Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-05
THE BEGGAR's FOUNTAIN.

more and more, | became convinced that
some change was necessary
THE BEGGARS FOUNTAIN.
MANY Thirsty wayfarer Who Paused to
Drink Turned Ruthlessly Away.
There is the Italy fountain over which is
the statue of beggar drinking at spring
1t is called 1.-The Beggar Fountain, and
this is its story: Once upon a time there
lived very naughty man, who hated the
| Door and who set himself above all the
world who were not so wealthy and we'll
dressed as himself, and his want of charity
was so great that it had become proverbi-
al, and beggar would no more have
thought of asking bread at his gate than
of asking him for all his fortune.
There was spring On his land, sweet
| spring of cold water, and it was the only
one for miles; many wayfarer 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
avaricious as to refuse cup OF cold water
| to his fellowmen, and the angels, talking
amongst themselves, could not believe 1t,
and one of them said to the rest
| lit is impossible for any but Satan him
self! Twill go to earth, and prove that it is
not true
! And so this fair and holy angel dsguis-
! ed herself as beggar woman, covered her
| golden hair with black hood, and choose
the moment when the master Of the mouse
was standing near 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, desiring to
take news of a good deed, not Of an evil
one, back to heaven, went to the master
himself, and said, Il am, as you see,
wanderer from affair. See how poor are
my garments, how stained with travel. 1t
is not surely at your bidding that your
servant forbids me to drink, and even If it
is, pray you bid MIN let me drink, for |
am very thirsty
The rich man looked at with scornful
eyes and said
This is not a public fountain; you will
find one n the next village.
the way is long pleaded the angel,
and | am woman and weak.
''Drive her away, said the rich man.
As he spoke, the beggar turned; but on the
instant her black hood dropped from her
head and revealed floods of ripping hair
her unuseemly rags fell to the ground
and the shimmering robes that angels
wear shone in their place. Fer a moment
her hands folded on her bosom and an
ineffable sweetness Of sorrow in her eyes.
Then with gush Of music and flood of
perfume, she vanished.
The servant fell to the earth like one
5. al Tod Ind
out, for he knew that he had forbidden
cup of cold water to an angel, and horror
possessed his soul.
Almost instantly a terrible thirst fell
upon him which nothing could assuage.
In vain he drank wines, sherbets,
draughts of all pleasing kinds. Nothing
could Stake his thirst. The sweet water of
the spring was salter to him than the sea.
He who never in his life had known an
ungratifed desire now experienced the
torture an ever unsatisfed longing; but
through this misery he began to under
stand what he had done. He repented
his cruelty to the poor. Aims were given
daily at his gate. Charity was the bust
ness of his life, the fountain was no long
er guarded, and near it hung cup ready
| for any one who chose to use 1T. But the
cure-if cure it were-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. He
had broken bread for the most miserable
bnggers who came to his door.
And, at eighty years of age, bowed with
years Of infrmity, and weary Of his life, he
sat beside the fountain weeping. And
10! along the road he saw approaching a
beggar wom an, hooded in blach, and
walking over the stones with bare feet.
Slowly she came and paused by the foun-
tain
MAY I drink?" she asked.
"Thele is none to forbid thee" said the
old man trembling, Drink poor wo-
man. Once an angel was forbidden here,
but that time has passed Drink, and
pray for one athirst. Here is the cup
The woman bent over the fountain and
filed the cup; but instead of putting it to
her own lips she presented it to the old
man. Drink, then" she cried, land
thirst no more
The old man took the cup and emptied
it. 0 blessed draught! with it the torture
of years departed, and as he drank it 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 moment she stood revealed in all
her beauty Of snowy skin md golden hair
and silvery raiment; and she stretched her.
hands toward him; as if in blessing, and
then rising 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 which the spring gushe~, and it has
been given to the poor forever.
Such is the story of the 'Beggar's Foun-