The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-26

w DuIldGO vi eAS 49,
wherein old miser named Donald
McDee.
He lived alone IN o little cabin, and
never spent a penny more than he could
help. His room was full of odds and
ends that he had picked up in his wan
behring's, and never could bring himself
to part with. Old ropes, rusty naAs,
crooked hooks, tatters of old shawls,
tin pans with holes in them; even a lit
tie box full of crooked pins, for good
luck.
The children called him a wizard, and
threw stones at him as he passed through
the village IN his queer high-crowned
hat and old coat with long, tapping
tails, and he sometimes begged them
for bits of the dinners they carried in
their school bags. Indeed, he was in
the habit of begging of anyone who
would listen to him. But when night
came and everyone had gone to bed,
Donald would close his shutters and
bar his door, and lifting a stone in the
floor, would take from beneath it a pot
of gold and silver and count it over and
over, over and over, as If he could
never have done.
One night, as he sat thus telling his
money and expecting nothing so little
as an interruption-fOr a terrible storm
was raging,-he suddenly heard a rap
at his door, and gathering up his treas
ure, crammed it away out of sight In a
hurry, and, placing his chair over the
stone, pushed the table to it and set on
it a dry loaf and mug of water and an
old so that if he had h. open
the door there would seem to be some
reason for his being up and dressed.
"Who knows but it is robbers?" he
cried, "What may you be wanting with
out there?"
Shelter from the rain, !" said a voice.
1t was a woman's, and though Dom
aid was a miser, he was an Irishman.
He opened the door, and a figure all
in white glided in. Her clothes were
dripping, SO that the water ran from
them down upon the floor as she stood
before the scanty peat fire burning on
the miSar's hearth: but there was some
thing about her that made bin tremble
and feel very strangely as he said,
"May / make bold to ask what brings
you here, mg LADY,"
Il come to beg for the poor" said
the woman. II come to ask you for a
guinea or two, Donald McDee."
"a Guinea or two!" screamed the
miser. why, woman, Tn the poorest
man alive myself. If you said d guinea,
haven't got it to give. And, besides,
If the poor had been saving and thrifty
they'd have it laid py. If / had it II
MOL can't Iwon'tl"
"a shilling then, Donald McDee,"
said the white woman. "a shilling for
the poor"
Would / live like this if I had a
shilling to give away?" cried Danald.
"Sixpence,s persisted the woman,
sfor the poor"
NO, no, / tell YOU" yelled the mis-
Sure you've gone mad, woman!
Do want to die in the poor-house ?"
a penny" said the woman; "only a
penny. It's for your soul"
This time the miser only shook his
head and turned his pockets inside
out.
ME with pennies to givei" he
groanea "a poor crayther like mem
"Then," said the woman, STOPPING
and lifting a piece of wood from the
floor where it lay, give me this
"That?n faltered the miser. "It's a
useful bit of good board"
"Will You give it to me for humani-
tvs sake?" cried the oman al may
save some poor creature from freezing
tonight
The old man looked hard at her,
and fought hard with his longing to
snatch it from her. At last, as though
battling with some unseen foe, he gasp
ed. flake it, and go-take it, and go
quickly !"
It was the first thing he had ever
given away in his life.
The woman took her prize and went
out at the door. The miser drew it to
and bolted il, and hurried to his bed.
terrified and trembling. But, strange
~ enough, after that, whenever he
counted his treasure over, he used to
take credit to himself for having been
generous.
1The board was worth a good dale"
he used to say-4quite a good dale. It's
q fine th;9g to be charitable. that it IL.
i don't begrudge it as some would
And so he magnifed his generosity,
until one night the low, soft voice came
again; and as once more he hid his
treasure, the voice called out, III is I
Donald McDee; let me in.D
He opened the door, though it was
against his Will. The starlight shoSe
behind the figure, and the sky was clear.
ITS yourself again" said Donald, In
. low voice. ssyFfat do you want now
Tor the poor from the poorest Of them
aII?n