The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-01
them enough gold to pay tbs sishss !

them enough gold to pay this sithss ]
ask
GOOD gracious!" exclaimed the cour
tiers in chorus ''what wilt thou gain by
tilat2 Why
"Pcace?'' cried the king. 1T is as
nv father would have done; have
So ON the morrow thousands and thou
sands of his subjects came to the palace
door. and to each of them he gave the
cold they were required to pay; and they
came again, OH the succeeding day, to
return it TO the king.
..Therer' said this wise sovereign, my
fathers spirit shall not Ike with me use
Isssly. Behold, have not compelled my
subjects to pay the tithes! Is not our
royal will obeyedF
Yea. oh king. thou hast, answered
a candid knave. but doth not your ma
iesty perceive that there is no more gold
than beforeI That thou dldst but take
out one day what thou hadst returned
the next. no more, no lessf'
Good gracious!" exclaimed the king,
81 never thought of that y And he left
their presence and smote his royal head
against an inner wall.
One day King Regis walked through
the magnificent apartments OF the palace,
accompanied by his courtiers. They
chatted familiarly on this and that, for
Regis sometimes forgot the gravity OF the
sovereign. and fell easily into the manner
Of the subject In these moods he would
propose various conundrums, which the
willy courtiers promptly acknowledged
their inability TO answer, although they
were acquainted with the solutions, for
had they not heard them before. from
the departed monarch. Rex
Then, indeed, would Regis melt to the
gracious. On this morning he was in
particularly joviai mood, and ,entured:
The butterfly miser Is
With little seems content,
He wears the same suit oil the year
And lives upon scent.
.Ho, no! no! hal" he laughed, and
"IIa! ha!-ho! no." echoed the cour-
tiers. dutifully.
"Your majesty is disposed to he face
,ious." exclaimed the candid knaye.
ia hat!' he demanded, SUSPECT
ously, for he was inclined to regard
unfamiliar words with displeasure, they
might disguise something-veil an in
tent--masquerade sheer.
ooh, | simply meant explained the
candid knave, hastily, "that your ma
jesty is cxcruciatingly funny, and that
Just then the necessity of further
apology and explanation was obviated,
for the venerable ex-counselor OF his
departed father stood before him.
Your majesty said he, lone word, /
pray
Regis paused respectfully. for the as
sociatc of the departed king was entitled
to consideration, he thought.
Speak he commanded. "What is
thy will:''
"Sire, look above thee" exclaimed the
ex-counselor. pointing to the ceiling.
What seest thou!"
Not much, must admit" answered
the king, as his glance followed the di-
rccting finger of the ex-counselor; for
the ceiling was gloomy and somber, in
Vulnerable festoons of spider webs draped
here and there, alternated with adobes of
mud wasps and pendant bats.
Sire" continued the ex.counselol,
'beneath that strata OF CRIME and dust
are most exquisite frescoes, executed in
the time of thy father, before thou vert
born, rarely colored and bewildering
Wouldst thou like to behold them!''
"Indeed would l., exclaimed Regis
But what state the ceilings are In.
The curtain of CRIME must be withdrawn.
Let me see how it can be most speedily
done"
Said the candid knave: ALLOW me to
sugg'--
'Silencer' exclaimed the monarch
1--WE would reflect" Regis was the SOW
ereign now.
Presently his face frightened and he
exclaimed. with startling abruptness:
"Ho, la! la, ho!'' for it was his sover-
eign way TO mutter ha no! ho, hal when
especially delighted. II have an idea
have an idea.
And all the courtierS murmllred, du-
biously, after: He hath an idea-he
hath an idea.
81 will have the gardener come hither
with the hose and direct stream OF
water upon the ceiling that will clean it. y
Great hea began the courtiers
in Mortified chorus; whereupon the king
exclaimed: 1--WE have spoken; let it be
as / have said 1t is as my father would
have dore.
And sure enough the hose was intro
duced into the apartment and stream
of water directed upon the ceiling as the
king had commanded, and then what a
mess he made of iti Bats, mud. wasps,
cob webs, drowned spiders, dust, CRIME,
all came spatter spat upon the carpet and
furniture; but the ceilings were cleaned
and the frescoes were in view.
Presently the king came to inspect
| them and stood aghast at the ravage OF
| the water.
Dear mep he exclaimed, "here's a
how dye do!'
Your majesty" ventured the candid
knave, IF thou hadst erected scaffold-
ing and sent careful workmen thereon,
this might have been avoided, and