The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-16

Credited: He did it all at the instiga-
tion and entreaty of his sweetheart.
Hml Did you lore the woman so very
much
Ali faltered the boy, l could never
tell you how much l.
Enough! broke in st. Peter. Do not
talk to me about it. Be off with you'll
out of my sight.
What? In there? and the thief pointed
toward the gates.
Well-yes, Only make haste or may
repent my weakness.
Through the briefly opened portals the
fair forms and pitiful faces of two shin
ing angels were revealed. One OF them
tenderly wiped the tears from poor
Brigitte's ey es, while the other murmur
ing mild and compassionate words, re-
moved the rope from Welt Kratzern's
neck.
Now we are ready for you, remarked
ST, Peter t. the count, turning over eaf
after leaf OF the ledger, and suddenly
exclaiming in Mortified tone
That looks promising, indeed! Column
after column of debit items, while moth.
ing stands to your credit-absolutely
nothing
The count began pompously
| have advanced the commerce, man
ufactures and agriculture of my native,
have protected and promoted the arts
and sciences. have built churches and
schools and orphan asylums and hospl-
tails and poor houses and
Peace, fool cried st. Peter angrlly.
All that is charged fast enough, not to
your credit but against you, because II
was done from ambition and selfishness,
and ostentation and hypocrisy.
My life's best VIC k, continued the
count, still more prouudly, how made
my fatherland grea. and glorious be
yond all lands on earth do not need to
mention, for presume my fame has
long ago assembled here.
Your fame rctorted St. Peter, with in
creasing indignation, has not reached
us, but the groans of dying youth have
risen to us from your battlefields, and
from desoate homes, the despair of
mothers and brides; and l tell you,
wretch, If you have nothing better than
this to urge, you are lost man!
The count grew still paler, and had
not a word to say for himself.
AT this moment the little boy, linger-
ing on the threshold of heaven, called
out
Mr.. Peter Mr.. Peter!
Are you still there, my little man? re-
turned the apostle; why do you not en-
teri
Instead Of reply to the question, the
little fellow said:
Mr.. Peter, do you see this humming
top?
Pulling the string he sent the top NY
ing from the handle and spinning about
with a jolly hum at the feet of the apos'
tie and the count.
Upon my word! A real humming top,
Saint Peter returned, indulgently. Pray
how came it here:
My mother laid it on the grave with
me, answered the child, seriously. He
then picked up his top, rewound the
string, and extending the top tempting
" toward the apostle, said;
Mr.. Peter, if you will let the count go
in there with me, will let you spin my
top.
Do you know the count, child?
OF course. 1t was the count that gave
me the top.
Ali Tell me how that happened, dear
boy.
Once I was sitting at the door, eating
nv bread. And when had finished |
began to cry. Just then the count came
driving along in beautiful blue and
gold coach with four gray horses, And
the carriage stopped, and the count said:
Are you hungry, little boy!
No, said l, l have just had my bread.
And the count said, Then why are you
crying.
And then said, l am so lonely. Faith.
er and mother go off to work early in
the morning and don't come hom till
late at night, and the children won't
play with me because am so low. Then
the count said he would bring me some-
thing to play with. And in little
while he came back with the top, and
we made it spin, the count and togeth
er; and after that l never cried any
more.
St. Peter made no reply, but buried
his head in his ledger, mutterng
know he is rather old foggyish in
his accounts, our old bookkeeper, Ga
briel-still we have always been able to
rely upon him-ah, was sure of it he
exclaimed jnyfully; here it is on the
very last credit page:
Give day-laborer's crippled child
called humming top
and with great kindness and gentleness
showed the boy how to spin 1t.
With almost youthful eagerness ST.
Peter seized his red pencil, and drew a
broad line through the whole long list
of sins and Clfenses, and the next mo-
ment the count, clasping the child's
hand, entered the Kingdom of heaven,-
Independent.