Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-10-09
BEGGAR's FOUNTAIN.
A Beautiful Legend Current In
Northern Italy.
The Story Of = Rich Mans Meannsss ana
His Terrible Punishment-The Curse
Of Thirst-How the Spell Was
Broken af Last.

There is in Italy fountain over which Ia
the statue Of a beggar drinking at spring.
1t is called the "Beggar's Fountain and
tins Is its story: Once upon time there
lived, so says the legend, q 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 so great that
1t had become proverbial, and q beggar
would no more have thought Of asking
bread at his gate than of asking him for all
his fortune
However, there was a spring on his land,
sweet spring of cold water and as il was
the only one for miles many q wayfarer
paused to drink of it, butnever was permit
ted to do So A servant, well armed, was
kept upon the watch to drive such persons
away.
Now, there never had been known before
any one so avaricious as to refuse q cup OF
cold water to his fellow-man, and the
angels, talking amongst each other, could
not believe it; and one Of them said to the
rest:
'It is impossible for any but Satan him.
self. will go to earth and prove that it Is
not true"
And so this fair and holy angel disguised
herself as beggar-woman, covered her
golden hair with q black hood, and chose the
moment when the master Of the house was
himself standing near 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 draught Of
its sweet water.
instantly the servant who guarded the
spot interposed the pike he carried, but the
angel, desiring to take news Of good deed,
not Of an evil one, back TO heaven turned to
the master himself.
''Sir," she said, 81 am, as you see, wan.
derer from afar. See how poor my garments
are, how stained with travel 1t is not sure
ly at your bidding that your servant forbids
me to drink. And even if it is, pray you
bid him let me alone, for am very thirstyn
The rich man looked at her with scornful
eyes and laughed contemptuously. -
This Is not public fountain" be said.
"You will find one in the next village.n
"The way is long" pleaded the angel.
land 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 foods Of ripping golden
hair-her unseemly rags fell to the ground
-and the shining robes that angels wear
shone in their place. For q moment she
hovered, poised on purple wings, with her
hands folded on her bosom and an ineffable
sweetnesso Of sorrow in her eyes. Then, with
a gush Of music and food Of perfume. she
vanished.
The servant fell to the earth like one
dead. The rich man trembled and cried
out, Tor he knew that he had forbidden a
cup OF cold water to an angel, and horror
possessed his soul
Almost instantly, also, a terrible thirst
fell upon him which nothing could assuape
In vain he drank wines, sherbets, drauphts
OF all pleasing kinds. Nothing could slake
his thirst. The sweet water Of the spring
was salter to him than the sea. He who
never In his life had known an ungratified
desire, now experienced the torture Of an
eveF-unsatistied longing; but through thts
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
1t hung ever cup ready for any one who
chose to use it. But the curse-if curse IL
were-was never lifted
The rich man-young when the angel
visited him-grew middle-aged, elderly.
OLD, stu tortured by this awful thirst.
despite his prayers and repentance He
had given away his substance; he had him.
self broken bread for the most miserahla
beggars who came to his door.
And at eighty years of age, bowed with
innrmity and weary of his life. he sat
one day beside the fountain weeping. And
10! along the road he saw approaching a
beggar- woman, hooded in black, wearing
sordid rags, and walking over the stones
with her bare feet. Slowly she came ON
and paused beside the fountain.
"May drinkl" she asked.
There are none to forbid tsuee.n said the
old man, trembling. "Grink. poor woman
Once an angel was forbidden here, but that
up.e mas passed. Drink and pray for one
athirst. Here is the cup"
The woman bent over the fountain and
nlled 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
morel"
The old man took the cup and emptied IL.
Oh, blessed draughtl With 1t the torture of
years departed, and as he drank he praised
Heaven. And lifting up his eyes once more
he saw the beggar's hood drop TO the ground
and her rags fall to pieces. For a 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, rising
On purple pinions, vanished in the skies, A
strain OF music fingered, q perfume filed
the air, and those who came there soon
after found the old man praying beside the
spring.
Before he died he built the fountain from,
winch the spring still gushes, and it, with
tne splendid mansion beyond it, now a
nospital' mas been given to the poor forever