Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-12-23
"

fhElAELs IhE MlSER WITH 1HE EVIL EYE.
Of Annals revelations, these which troubled me
most were that relating to Pretzel, the miser and
that relating to Katrine Loebeg. OF the intimacy
which she had discovered by means OF the hole in
the wall between the devil and Nicolas Brand soon
disposed The world abounds in men who feed on
delusions, who find their greatest comfort therein.
The majority of these men are beings who hunger
after what is not within their reach. Nicolas Brand
hungering for wealth, and seeing practical road
to its attainment, few to HI, imagination for the
realization of his DESIRE He played cards in the
solitude OF his room with shadow, and won of it
or lost to it great sums of money. There is GER
tain distinction and certain comfort in this delu-
sion. 1t affords a triumph and scarcely less en
joyable despair. Imaginary millions are involved in
the turning up of card, and the gambler says 20
himself, "Ah, this might have been if were not so
unfortunate not to have the money to stake" OF,
" 1t is good job have not been playing for real
stakes, or might have been ruined tonight" So
much for the folly OF Nicolas Brand playing cards
with the Devil
That did not believe in the personality of the
Evil One was in my old Annals judgment terrible
sin She herself had the firmest belief that he
walked the earth solid boiy-horns hoofs tail
and all complete; and have no doubt she derived
great satisfaction from her belief No. the Devil did
not trouble me; /; but Pretze the miser, did.
This Pretzel was, in my opinion, the wick edest
man in the town. He was a m1ser and money.
lender at exorbitant interest. One hundred two
hundred, four hundred per cent, did not sstis-
fly him. He was never satisfied until he he'd ex
tracted the last copper from the unhappy people
who went to him for assistance. little thin dried
up old man, with ioyless laugh. Out OF his whole
body do not believe you could have squeezed
teaspoonful of blood. The number of people he
has ruined could not count tbs m And all done
under the shadow of the law. Yes, he was always,
always right, and his victims always always wrong.
The judges and the lawyers all declared so. al
want nothing more than my rights" he would say;
"look at my bond" And there was never flaw in
it, never the small est creyice that a poor wretch
could creep through to escape from his clutches
All, gracious heavens A heartles5 money-lenders
bond Is there no such thing as moral justice with.
in this strangely constituted world Public opinion
Yes, yes; but what do men like Pretzel care for
public opinion? Could they not, if they pleased,
buy up all the corn and the oil? Ii had son,
never, never should he become money.lender l
would sooner see him dead at my feet
Look at my bond" says the money. lender
Take what you demand" says the ju1ge And
helpless woman and children stand by, wringing
their hands, and weeping tears Of blood. The
money-lender sees not, hears not. He takes what
he demands, and when the Sabbath comes he knees
in church and prays and humbles himself. 1t is
cheap way of buying oneself off Not that Pre.zel
ever went to church, ever prayed, or ever knet
to any God but money. No, no; there no mock
humility about Pretzel. He gloried in his deeds,
and when ruin overlook those unfortunate ones who
had been drawn into his net, he would heap re.
proaches upon them for their unworldIiness and
their want of prudence. 1t was they who wronsed
him, not he who wronged them. OF every person,
with one single exception, with whom he had deal.
ings, he got the advantage. That exception my
self. No one but me in the town who had borrowed
money of him could say, "I got something worth
having out of Pretze, the miser." You may guess
how he hated me.
1t happened in this way. Pretzel did not always
wait for Gust Jmers to come to him he sometimes
went to them he made business, / have heard him
say. 1t hot always, al beg, | implore of
you, good PretzeI, to lend me a hundred
forms; it will cave me from iruin. For
the cake of my wife aud children p'
1t was he sometimes who said, "Why don't you
borrow two hundred, three hundred, five hundred
forins OF me? 1t will help you on. You can buy
fresh stock with it, and turn it twise over before
come to you for repayment" He would cast his
eyes u9on d tradesman who was getting along COM
fortably, and when he had calculated how much he
was worth, he would 90 to him and tempt h m to
borrow. And he did it cleverly that his vict i'm
could scarcely ever remember how the whole thing
was done, snd how it happened that suddenly ruin
fell upon lin like clap OF thunder. Pretzel came
to melt was in the drst year of Nicolas Brands
apprenticeship; that is how these two became ac
quainted by Pretzel visiting my shop-well he
came to me many times, admired nay workran.hi
admired my industry, admired my stock-I ,lly
believe he knew to a form what it would fetch in
the market-and would say:
Why don't you have fne plate glass window
to your shop? 1t would draw custom A fine pIate
glass 'front.' with glass shelves in it, and your beautiful
watches and chains all set out on the sbelves In
blue velvet cases Everybody in the town wop,d
come to look, and great many would be tempted
to buy. You would do three times the trade Won
are doing. You would be able to buv the po,,o.,
fashioned goods. Ycu would grow rich."
But 1t would cost deal of money" would an.
swer, " to make these alterations.
What does 1t matter, Master Fink he wou,d
urge, "how much it cost, SO that you rot it hack
five times, ten times cverT
But haven't any spare money, Pretzel: all that
am worth lies in my stock.