Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-11


v,u. =. t. III Ii, pi Ii, sse tLem all
'ns' - nj. =, elegant, and one
"a, ;,ltn t,a....s ,ll.er than the other, he
n-iei.i.L himself with seeing only
about one. fourth of them.
But all the time he heard not single
voice or step save his own, throughout
the whole palace. In one Of the bed
chambers he opened closet, In which
he found dozens of costly and elegant
garments. Quietly he arrayed himself
looking robes. Then he bethought
himself of the wonderful glass, which
he still held in his hand. "For," said
he to himself, ''if 1t can give me all
this, perhaps it will give me slaves also
with which to fill my palace, who win
do my bidding.
So he held it up to the light, as he
had done before, and looked into it.
Several other beautiful palaces passed
before his view. Finally a long train
of slaves, handsomely dressed, were
presented to him by the wonderful
glass. He had no sooner wished for
them than q number, exactly equaltng
those he had seen in the glass and Of
the same appearance, entered the palace
gate. =,
said the cobbler, and he again took up
the glass.
In it he saw a chariot of gold, drawn
| by twelve white horses, and long train
of horses with livried riders following.
He wished for them, and the exact
counterpart of the picture was imme-
| diately his. = =.
Then the cobbler felt himself to be q
great man, and quite forgot that he had
ever been poor, depending for his daily
bread upon the work of his hands. All
the people throughout the land paid
him homage, in order that they might
be paid by the advancement of their
Interests, which he had the power to do
for them. But they of course took care
to hide this motive from the rich man,
who was so foolish as to really believe
them sincere in. their protestations Of
affection for him. Even the greatest
men of the day were seen at bis feasts;
so great is the strength of riches, that
magnet never fails to attract. He trav-
Ieled through many countries and be-
came really quite polished, though nc
never created for himself taste for lit
erature, if indeed it can be created.
One would suppose that he had now but
llCGl8 H86 lOT lib WOA0OkAuA 6t1S0 - ~
was already possessed of such riches
\ but nevertheless he continued to looH
in it very of often, fancying that hf
wanted still something more. Finally
he went one day to the place where hi
kept the glass and to his horror ant
} surprise found that it had disappeared
He then had the palace searched, and
not finding it, he dispatched meT
throughout the whole country in searct
of 1t, offering fabulously great reward
for the recovery Of his wonderful glass
! As soon as they returned without any
clue to the missing treasure, he woul(
! double the reward already held forth
He so little considered expense in thu
endeavor to find the lost glass, that II
the course of few years all his wealth
, was expended and he had nothing bu
the palace left; but one would thinf
| that that should have satisfied him, bu
J. it did not. He offered it then for salt
in order to obtain money to prosecute
the search, over land and sea, for tn
wonderful glass.
Several years passed by and still n
hope of recovering it ever again. 81
finally grew desperate and offered thu
, whole sum of money for which his pal
, ace had sold (Which though was no
more than one thousandth part of 1T
value) to persons to go forth and hun
again diligently.
AS he could no longer give feasts. o.
in any way administer to their pleasure
. or advancement, his friends (?) aban
, doned him and left him to his fate.
Whether it was stolen or the fairie
came for their property, and In the deaf
of night carried it away, is unknown
Be that as it may, the cobbler nevel
again saw his wonderful glass. 81
there was nothing left for him but t.
make his way back to his old home
/ the humble little cottage, where he hat
formerly worked in the homely occupa
ton of making shoes.
/, With his heart full of regrets for hi
foolish avarici0usness in not being sat
isfied when he had such an abundance
of wealth, for having wished for still
more in the recovery of his wonderful
glass, and with still deeper regrets TO-
. having done 80 little good with tn
riches which had been his, solitary h
passed the remainder of his life, not
however, without having learned how
great is the power avarice may gaiI
over the human mind, causing men Il
, be not only dissatisfied with their pres
ent condition of affairs, it matters no
. how good it may be, but often forcing
them to imperil and thereby lose al
that they have in the vain search fOl
more.
Owe upon whom "Dame Fortune'I
golden smile" has brightly fingered
! learn a useful lesson from the legend o
the cobbler's wonderful glass.
i KENELM.