Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-08-11
FoscuE, THE M1sER.
worshiped Gold and Died Miserabiy
Amid His Treasure.


Amid His Treasure.
In the year 1762 an extraordinary
instance of avarice occurred in France
A miser by the name of Foscue, who
had amassed enormous wealth by the
most sordid persimony and the most
discreditable extortion, was requested
by the government 10 advance a sum
of money as a loan. The miser, to
whom fair interest was not induce
ment sufficiently strong to enable him
to part with his treasured gold, de-
clared his incapacity to meet this de-
mand; he pleaded severe losses and the
utmost poverty. Fearing, however,
that some of his neighbors, among
whom he was very unpopular, would
report his immense wealth to the gov
eminent, he applied his ingenuity to
discover some effectual way of hiding
his gold, should they attempt to insti-
tute search to ascertain the truth or
falsehood ofhis plea. With great care
and secrecy he dug deep cave in his
| cellar; to this receptacle for his treas
urehe descended by aladder, and to the
trap-door he attached spring lock,
SO that on shutting, it would fasten
itself. By and by the miser disap-
peared; inquiries were made, the
house was searched, woods were ex-
| plored, and the ponds were dragged,
but no Foscue could they find; the Cos
sips began to conclude that the miser
had fled with his gold to some part
where, by living incognito, he would
be free from the demands of the gov
eminent. Some time passed on; the
house IN which he had lived was sold,
and the workmen were busily en-
| ployed in its repair In the progress
OF their work they met with the door
OF the secret cave, with the key in the
I lock outside. They threw back the
| door, and descended with a light. The
first object upon which the lamp was
reflected was the ghastly body of
Foscue, the miser, and scattered
around him were heavy bags of gold
and ponderous chests Of untold treas
ure; candlestick lay beside him on
the floor. This worshiper of mammon
had gene into his cave to pay his de-
volrs to his golden god, and became a
sacrifice to his devotion! What must
have been the sensations of that mis-
cradle man, what the horrors of his
situation, when he heard the door
close after him, and the spring lock
effectually imprison him in his secret
| mine! How bitter must have been the
last struggles of that avamcious soul!
! How terrible must have been the ap-
j peals of conscience within that sordid
sinner! How each bag must have dis
gorged its treasures, and each piece of
gold have danced, in imagination,
around him as a demonl How hated,
Pwheh'the gnawing pangs of starvation
came slowly upon him, must have
been that yellow vision; his very heart
must have grown sick at that which
he once SO dearly loved! Goldin bags;
/ gold in chests; gold piled in heaps;
gold for his pillow; gold strewed upon
the. ground to lie upon! Whilst his
taper lasted, turn where he would his
eyes, nothing met them but gold. But
when the last flicker died away, and
:. the miser was leftin darkness to dwell
upon his coming death, and upon his
many sins, how awful must have been
the agonies of consciencel How, sure
~, amidst the gloom of that sepulche1
of gold, must the poor whom he had
oppressed, and the unfortunate whom
he had ruined by his avarice, have
risen up to reproach him; and when
the mind became fevered by its last
deadly struggle, how the faces OF
haggard poverty, of hate and loathine
for the miser, must, in one loud, dis
cordant chorus, have cried for ven
geance and retribution upon his guilty
soul-Household Words.