The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-03-09
THE PRINCES CHOICE.
Els Experiences With Father
Times Three Daughters.

Far away in the gray country, in his
gray, windy castle, lived Father Time
with his three daughters, Past, Present
and Future.
Past and Future were so beautiful
that it dazzled the eyes to look at
them; but Present was made to work
all day in the kitchen, and her hands
and face were dusty with ashes.
One day prince came riding up to
the castle, seeking one of Father
Times daughters for wife. So @
great feast was prepared for him, and
Past and Future sat, the one on the
Princes right hand, the other on his
left; but Present, who had cooked the
feast and spread the table, waited on
them ALL and the prince paid no heed
to her.
'And now," said Father Time, after
the feast was ended, (which of my
daughters will you choose for wife?"
The prince looked at Future and he
looked at Past, and it seemed to him
that Future was the more beautiful of
the two.
And what" said he to her, "can
you do that is worthy of princes
wife?"
81 can make beautiful Clothes" said
Future, fit for a king to wear; and 1
make them out of nothing at all"
'"Then," said the prince, IF you will
make me such suit of clothes before
morning, will take you for my queen
to live with me all my life"
So that night while the prince slept
Future made royal clothes out of
nothing at all, and in the morning the
suit was done 1t was made of silk
that shone a different color for every
way that it was turned, and crusted SO
thick with precious stones that one
could hardly see the cloth beneath
them.
Eyes" said the prince; that is in
deed suit of clothes fit for king to
wear" Then he lifted Future upon
the horse in front of him, and they
rode away from Father Times castle
toward the princes kingdom in the
east; but the way was long, and the
sun shone hotter and hotter, and the
jeweled clothes weighed heavier and
heavier until the sweat rolled down
the princes face. At last, just as night
was falling, they reached great city
where the prince thought to rest for
awhile; but when they rode into the
streets, the people began to shout and
point. 'Look -loolr' they cried. ''See
the beggar on horseback!''
The prince looked downward at his
clothes, and then he saw the false jew
els had melted in the sun as though
they were drops of tallow, and the fine
clothes were SO spotted and smeared
that they were hardly fit for beggar
to wear
The prince was so ashamed that,
tired and hungry as he was, he turned
his horses head and never stopped un-
til he was back in Father Times castle
again. For" said he, "one who makes
clothes that fall into rags with one
days journey is no wife for me-"
But there in Father Times castle am
other feast was served for the prince
even finer than the first had been, and
again Present waited upon the table.
Then the prince turned to Past. 'And
what" said he, 'can you do that is
worthy of a princes wifeq"
II can sing such beautiful songs,'
said Past, "that he who listens to
them will feel neither cold nor weari-
ness nor hunger, but think only of what
l sing"
'rhen," said the prince, ST would
rather have you for wife than Future;
for it is better to sing such songs as
that than even to make beautiful
clothes out of nothing at all'
So the next morning he called for
his horse, and he and Past rode away
off into the world together But when
the sun beat down like fire upon his
head he began to grow sick and weary,
and then he asked Past to sing to him.
Past laid her upon his shoulder and be-
gan to sing, and her song was so sweet
that the prince forgot everything else,
He dropped his rein on his horses neck
and left it to pick its own way, and
whittier it went he neither thought nor
cared.
But even Past cannot sing forever.
After awhile she stopped, and the
prince began to look about him again.
Then he found they We're in o deep black
chasm; he could not tell how they had
come there nor could he tell how to get
out again, for everywhere there were
great rocks and stones, and cliffs upon
either hand, and it was growing darker
and darker.
Then the prince cried: ''Sing, sing
again, Past, sing US out of this black
chasm," but that Past could not do;
she only wept and wrung her hands,
and begged to be taken home Then
again the prince looked around upon
all sides, but he could find no escape,
and he and Past might have died in the
black chasm had he not heard Present
calling the cows home far away. The
prince followed the sound of the voice,
and before long he saw path open be-
fore him, and there stood Father Time s
great gray castle, and as soon as they
had reached il the pEince lifted Past
down Meyer again." said he, !!shall
you sing me into such black ehastn as
that"
Then once more, for the third time,
the prince sat down to supper. Tell
me-" said he to Father Time, shave
you no other daughter than these
twoP'
yes" said Father 4ime. II still
have one daughter, and tits she who
has cooked the feast and waited upon
you" Then he called Present up from
the kitchen; she was dressed in her
sisters cast off clothes, and her hands
were red and rough with work.
Then said the prince: ;'What can
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