The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-10-01
FosCUE, THE MISER.

In the year 1862, mn extraordinary in
stance q avarice occurred in France.
A miger Of tile name of Fescue, who
had amassed enormous wealth by the
most sordid parsimony and the most
discreditable extortion, was requested
by the Governmental advance a sum Of
money al 4 loan The miser, 70 whom
fair interest was not inducement sulfi-
GENTLY strong TO enable him to part
with his treasured gold, declared his IN
capacity to meet this demand he
pleaded severe losses and the utmost
poverty. Fearing, however, that some
Of his ncighbors, among whom he was
very unpopular, wouldroporthi hisimmense
wealth To the Government, lie applied his
ingenuity to discover some etlectual way
of hiding his gold should they attempt
"a institute a search to ascertain the
truth OF fasehood Of his plea. With
great care and secrecy he edugadeep cave
in his cellar; to this receptacle for his
treasure he descended by ladder, and
to the trap door he attached spring
lock, SO that on shutting il would fasten
of itself.
BY and by the miser disappeared IN
auiries were made, the house was
searched. woods we're explored, and the
ponds we're dragged, but no Foscuo
could they find the gossips began 70
conclude that the miser had fled with
his gold to some part, whore, by living
incognito, he would be free from the de-
mands Of Government Some time
passed on the house in which he had
lived was sold, and workmen were bnsily
employed in its repair. In the prog
ress Of their work they met with the
door of tho secret cave, with the key in
the lock outside. They threw back the
door, and descended with a light. The
first object upon which the lamp was
reflected was the ghastly body Of Fos-
cue, the miser, and scattered around him
were heavy bags Of gold and ponderous
chests Of untold treasure candlestick
Law beside him on the floor.
This worshiper Of mammon had gone
into his cave 70 pay his deyoirs TO hls
golden god, and became a sacrifice TO
his devotion. What must have been the
sensations Of that miserable man, what
q the horrors Of his situation, when he
I heard the door close after him, and the
spring-lock effectually imprison him
2 within his secret mine How bitter
must have been the last struggles Of the
ayaricious soul How terrible must
4 have been the appeals Of conscience
: within that sordid sinner. How each
j bag must have disgorged lis treasures.
: and each piece Of gold have danced, in
i imagination, around him as demon
If How hated, when the gnawing pangs o.
q starvation came slowly upon him, must
q have been that yellow vision his very
heart must have grown sick at that
q which he once so dearly loved. Gold
! in bags gold in chests gold piled
!. in heaps; gold for his pillow gol'
! strewed upon the ground for him to Ii
,e upon.
1 While his taper lasted, turn where h
h would his eyes, nothing met him but HI
>. gold. But when the last flicker die
to away, and the miser was left in dark
i ness, to dwell upon his coming deaf
ba and uponhis many sins, how awful mus
II have been the agonies Of conscience
% How surely, amid the gloom Of tha
II sepulcher Of gold, must the poor whor
II he had oppressed, and the unfortunat
u whom he had ruined by his ayaric'
i. have rose up to reproach him An
q when the mind became fevered by i
~ last deadly struggles, how the faces
i. haggard poverty, Of hate, and loathir
ed for the miser, must, in one loud, d
Ia cordant chorus, have cried for &c
es- geance and retribution upon his gull
~ soul