Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-08-16

| sa" TINS man seated By the roadside, and
when ne asked me to lift him on nv
horse, /, seeing that he was old and
| feeble, said yes, with a good heart, and
carried him into this town of yours, in
which he was no sooner come than
ne claimed my horse to my own face,
saying that it was his and not mine.
| This on the word Of one who tries to be
righteous man, is the truth, oh. dooms-
man.
| And the beggar:
~ was riding toward the town on this,
my horse, when l met this young man,
who, saying he was nigh dead from hard
| going, asked me to hel p him On his way
With good heart l did so, putting him
| before me on the horse but when we
were come into the High street he
roguishly claimed of me my horse, and
when would not give it up he had me
hailed before thee This on the word OF
an old and righteous man is the truth,
oh, doomsman
Said Cedric: "Leave the horse here
with me, ana come again on the NOR
row."
So the King and the beggar went their
own ways, and on the morrow werexR
the church-yard as were the others,
also, to hear the doom that Cedric
would give.
The scrivener and the hedger were
called
"Take thy wife, scrivener," said Ced.
ric, "and let the ears be cut from off the
hedger.'
So the hedger lost his ears and the
scrivener gained his wife; and yet some
said their lots were equal
Then were called the hesher and the
miller.
"Take thy silver, miller" said Cedric,
! "and let the right hand be cut from off
the fesher.'
So the miller got his silver and the
desher lost his hand.
| Then the King and the beggar were
called.
"Come with me, said Cedric to the
King, and be took him to stable hard
out thine own horse said Cedric; and
the King did SO.
said to him: "Pick out thine own horse
from among a score of horses and the
arts were nimble, picked out the Kings
horse
Now said Cedric, "come both OF
you to the doomsman seat, and when
they were gathered there once more
Cedric said to the King:
"Take thy horse, and let the old man
be hanged"
And the King marveled at the wisdom
VI tllc OOO1uSLudu, duIt SdAo " AAlh.
"Now l know that all have heard i:
truth. Thou art as full of wisdom as is
an egg of meat Know then that l an
King Alfred;" aud when Cedric had
bowed his knee before him the KING
said:
Tell me, l pray thee, how thou CAV
est such rightful doom; for / dare swear
that thou dealt as righteousy with the
scriyener and the miller as with me-"
'>All three were but small matters, ol
King" said Cedric; ''but this was tn
manner in which l settled them Tho,
sawest how that l kept all night th'
three things anent which there was
pickering =
81 did, said the King.
"Wen," /" said Cedric, lin the mornln:
I turned hastily to the woman and said
, Smooth me down skin for | need I
t write, and she took skin and rubbed !
) after the fashion of scriyeners helper
and then | knew that she belonged to III
scrivener and not to the hedger; for hos
> would hedger's wife know aught 0
e writing or of making ready skius where
/ on to write
| IT'S well, said the King:
] THE silver" said Cedric, II put IN
; pot of water and left it over night. l
the morning there foated on the top {
h the water fine white dust. TherI kne
| it belonged to the miller, whtSe! hand
n and whose clothes were coEsss nj,
Il sround wheat. and not 70 the tieshe'
;, whose hands were greasy with ase meat
> Had it been his, oil and not dus. woul
e have been on the waters top"
'Tis very well, said the King An
If my horse2'
d Truly therein had pains 70 ind Il