Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-15
The King and the Hard Bread.
BY ]. L.

"When YOU want thing done well. do
IL YOURSELF" is an old saying. and a very
good one; but it is not always possible to
carry out this advice. Therefore 1t is some-
times better 10 adopt an amendment to
this proverb, and make il read thus:
" When you want a thing done well, DO IL
yourself, or see it DONE"
So thought Louis TX. of France, some
times called St. Louis, because he was
considered to be rather better than most
people.
Among his good qualities was kindness
to the poor. He would go about. very
plainly dressed, and attended by two or
three courtiers, and visit poor people IN
their houses. lie took an interest in their
personal affairs. and when they were very
needy. he would order bread and food to
be supplied to them. OF C nrse, this made
him great favorite vii h the poorer class
es of his subjects. and they we're glad not
only to receive his bounty. hut also to talk
with him and tell him about their many
troubles.
One day. when he was making his Gus
tomary rounds. IN old woman, leaning on
a cane, and holding a loaf of bread in her
hand came ont of door in wall which
led into collection of wretched dwellings.
As The old woman stood awaiting his
approach. the king could not help feeling
little surprised He did not often feel
surprised at anything he saw among these
poor people. FIe had just been talking to
group Of strong, hearty fellows. who
preferred sitting lazily about wherever
they could find shelter from the rain and
the sun. and trusting in chance charity tor
food and lodging, to working for an hon
est living; but he was not surprised n
them Sucll men have always existed
and probably always will exist,
He had seen all sorts of strange things
among his poor people. He had seen some
who seemed to prefer to be poor; he had
seen others who bad been rich, and who
appeared to be happier now than when
they had plenty of money.-and perhaps
plenty of anxiety with it; he had seen
others who were poor and did not know it /;
but this was the first time that he had ever
seen any one of them offer him bread or
anything else to eat No wonder he was
surprised when this old woman held out to
him the loaf of bread
She did not wait for him to ask her what
she meant, but Immediately commenced
to explain. She told him that she and her
sick old husband We're among those to
whom be had ordered food to be furnished,
but that for some time all that his agents
had given them was bread such as the loaf
in her hand; bread so hard that it was
almost impossible for old people to eat it,
and yet they must eat it or starve.
The king listened with attention to her
story, and then he took the loaf in his
hands, and broke off IL small piece of it.
"It is rather hard bread" he said,
thoughtfully while his attendants bent
over to look at it. as if it were q matter OF
the greatest interest to them, although il
is probable that they did not care the SNAP
Of their finger whether or not the old wo.
man ever had any bread.
YES said the king, :" it is hard bread.
And then he stood thinking about it. The
old woman thought he was thinking of the
trouble she and her husband had in eating
it, but she was very much mistaken.
Il He was thinking that he had ordered
that these people BE- fed that he had sup
piled the money to buy them good ant
nourishing food Now, if his poor pen
si"ners received nothing but dry bread
and very stale. hard bread at that, while
he paid for good food for them. somebody
must be making money out of him, tc
whom he had no idea Of being charitable
in this way.
Therefore he thought that if he wanted
II thing well done he must do it himself, Oh
see it done. In this case he determined tc
see it done.
! He went into the old woman's house
and he talked to her sick husband and her
self, and examined into their condition
The old people thought he was very good
to say so much about their hard fare. apC
SO he was; but if they could have hearc
what he said afterward to his dishones
agents, when he went home 10 his palace
they might have been surprised to know
what an important thing Il piece of har,
bread may sometimes become.
And they might have thought, too, thai
it was good thing for them, as well as
for other poor people, that their bread hac
been so gerry hard that they were forced to
complain of it to the kings. Nicholas.