The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-14
Our &ops ano Girls.
The Beggar's Fountain.


There is in Italy fountain over
which is the statue of beygar drink
ing at spring. 1t is called "The Beg
gar's Fountain" and this is its story:
Once upon time there lived very
Proud and naughty man, who hated the
oJr and set himself above all the
world who were not as wealthy and
welI-dressed as himself, and his want
OF charity was so great that it had be-
come proverbial, and a beggar would
10 more have thought Of asking bread
al is gate than of asking h m fer his
fortune.
There was spring on his land,
swt ct spring of cold water, and it was
the on'y one for miles; many way
farer paused to drink at it, but was
never permitted to do so. A servant
was kept upon the watch to drive
such persons away. Now, there had
never been known before any one so
avaricicus as to refuse a cup of cold
water to his fellowmen, and The ange s,
ta'kll g among In mst II es, could not
believe 1t, and one of them said to lhe
rest:
1t is impossible for any but Satan
himself l will go to earth, and prove
that 1t is not true"
And so this fair and holy angel dis.
guised herself as a beggar woman, GOV.
cred her golden hair with black hood,
and chose the moment when the master
of the house was himself standing ear
the spring, to come slowly up the road,
and to pause beside the fountain and
humbly ask for draught of its sweet
water.
Instantly the servant who guarded
the spot refused; but the angel. desir-
ing to take news of good deed, not O
an evil one, back to heaven, went to
the master himself, and said, 6 am,
as you see, wanderer from sfar. See
how poor are my garments, how stained
with travell 1t is not surely at your bid
ding that your servant forbids me to
drink, and even if it is, pray you bid
him let me drink, for am very thirsty.n
The rich man looked at her with
scornful eyes, and said:
This is not public fountain; you
will find one in the next village"
1.-The way is long," pleaded the
angel, and / am woman and 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 ripping golden hair-her I'M
seemly rags fell to the ground-and the
shimmering robes that angels wear
shone in their place. For moment
she lowered, poised on purple wings,
with her hands folded on her bosom
and an ineffable sweetness 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, for he knew that he had for.
hidden cup of cold water to an angel,
and horror possessed his soul.
Almost instantly terrible thirst fell
upon him which nothing could assuage.
In vain he drank wines. sherbets.
draughts of all pleasing kinds. Moth
ing could Stake his thiist. The sweet
water of the spring was salter to him
than the sea. He who never in his
life had known an unqualified desire
now experienced the torture of an ever
unsatisfied longing, but through this
misery he began to understand VIII It he
had done. He repented his cruelty 10
lhe 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 cup ready
for any one who chose to use it. But
the curse, if curse it was, was not lifted.
The rich man-young when the angel
visited him-grew middle-aged, elderly
old, still tortured by this awful thirst,
despite his prayers and repentance
10 ha
cradle beggars who came to his door.
And, at eighty years of age bowed
with years of intirmity, and weary of
his life, he sat beside the fountain
weeping. And 10! along the road he
saw approaching a beggar woman,
hooded in black, and walking over tn
stones with bare feet. Slowly she came,
and paused beside the fountain.
MAY / drink 2" she asked.
There is none 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 knelt over the fountain
and filled the cup; but instead of put
ting it to her lips, she presented il to
those of the old man. Drink, them"
she cried "and thirst no more.'
The old man took the cup and emptied
it. o, blessed draught! with it the tor
ture of years departed, and as he drank
1t he praised heaven. And lifting his
eyes once more, he saw the beggar's
hood drop to the ground, and her rags
fall in pieces. For a moment she stood
revealed in all her beauty of golden
hair and silvery raiment, and she
stretched her hand toward him, as if in
blessing, and then, rising, vanished in
the skies. A strain of music fingered,
a perfume filled the air, and those who
came there soon after found the old
man praying beside the spring.