The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-04
A RING OF FORTUNE,

II w on EaI11e ana OrtJf1e LOT
the Good-I5earted Ni11er's Son.
a Yarn for Children.
The miller, who had lived beside the
little forest stream all his life, had got
very old and feeble, and he realized hat
he could not live in this world much
longer. So one day he called his two
sons to him and said:
Boys, / ann getting old and | am very
little use for this world now. The pleas
ures of this life are not the same to me
as they used to be. I don't take much
interest in them. All / want is to have
o little room where | can rest my weary
bones until the day for me to die.
Now, what ! want to do is this: I will
give you the mill and everything belong
ing to it, and you can work it for all it
is worth and all the profit shall be yours.
All l want you to promise me is to keep
me for the rest of my days. Arc you
satisfied with that?'
John, the eldest, bowed his head as
a sign of agreement, but Felix, the
younger boy, said:
s.Father, the mill is hardly large
enough for John and me, and I don't
think that we could make much of a
fortune for both of us, SO I am going to
make John a proposition. an going
away to seek my fortune in some other
country, and if he promises me faith
fully to treat you well to the end of your
days, I will give him my share Of the
mill. But if he does not, and I hear of
it when | return, then he must give up
to me the whole mill, and l will punish
him into the bargain. What do you say
to that, John?"
"You need have no fear that / will not
look after father; believe me, I will do
my best, and if father should still live
when you return, he win say so him.
SELF"
"All right" replied Felix, ST believe
you, my brother, and your assurance
makes it all the lighter for me to go
away, because I know that father is well
taken care Of"
The next morning saw Felix turn his
back upon the old mill. He was a young
fellow who was fond of adventure, and
his heart had always delighted in brave
deeds of warriors and heroes. It was his
dearest wish to see something of the
world himself, and on that account the
quiet, uneventful existence in the old
mill did not suit him very well. He
wanted to go away, because his excitable
nature could not rest in contentment
with nothing else to cheer him except the
clatter of the old rickety mill wheel. He
had no clear idea as to what he would do
when he got among strangers and in
strange places, but he had a heart full of
hope for a bright future, and he was fully
confident that something would turn up
in his favor wherever he went.
So it happened that he travelled through
a great many lands and he saw a good
many strange and wonderful things that
caused his eyes to open in wonder and
establishment. One day he was walking
through a big forest, when he noticed a
very ancient dame dragging herself along
the road with an enormous load of wood
on her back. Felix felt compassion for
the old lady and he Immediately resolved
to carry the load of wood for her. He
quickly hurried after her, and when he
overlook the dame he said:
81 guess that load is rather heavy for
you, ma'am; wouldn't it be easier for
you if 1 put it on my back and carry it?"
The woman seemed to be well pleased
with the young mans kind offer, and she
at once dropped the wood to the ground.
eyes, young man." she replied; 'if
you think you are strong enough, all
right, pick it up; but, mind you, don't
promise what you cannot fulfill. Ihave
a long way to go, and it is all up hill
walking"
Felix only laughed at the old lady.
"You don't mean to say that / could
not carry a load of wood that does not
seem to be too heavy for your"
81 don't know" snapped the woman.
"Many a young man thought he could
do q lot, but when he tried he did not
succeed. But, there! don't stand there
talking. Pick up the wood and follow
me-"
Felix, although somewhat taken aback
at the woman's peremptory speech,
picked up the load and walked behind
her. He had not gone many yards, how
ever, when he found out that he had I'M
dertaken a very heavy task. The load
seemed to press down upon him SO heav-
lily as if every piece of wood had been
transformed into lead. Still he never
murmured. He did not want to have
the old woman think that he was not as
strong as she. At last he saw an old log
house before him under a number of oak
trees. Arriving there, the old oma
babe him to put down his load and go
inside. She soon followed him.
"Now, young man." she said, 81 will
give you reward for your kindness,
and I suppose you think that you de-
serve it. Sit down at that table there
and eat. Whoever eats from my table
he never will feel hungry again, and
whoever drinks from my cups he will
never be thirsty again, no matter how
long he lives!'
"Is that so?" asked Felix. "Well, lam
glad of it, because / have often been as
hungry as a hunter, and I would have
been glad if I had only a piece of bread
to chew at. But where did you get
these wonderful things to eat, old lady?"
y am Neris, the wonderful woman of
the woods, and l am acquainted with all
the good qualities of the trees, the shrubs,