Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-08-29
No. 40
The Curse of Thirst,

4 IL the statue OF Deggar drinking at q
spring. 1t is called the "Beggar's Foun.
tain" and this is its story: Once upon a
time there lived, 80 say the legend very
proud and naughty man, who hated the
poor and set himself above all the world
who were not as wealthy and well dressed
as himself, and his want of charity was SC
great that it had become proverbial, and a
beggar would no more have thought of
asking bread at his gate than of asking
him for all his fortune.
However, there was spring on his land,
sweet spring af cold water, and as it was,
the only one for miles, many a wayfarer
paused to drink of it, but never was per-
mitted to do so. A servant, well armed,
was kept upon the watch to drive such per-
sons away.
Now, there never had been known before
any one so avaracious as to refuse a cup of
cold water to his fellow-man, and the an
| gels, talking amongst each other, could not
believe 1t; and one of them said to the rest:
ut is impossible for any but Satan him
| self. Will go to earth and prove that it
| is not true"
herself as a beggar- woman, covered her
golden hair with black hood, and chose
the moment when the master of the house
was himself standing rear the spring, to
come slowly up The road, walking over the
stones with bare feet. and to pause beside
the fountain and humbly ask for a draught
of it's sweet water
Instantly the servant who guarded the
inf ho nil ha ;aI 1,,s
angel, desiring to take news of good deed,
not of an evil one, back to heaven turned
to the master himself
Sir" she said, Il am, as you see, wan
| derer from afar. See how poor my gar
ments are, how stained with travel. 1t is
not surely at. your bidding that your SER
want torbids me to drink. And even if it
is, pray you bid him let me alone, for
am very thirsty"
| The rich man looked at her with scorn-
full eyes and laughed contemptuously
This is not public fountain" he said.
You will find one in the next village"
"The way is long," pleaded the angel,
and l am woman, and but weak"
Drive her away" said the rich man,
and, as he spoke, the beggar turned but
on the instant her black hood dropped
from her head and revealed floods of rip
| pling golden hair-her unseemly rags fell
to the ground-and the shimmering robes
that angels wear shone in their place. For
a moment she hovered, poised on purple
wings, with her hands folded on her bosom
and an ineffable sweetness of sorrow in her
| eyes Then, with gush of music and q
food of perfume, she vanished.
The servant fell to the earth like one
Tho IoI nd rioI
out, for he knew that he had forbidden q
cup of cold water to an angel, and horror
possessed his soul
Almost instantly, also terrible thirst
fell upon him which nothing could assuage.
In vain he drank wi es, sherbets, draughts
of all pleasing kinds. Nothing could slack
his thirst The sweet water of the spring
was salter TO him than the sea. He who
never in his life had known an ungrateful
desire, now experienced the torture of an
ever-unsatsfed longing; but through this
misery he began to understand what he
had done. He repented his cruelty to the
poor. Aims were given daily at his gate
Charity was the business of his life The
fountain was no longer guarded, and near
it hung ever cup ready for anyone who
chose to use it. But the curse-if curse it
were-was never lifted
The rich man-youDg when the angel
visited him-grew middle aged, elderly,
old, still tortured By this awful thirst, de-
spite his prayers and repentance He had
given away his substance, he had himself
broken bread for the most miserable beg
gars who came to his door.
And at 80 years of age, bowed with in
trinity and weary of his life. he sal one
day beside the fountain weeping. And 10!
along the road he saw approaching a beg
gar woman, hooded in black, wearing sor-
did rags, and walking over the stones with
her bare feet. Slowly she came on and
paused beside the fountain.
"May l drink?" she asked.
There are lone to forbid thee" said the
old man trembling. Drink, poor woman.
Once an angel was forbidden here, but that
time has passed. Drink and pray for one
athirst. Here is the cup"
The woman bent over the fountain and
filled the cup; but instead of putting it to
her own lips she presented it to those of the
old man.
Drink, then," she cried, "and thirst no
morew
The old man took the cup and emptied
it, Oh, blessed draught! With it the tor
ture of years departed, and as he drank it
he praised heaven And lifting his eyes
once more he saw the beggars hood drop to
the ground and her rags fall to pieces. For
q moment she stood revealed in all her
beauty Of snowy skin and golden hair and
silvery raiment; and she stretched her
hand toward him, as in blessing, and then
raising on purple pinions, vanished in the
skies. A strain of music fingered, a per-
fume filled the air. and those who came
there soon after found the old man praying
beside the spring.
Before he died he built the four tain from
which the spring still gushes, and it, with