The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-04-22

spread the table-clOth on the table;
you, Paulo, you will place the bottle in
the center and say: Bottle, do your
duty Now goodbye. You are rich
man, if you follow my instructions to
the letter. do this good turn for you
because we are cousins. Do you know
that you are of royal blood, Paulo Du-
ranti? But, to be frank with you, you
are certainly not a credit to our fami-
ly. Indeed, if somebody was listening
to what l am saying, l would be
ashamed to claim you as kindred, so
disgusting you are, with your dirty
clothes full of holes and your toes pass
ing through your shoes"
Paulo took the bottle, gave a gentle
slap to Nerra as an adieu and turned
his steps toward home.
"Am l not a fine fellow?" thought
he. why, this neWly-found cousin of
mine has Knocked me, sure. 1t is
funny bargain that 1 have made with
him. What will l say to Maria? To
exchange an old mule for an empty
bottle and a carload of recommended
tions. l ought to get licked!"
Thinking does not prevent one from
walking. Four hours after his depart
ure Paulo was sitting in his house
telling his wife what the King of the
Goblins had said to him. To his as
tonishment she did not scold him, on
the contrary, she was glad that her
husband had had the idea TO accept
what his Majesty had given him for
his mule.
Let us work quickly" said she; "the
king is Corsican goblin, and, there
fore, cannot cheat Us. Oh! if he was
from Genoa it would be very different
indeed"
Then they began to work. Soon the
house was painted, whitewashed,
scrubbed, the manure removed to dis
tant spot, the clothes mended and
washed. When everything was in
good shape, the table-cloth was spread
and Paulo placed the bottle in the GEN.
| ter. Then with loud voice be cried,
Bottle, do your duty" Hardly had he
uttered these words when out from the
bottle sprang two little gnomes, carry
ing on their heads one a plate
made of solid gold and the other one
Of solid silver; both plates enlarged
| themselves out of proportion with their
bearers and their place of confinement.
They were filled with all kinds of ex-
luisite food. The little gnomes made
nine trips to the bottle, but they did
not remove the plates, so that after
heir meals were finished nine gold and
nine silver plates we're left on the ta-
BILE. Paulo gathered them and depart
ed for Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica.
He sold them to q jeweler, who gave
him large price for his wares.
AS the bottle was inexhaustible,
the whole village of Orezza, and COM
PEELED his tenants to be as clean as he
was himself; Though cleanliness,
hey grew healthy, and parting, veal
| :hy. The surrounding villages seeing
The prosperity of Orezza, thought that
by mending their clothes, cleaning
their streets and draining their farms,
hey would be rewarded as their fell
low-citizens had been. That is the
reason why in a few years the whole
country was transformed from an
abode of filth to an abode of cleanli-
ness, and what was done in the hope
Of getting rich afterward was contin-
Jed through mere strength of habit.
but whist became of the bottle?"
asked the clergyman.
I will tell you. When Paulo was
rich enough, one day he took the bot
tie with him and departed in search of
the King of the Goblins, whom he
found at the same place where he had
previously met him.
What do you want now, Paulo Du-
nowadays?"
mo, your Majesty, as 1 need some
hing else besides riches"
"And what, pray?"
"Nerra, my old MULE
"And what are you willing to give
for this ugly animal?"
What l have received myself for it
the bottle"
"You are brave and honest soul
and true Corsican, my cousin, and
am proud of you, that prefer a friend
to gold. Give me the bottle and take
your mule"
And here ends my story. The cler-
gyman winked his eyes at me and
said:
"Guardia, Sc non vero, e bene tro-
vato." Guard, if not true, it is we'll
found)
"Sacerdote, ma vero come la luce"
priest, but it is true as the light.)
Quick-FirinE Guns.
About the only idea one gets of the
power of modern field guns in actual