Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-12-31
Sglnnth' 8 Column.
Honesty Rewarded

Once upon a time as a merchant
was returning from a fair, he came
to a branch of the river that it was
necessary for him to cross. The
water was not at all deep, for man
could go on horseback from one side
to the other but once in the middle
one had to be very careful not to 60
too much to the right, as there was
deep pool there where many
traveller had lost his life. The mer
chant was aware of this danger. and
had always escaped it but grown
careless, he went too near one day,
and suddenly felt his horse swept off
his legs. A laborer near at hand,
seeing the peril in which the unlucky
man was, quickly took out horse
from his pillow, rode in bravely to the
edge of the hole, and he had the good
fortune to seize the merchant by the
cloak and draw him safely to land.
As to the horse of the rescued man it
persisted, the weight of the portman-
teau it carried dragging it down to
the bottom.
The peasant and his family had
great difficulty in reviving their faint
ing guest, who was half dead with
cold and fright. At last he came to
himself, but soon gave way to the
greatest grief, for nothing was left to
him of all the wealth he had had an
hour before. What affected him
most was the loss of purse of leath-
err which had been fastened to his
girdle, and which contained number
of diamonds and pearls. 1t was very
unlikely that he had lost it in the
water, so all his suspicious fell on his
deliverer, who could easily have rob-
bed him during his swoon. The
peasant on his side, protested that he
had no knowledge of the purse. The
merchant who had built all his hopes
of driving a profitable trade on these
Jewels, felt keenly the misery of his
position.
He might have brought the peas
ant before the Judge, and have thus
harmed him greatly, for appearances
were quite against him, but he had
too generous mind to think of do
ing such a thing.
You have saved my life at the
risk of your own said he, ''but you
have deprived me of the means of
proving my gratitude. The only
way in which l can show how CRATE
full l am is by not accusing you of
your theft to the tribunal. By thus
forbearing to prosecute you [ shall be
handsomely rewarding you for the
slight expense [ have put you to.
But must beg you to give me little
money to enable me to reach the near
est city, where 1 shall find some
The peasent was grieved at not be-
ing able to prove his innocence,
which he asserted with solemn oaths
and tears. Finally his guest babe
him farewell, and departed much i'll
pleased with him.
Some months after the merchants
departure, the peasant went to work
in his field, and while emptying a
ditch, he found leather purse hang
ing to his pitchfork. He took it off
to look at it, and on opening it he
found inside the jewels whose loss
! had so embittered the merchant.
When he had been brought out of the
water he had been carefully undress-
ed and laid on some straw, while q
bed was being warmed for him.
During this time of confusion the
purse has remained unnoticed, and
shortly afterward was thrown with
the straw into the ditch.
What course now ought the peas
ant to pursue? How should he find
the owner of the purse? These were
tie two questions that presented
themselves to him. Doubtless he
could have deposited the treasure
with the magistrate, or have adver-
tised it in the public papers. But
these measures did not come into our
friends head. What he did was to
walk constantly about the high road
about the time of the fair, and send
his wife and children there as often
as possible, the hopes of one day
meeting the merchant. Two years
rolled by without their ever having
met him, but one evening when the
peasant and his family were eating
their frugal supper the sound of
wheels was heard, and a carriage
stopped at the door. The father
looked out of the window, and saw
several men get out of a travelling
carriage. Husband and wife turned
pale, certain that among these people
was the owner of the purse, come to
do them some harm. The children
ran away to hide themselves, but the
peasant, hoping to be able to disarm
the merchants anger by the restora-
ton of his purse, staid where he was.
He was still occupied with this
thought when the merchant entered
followed by his travelling companions,
and throwing himself on his deliver