The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-05-25

give of your abundance to the
poor. You wont have far to go to
find them. Your family is far from
rich, you give them a great deal of
trouble, to say nothing of bad Ian
guage and cross words. Come !!
give them a little of your money,
and I'll say prayers for nothing
for your soul.
NO." cried Nikita, ''no! You
can pray for me after I am dead,
and my money shall pay for it.
But till then, if you think I need
your prayers you will have to pray
for nothing. l shan't give you
any of my money. I am tired now,
begone! Go away, all of you"
Kind-hearted Father Jakim, thus
dismissed, went home, and pass
ing into the church prayed gratis
for the sinner.
That night Nikita went out of
his mind. He fancied every one
was after his precious lilac bank
note, and hurled defiance at imag-
mary robbers. His sons sent for
Father Jakim, but the old nam
could not recognize him.
"Yeu shan't have it! You shan't
have it," he cried in a piercing
scream. "No, I'd rather tarc it up!
I'd rather throw it awayr
And all of sudden he seized
the little parcel which hung round
his neck, and tearing at it with his
teeth and nails, got out the note.
He put it in his mouth, rolled it
round for half minute with his
tongue, and swallowed it wholei
He came near choking, and
called for water. After drinking,
he sprang up upon his feet, with
fury in his eyes.
cha! hap he cried. "You'll
never get it now! I'll keep it safe !!
I've circumvented your
The family, in utter consterna-
ton, did not say a word. 1t had
taken place so suddenly that the
priest could hardly believe his
eyes.
The delirum subsidized before
sunrise. Nikita fell into q deep
sleep with profuse perspiration.
The priest went home to his
own house much troubled by what
had happened.
It was lucky for those poor peo-
pie that 1 was there, he said. If
he ever comes to himselft the effect
upon him may be dreadful, and he
would certainly accuse them all
of being robbers!
We should not like to affirm
that swallowing a twenty dollar
note is a certain cure for bilious
fever, but in this case the imperial
lilac back worked wonders. After
sleeping quietly for fourteen hours
Nikita awoke quite well, but very
weak, having forgotten all that
had taken place in his delirum.
For three days he did not find
out the dreadful loss that had be-
fallen him. His frightened family
took good care not to tell him that
his precious lilac paper was no
more. But by degrees his usual
gestures and his usual thoughts
came back to him. He fingered
the little bag that still hung
round his neck, and-horror OF
horrors there was nothing there |!
"The wretches! o the rascals
They have robbed me! They have
robbed me~ he furiously cried.
They sent for the priest, who
after detailing several times over
what had taken place in his pres
ence, at last succeeded in convinc-
ing the old man that he had. liter
ally and metaphorically, swal-
lowed up his fortune.
God has been pleased to pun
ish you for Observation-Disclosures to
your family, he said, for he felt it
was his duty to speak plainly.
The rest of your life must now be
passed in poverty. Accept it, my
poor fellow, as the punishment of
your pride. Receive thankfully
henceforth your daily bread from
the hands of those dutiful chill
dren you have treated so unkindly.
You will find your loss will make
no difference in their treatment.
You have been always wrong In
supposing that they had interest
ed motives for being kind to you.
Repent of your uncharitableness.
and ask God to pardon you.
From that time forth for many
weeks, Nikita never uttered a sim
gle word +; he seemed to be always
in kind of stupor. They car
ried him daily into the open air,
for he was unable TO walk. He
would sit for hours in the sun
shine lit was then the height of
summer) patting the little bag up
on his breast, not seeming to no
tice anything around HIM. He had
a good appetite, however, and his
strength returned. One day by the
help of staff, ne crawled out by
himself to his favorite seat in the
sunshine.
'Be off now, be off, all of your
he cried to his children and grand
children. abe off and let me alone.
I am well now"
These were the first words he
had spoken since his misfortune.
They thought he was all right
again, and went their ways, for it
was harvest time, and every hand
was wanted to reap, or rake, or
bind.
Towards nightfall his daughter,
who always came home a little be-
fore the rest to prepare their meal,
came in sight of the cottage. She
did not see him seated on his
bench. She hHrrIed forward. Her
heart beat with q vague fear. She
entered the dwelling. He was
not there. She ran into the viii
lage. Nobody had seen him. She
then hurried 90 meet her husband
and her brothers. They came in
haste, but could not find him.
At last, as one of them was tax
ing the horse into the stable, he
found he could not open the door.
He pushed understanding
heavy swung against it with a