Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-07-12
DANIEL AND THE DEVIL

OAA1LA AANO AAAA 49, AA~
Daniel was q very wretched man. As
he sat with his head bowed upon his
desk that evening he made up his mind
that his life had been failure. i have
labored long and diligently, said he to
himself, "and although ! am known
throughout the city as an industrious
and shrewd business man, am still a
poor man, and shall probably continue
so-unless-"
Here Daniel stopped and shivered. For
week or more he had been brooding
over his unhappy lot There seemed to
be but one way out of his trouble, yet
his soul revolted from taking that step.
That was why he stopped and shivered.
"But," he argued, Il must do some
thingl My nine children are growing up
into big boys and girls. They must have
those advantages which my limited
means will not admit of All my life
so far has been pure, circumspect, and
rigid; poverty has at last broken my
spirit give up the fight-I am ready
to sell my soul to the devil /"
"The determination is wise one,
said voice at Daniels elbow. Daniel
looked up and beheld grim visaged
stranger in the chair beside him. The
stranger, arrayed all in black, exhaled a
distinct odor of sulphur.
"Am I to understand, asked the
stranger, that you are prepared to enter
into league with the devil?"
@Yes, said Daniel. firmly; and he set
his teeth together after the fashion of a
man who is not to be moved from his
purpose.
aThen am ready to treat with you.
"Are you the devil?" asked Daniel.
"No; but am authorized to enter into
contracts for him, explained the stran-
ger. my name is Beelzebub, and am
my masters most trusted agent.
"Sir, said Daniel, "you must pardon
me, for am loath TO wound your feel
ings, but one of the rules governing my
career as business man has been to
deal directly with principals, and never
to trust to the offices of middlemen. The
affair now in hand is one concerning the
devil and myself, and between us two
and by us two only can the preliminaries
be adjusted.
AS it SO happens. explained Belize
bub, "this is Friday-commonly called
'hangman's day '-and that is as busy a
time in our particular locality as Mon
day is in laundry or as the first day of
the month is at a bookkeeper's desk.
You can understand, perhaps, that this
is the devils busy day; therefore be con-
tent to make this deal with me, and you
will find that my master will cheerfully
accept any contract may enter into as
his agent and in bis behalf.
But Mcdaniel would not agree to
this; with the devil himself, and only the
devil himself, would he treat. So he
bade Beelzebub go to the devil and make
known his wishes. Beelzebub departed
much chagrined. Presently back came
the devil-and surely it was the devil
this time-there could be no mistake
about it, for he wore a scarlet cloak and
had cloven feet and carried about with
him as many suffocating smells as there
are in barrel of birthstone and assa-
foetida.
The two talked over all Daniels mis-.
cries; the devil sympathized with DAN
iel, and ever and anon a malodorous,
gummy tear would triclle down the
devils sinister nose and drop off on the
carpet.
What you want is money, said the
devil. THAT viii give you the content
ment you crave
"Yes, said Daniel, it will give me
every opportunity to do good.
To do goodl repeated the devil. To
do good. indeed! Yes, it's many good
time we shall have together, friend Dam
ieI Hal ha! hal" And the devil
laughed uproariously. Nothing seemed
more humorous than the prospect oi
@doing good with the devils money.
But Daniel failed to see what the devil
was so jolly about Daniel was not .
humorist; he was, as we have indicated,
q plain business man.
Il was finally agreed that Daniel
should sell his soul TO the devil upon
condition that for the space of "a years
the devil should serve Daniel faithfully.
should provide him with riches, and
should whatsoever he was commanded
to do. Then at the end of the "a years
Daniels soul was to pass into the posses
sion Of the devil. and was to remain
there forever without recourse or benefit
OF clergy, Surely > more horrible con
tract was never entered into
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