Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-03-07
The count began pompously;

The count began pompously:
81 have advanced the commerce,
manufactures, agriculture of my ma
tive land. have protected and pro-
noted the arts and sciences. | have
built churches and schools and orphan
asylums and hospitals and poor houses
and"
"Peace, foolp cried st. Peter, ang-
rily. "All that is charged fast enough
not to your credit, but against you,
because it was done from ambition
and seliishness and ostentation and
hypocrisy"
"My life's best work." continued
the count still more proudly, chow l
made my fatherland great and glori-
Gus beyond all lands on earth | do
not need to mention, for | presume
my fame has long ago ascended
here"
"Your fame" retorted Saint Peter,
with increasing indignation, "has not
reached us, but the groans of dying
youths have risen to us from your
battle fields, and from desolate homes
the despair of mothers and brides /;
and tell you, wretch, if you have
nothing better than this to urge, you
are lost man.
The count grew paler still, and had
not a word to say for himself.
AT this moment the little boy, ling
ering on the threshold of heaven call
ed out:
"Mr. Peter Mr.. Peter -
"Are you still there, my little mani"
returned the apostle. "Why do you
not enter :"
Instead of replying to the question,
the little fellow said:
"Mr. Peter, do you see this hum
ming top?" Saint Peter returned
indulgently, "Pray, how came it herel
"My mother laid it in my grave
with me-" answered the child gravely.
He then picked up lis top, rewound
the string, and extending the top to-
ward the apostle, said:
"Mr. Peter, if you will let the count
go in there with me l will let you
spin my top"
"Do you know the count, child ?"
"Of course. 1t was the count that
gave me the top"
"Ah! Tell me how that happened,
my boy"
"Once | was sitting at the door,
eating my bread, and when had fin
ished | began to cry. Just then the
count came driving along in beaut-
ful blue and gold coach, with four
gray horses. And the carriage stop
ped and the count said:
care you hungry, little boy ?
mo" l said. 81 have just had my
bread
"And the count said: Then why
are you crying?'
"And then | said i am so lonely.
Father and mother 90 off to work
early in the morning, aud don't come
home till late at night, and the chill
dren won't play with me because | am
so slow Then the count said he
would bring me something to play
with. And in little while he cane
back with the top, and We made it
spin, the count and together after
that / never cried any more"
Saint Peter made no reply, but bur
led his head in his ledger, muitcring
81 know he's rather old fogyirh in
his accounts, our old bookkeeper, Ca
briel-still, we have always been able
to rely upon him-ah, l was sure of
it." he exclaimed joyfully; "herc it
is on the very last credit page :"
"Gave a day laboror's crippled
child a top--coInmonly called hum
ming top--and with great gentleDess
and kindness showed the boy how to
spin it,"
With almost youthful eagerness St.
Peter seized his red pencil and drew
broad line through the whole long list
of sins and offenses, and the next mo-
ment the Count, clasping the child's
hand, entered the kingdom of heaven.
Translated from the German for
New York Independent