The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-07-21

man. What a craythur ge are. /
/ gave ye a board-a good board-three
years ago, and yez back fot something
else after all. Tvs no shillings. I'm
as poor as a Anagpie."
| Donald, Donald, Il you won't give
money, give something for the sake of
yeur soul There's bit OF rafe-may
take thats"
| That piece of rope ?" shrieked Don
aid. No, no. ] was offered eikpence
for it, and only KEEP fS bekase Dennis
O'Rourke said he'd give me sevenpence
next Monday. That rope Och.
niverl"
Donald, you're an old man." said
the woman, and what in. that rope to
you, with all your money? Give It to
a poor woman, and take d blessing in
stead of il, As you hope for heaven
There, CO." screamed tli5 miser
I'm going mad. Take the rope, and
never darken my doors again. SeeeA-
pence -sevenpencel I've thrown away
sevenpencel F" ard he fell upon the floor
in a fit as he uttered the last worda,
Donald McDee never recovered from
the anguish which hts own generosity
had brought Tim, but sank slowly, day
by day, until'at last he lay npch his
| pillow and counted the money, rs he
| hid it beneath the straw mattress, t+e>
peating, at every summing Zip of his
possessions" And eightpehce gone for
a board ard rope that / gave be q
! woman didn't know at all."
He gasped these words one day when
| his breath came thickly to his lips, and
everything was growing dim about hifn,
and shuddered with alright as he de-
scried woDaan standing at his bedside,
listening TO them. It was the beggar
TO whom he had given the board and
the rope.
Donald McDee, she said, "I've come
for the last time, Give mo something
for charitys sake-anything that is
worth pennyj only give, give, as you
hope for mercy"
"Fm poor, haven't thing" gaspcd
Donald, clutching a handfnl OF money
beneath the blanket. Go away. Go"
"Not without some small gift" plead
ed the woman. "a penny is something
to beggar. Give"
Donald rose in his bed, and with
trembling fingers he pointed to brass
key hanging on a nail in the wall.
Take it, he said; "it's a good brass
key, worth twopence, and, mind ye,
niver say | wasn't charitable. Eight
pence for the board and the rope, and
now twopenoe for a key, makes ten
pence-tenpence from poor ould man
that may starve yet"
Donald, the board, and the key, and
the rope you shall see when you most
need them. FAREWELL" And in an in
slant she was gone.
Tenpencel" whispered the miser
"Well, well, I'll try to save it in light,
for I'm very poor man." And, turn
ing with a groan, he blew ont the candle
end which guttered on the table, and
died gasping in the dark.
Donald McDee's spirit found itself
standing on the margin of black river,
awful TO look upon, it was so wide and
deep. Reyond lay a green mountain,
and at the summit something gittered
with a splendid light purer than the
blaze of the precious stones. Donald
turned, and saw white-winged angel
close beside him.
"Dost thou know what light that is
yonder?" said the presence.
"I do not" answered Donald, with
awe.
"That is the gate to heaven" said the
angel.
"If thou canst ford the river, climb
the steep mountain, and unlock the
golden gate, replied the angel.
"And how can I do that" sighed
Donald.
Remember thy good actions, said the
angel. "One of them may aid thee"
"Let me see," muttered the miser. "I
drove the Widow Gresham's COW for the
rint, and made a pretty penny by it,
before / took the shealing for meself."
The angel frowned.
"And. / took the guinea ould blind
Squire Diggins dropped, and him none
the wiser"
The angel sighed.
"It's quare, but they begin to seem
wrong things to me, y murmCred Donald,
land so does everything only the fool
ish things. gave a board and a rope
and kay to poor woman, and it was
10 pence counted up. Sure, there she
is again"
And close behind him stood the wOm-
an in white, holding the charred board
in her hand. "It's your first gift" she
said. "Tread upon it and cross. You
gave it in charity-it returns to you
again" And safely, slowly, the strange
bark waited Donald over the black
river, and he felt as though something
was lifted from his eyes.
There stood the mountain, steep and
high, but over its margin hung rope,
and the voice of the white-robed
woman called from above:
Thy second gift, Donald. It has
come to thee in time of need
He stood before the golden gate at
last, and, looking through its bars of
pearl, saw green gardens and fountains
of silver, and heard the songs of angels
in the distance. A hand was on his
arm, and looking around, he saw the
white-robed woman, gloriOusly changed
and beautifed, standing beside him,
holding forth key. "Thy only volun-
tary gift, old man." she said. ''Take it
and unlock the glorious gate"
But Donald stood, clasping his hand
upon his brow. "I'm trying to remem-
ber," he said, "what was it my mother
taught me from the Bible"
1T is more blessed to give than to
receive" &
s'More blessedl Oh! if I could live
again, would remember that"
And, as he spoke, a mantle of filth
seemed to fall from about him. the
golden gates were turned upon their
hinges, and angels bore him through