Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-11-09

Tho farmers vile. 81 course, proffered
advice suppose" said she. THAT
We wish tor that bit oi land that lies
between our two fields
That ISN'T worth while" her hus-
band replied Iii We work hard for
wear. we'll earn enough money to buy
II
- the two worked very hard, and at
harvest time they had never raised such
crop before They had earned money
enough to buy the coveted strip OF land
and still have a hit to- spare. "See."
said the man, I'VE have the land and
the wish a. we'll"
The farmers wife then suggested that
they had better wish for cow and
4 hor~r Eut the man replied:
Wife. why waste our wish on such
trihr-2 The horse and COW we'll get
ANYWAY"
Sure enough, III wears time the
money ior the horse and cow had been
earned. .Ioyiully the man rubbed his
hands. The wish is saved again this
wear. and vet We have what we desire.
How lucky We arc"'
But now his wife seriously adjured
him To- wish for something at last.
Now that YOU have a wish to he
granted she said. "you slave and toll
and are content with everything. You
might hc king. emperor, baron. even a
gentleman farmer, with chests overflow
ing with gold but YOU don't know what
you want.
1--WE are young and life is long" he
answered There is only one wish in
the ring, and that is easily said Who
knows but sometime we may sorely need
this wish? Are we in want of any
thing? Have We not prospered, to all
peoples establishment, since We pos
scsscd this ring? Re reasonable, and
patient for awhile. In the meantime,
con.ide- what We really ought to wish
for
And that was the end of the matter.
IL really seemed as if the ring had
brought blessing into the house.
Granaries and barns were full to over
flowing, and in the course of few years
the poor farmer became rich and port
~ person, who worked with his men
afeld during the day, as if he, too, had
to earn his daily bread; but after sup
per he liked to sit in his porch, con-
tented and comfortable, and return the
kindly greeting of the folk who passed
and who wished him respectful good
evening.
So the years went by. Sometimes
when they were alone, the farmers wife
would remind. her husband of the magic
ring. and suggest many plans. But az
he always answered that they had
plenty of time, and that the best
thoughts come last, she more and more
rarely mentioned the ring, and at last
the good woman ceased speaking of il
altogether.
To BE- sure, the farmer looked at the
ring, and twirled it about as many az
twenty times day; but he was very
careful never to wish.
After thirty or forty years had passed
away, and the farmer and his wife haG
grown old and haired, and theil
wish was unasked, then was God very
good, and on the same night they dice
peacefully and happily.
Weeping children and grandchildren
surrounded the collins; and as ont
wished to remove the ring from the still
hand as remembrance, the oldest sor
said: "Let our father take his rims
into the grave. There was always {
mystery about it; perhaps it was some
dear remembrance. Our mother, too
NO often looked at the ring-she may
have given it to him when they were
young"
So the old farmer was buried with the
ring, which had been supposed to be &
wish-ring, and was not; yet it brought
IN much good fortune into the house al
heart could desire.-[Ann Eichberg
in 81 Nicholas