The Arizona sentinel., 1888-07-14
THE THREE GOLD PIECES.
A Story from tine Life of King Frederick
 the Great

IudHy CilS siSO' 't DOy was y AiS oONtAO asleep on bench in one of the rooms at Sans-Souci (the country palace of the King cf PrussiaJ with all h;s clothes on. Very gay clothes they tTeres from the trim blue jacket, with its embroid- cred cuffs And shining brass buttons, down to the smart shUss. with their well polished steel buckles. But the poor little fellows face was not as gay as his dress by any means. It looked sadly pale, and as worn and tired as if he had been up all night.
 So indeed he had for tough old King Frederick, who could work from four in the morning till ten at night with out seeming bit the worse. sometimes forgot that his poor little page-boy was not as strong as himself. and would often keep him on duty till Karl fell asleep from sheer fatigue, just as he appeared to have done now.
 All at once a bell rang sharply in the next room. At that signal the page ought to have jumped up and gone in to receive his orders for the day, as he had to do the first thing every morn- ing, no matter at what hour he might have gone to bed. But he was so fast asleep that he never heard it, and the bell rang again. still more sharply, without any answer.
 Then the door of the inner room opened. and out came a very strange figure, indeed.
 It was shall, lea, gray-haired old man, in shabby uniform coat and pair of long riding-boots, which looked as though they had not been cleaned for a month; and as if he were not un- tidy enough already, he had smeared the whole front of his coat with snuff, which fell off in flakes when he moved.
 His face might have been carved in stone, so cold and hard did it look; but eye so large and bright and piercing that it seemed to go right through every one upon whom it rested. But for this commanding glance, one would most likely have taken him for beggar. and have wondered what business such a slovenly old fellow could have in the palace at all.
 But in reality this queer, shabby little old man was no other than King Frederick of Prussia himself, the great est General and statesman in the world, and famous throughout all Europe un- der the name of 'Frederick the Great"
 One could see by the flash of his eye and the set of his hard old mouth, as he came striding out, that he was very angry at being kept waiting. and that a terrible scolding awaited the poor little page, who lay sleeping there so peacefully. knowing nothing at all about it. But as the Kings eye fell upon the lads unconscious face, his mood seemed to change.
 .'Humr' muttered he, with the very ghost of smile fickering over his iron face "How famously the young dog sleeps! I only wish I could have such a nap now and then. One can see that he hasn't got to worry himself about governing five millions of men, or car rying on war against five nations at once Ha! what this?"
 A erumpled sheet of coarse paper, which seemed to have dropped from Karl's hand, was lying on the floor be- side him.
 The King picked it up, and these were the first words that caught his eye. written in the shaky, struggling hand of very feeble old woman:
 q thank you much, my dear child, for the money that you have so kindly sent me, which has been great help. Take your old mothers blessing for it, and see that you always do your best to be worthy and faithful servant to our master the King, whom God bless and pre- serve."
 As he read that simple message, the soldier Kings grim face softened as no one had ever seen it soften before. Perhaps the memory of his own moth CT, dead years ago. rose up in his own mind once more; perhaps he was touch- ed by the old woman prayer for him. self. or by the discovery that thiS had had been the boys last thought before he fell asleep.
 Were all my subjects like that, :" he murmured, "l should be the luckiest King in Europe. And so he has been saving money from his wages (and poor enough wages they are. Pm sure) to send to his mother! We'll done, my boy, thou'rt true Prussian!'
 At that moment Karl moved slightly, as if about to awake.
 The King noticed it, and new idea appeared to strike him, which must have been a droll one, judging from the momentary twinkle that lighted up his stern eyes.
 Yes, that will be the best way" said he to himself, 'and fine surprise it will be for him."
 Stepping back into the room whence he had issued (which certainly had very little royal luxury" about it, for it was almost as bare as cattle-shed, with no furniture save a battered old deal table and broken chair), Fred erick hunted in the table-drawer till he rummaged out a well-worn writing case, from one of the pockets of which