long
while, and ended by proposing to take the
boy back to Germany with him. Il wa!
very hard for the mother to say Yes,
but she was poor and she knew it would BE-
of great advantage to her son to find 60 gooC
home; so after day or two she gave bel
consent, and Carlo set off with the gentle
man. Tne count, having no children, adopt
ed the boy, and gave him in every respect
the same advantages end education which hi
would have given to 40 own son. Carlo be
came a coed, substantial man, and we'll re
paid the care and expense bestowed upon
hin, so that when the count died, he left al
bis immense property to the once ragged boy
Ga one of the most beautiful market
places in Brunswick, Carlo, then grown
man, built fac residence for himself, and
how do you think he Orlamented his house
On the most conspicuous corner, facing the
market place, ne caused life sized statue Of
a ragged beggar-bOy to be placed jus' above
the first story window. The holes in the
knees and elbows were so perfectly cut in the
stone, that you would almost think you were
looking at Carlo himself on the morning be
started to follow the counts carriage. Over
each window of the first and second stories,
he had beggars hat carved in the stone
instead of the ornaments usually placed there.
He did this because he wished never to for
get that he had been a poor boy, and be
cause he wished to remind ell who passed by,
that " Honesty is the Best Policy" Carlo
has been dead many, many years, and still
the old house, with its odd decorations is in
good order, thought is older than any house
in America, but have often thought when
looking at it, that the beauty of that one
simple, honest act, will remain long after the
statue and the stone hats have crumbled into
dust.