Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-06-17
The Miser's Three Gifts.

Once upon a time there dwelt upon
the surface Of the earth-no matter
where-an old miser named Donald
McDee.
He lived alone in little cabin, and
never spent penny more thai he could
help. His room was full of odds and
ends that he had picked up In his wan
derfngs, and never could bring himself
to part with. Old ropes, rusty nails,
crooked hooks, tatters of old shawls tin
pans with holes In them; even a little
bowl full of crooked pins for luck.
The children called him wizard, and
threw stones at him as he passed
through the village in his queer, high
crown hat and old coat with long, flap
ping tails, and he sometimes begged
them for bits of the dinner they carried
in their schoOl-bags. Indeed, he was
in the habit of begging of any one who
would listen to him. But when night
came and every one had gone to bed,
Donald would close his shutters and
bar his door, and lifting stone in the
floor, would take from beneath 1t pot
Of gold and silver and count 1t over and
over, over and over, as II he could nev-
er have got done.
One night, as he sat thus telling his
money and expecting nothing so little
as interruption, for terrible storm was
raging, he suddenly heard rap at his
door, and gathering up his treasure,
crammed it away out of sight in a hur-
ry, and placing his chair over the stone,
pushed the table to IL and set on 1t dry
loaf and q mug of water and an old
newspaper, so that If he had to open
the door there would seem to be some
reason for his being up and dressed.
"Who knows but that 1t Is robbers ?n
he cried, in a quivering voice. Aloud
he cried:
"What may you be wanting without
there ?n
"Shelter from the rain," said voice.
It was a wOman's and though Dom
aid was miser, he was an Irishman.
He opened the door, and figure all
in white glided in. Her clothes were
dripping, 80 that the water ran from
them down upon the floor as she stood
before the scanty peat fire burning on
the miser's hearth; but there was some
thing about her that made him trem-
BILE and feel very strangely as he said:
"May make bold to ask what brings
you here, my lady?"
II come to beg for the poor" said the
woman. II came to ask for a guinea or
two, Donald McDee."
IA guinea or two!p screamed the mi
ser. "Why, woman, Pm the poorest
man alive myself. Ifyou said guinea,
l haven't it to give. And, besides, if
the poor had been saving and thrifty
they'd have laid it by. If had it II
Mol can't! won'tw
IA shilling, then, Donald McDee,"
said the white woman. "a shilling for
the DOOR," VIC
.sWould I live like this if had shil-
lings to give away?" cried Donald.
"Sixpence,n persisted the woman,
"for the poor"
"No, no, tell you!" yelled the miser.
"Sure you've gone mad, woman! Do l
want to diein the poOrhOuse?"
IA penny" said the woman; "only
penny. It's for your SOUL"
This time the miser only shook his
head and turned his pockets inside out.
''Me with pennies to give" he groan-
GU pOuI clay GIACA AAhO
"Then," said the woman, STOPPING
and lifting piece of wood from the
floor where it lay, "give me this"
"That2n faltered the miser. TITS q
useful bit of good board"
"Will you give it to me for human
ity's sake?" cried the woman. ut may
save some poor creature from freezing
tonight"
The old man looked hard at her, and |
fought hard with his longing 10 snatch |
1t from her. At last, as though battling |
with. some unseen foe, he gasped:
"Take it, and go-take it and go
luickly!n
It was the first thing he had ever Civ
en- away in his life.
The woman took her prize and went |
)ut at the door. The miser drew it to |
and bolted it, and hurried to his bed,
terrified and trembling. But strangely |
enough, after that, whenever he count
ID his treasure over, he used to credit !
himself for having been generous.
1.-THE board was worth good DEAL"
he used to say-'quite good dale" It's
! fine thing to de charitable, that it is.
[ don't begrudge it as some would"
And so he magnified his generosity,
until one night the low, soft voice came
again; and as once more he hid his
treasure, the voice called out:
"It is I, Donald McDee; let me in"
He opened the door, though it was
against his will. The starlightshone be-
hind the figure, and the sky was clear.
"It's yourself again." said Donald,
n low voice. "What do. you want
low for the poor from the poorest of
hem all?n
"What will you give?" asked the wo-
nan. # &
Donald looked about him. A little
'oil of rope hung on nail; he had
begged it from some sailors. He
it down and crammed it into
Ter hands.
"There! It's worth good dale" he
aid. "It's good bit of rope; take it
nd CO."
Without word, the woman took it
rom him and vanished.
Something seemed to skinner be-
ween Donald's eyes and the stars. but
1hat it was he knew not. He hurried
q and hurried to bed, and dreamed all
light that he had given away all his
reasured gold. 1t was a horrible dream;
ut still from that time on he spoke of
he board and the rope to himself when
e counted up his good deeds.
'I'm not a miser, as they saw" he
,ould mutter over his money. "I'm
lways giving ropes and boards to the