The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-20
THE BLACK BREAD.
By Anatole France.

best known bankers From morning to
night he sat at his desk busy counting
his money. lie lent large amounts to
emperor and pope, and when he did
not lend any TO the devil it was only
because he was afraid that there might
not be profit enough in the business.
Nicholas Nerli was keen ana sus-
.pectlng. He had accumulated a vast
fortune and made many people poor.
but he was highly respected in the city
OF Florence. He lived in Il magnificent
palace. but great iron bars had been
put IN front of every window, and all
the lower windows We're hidden by iron
shutters, and daylight was only adj
,1.Itted through those in the upper
story. 81
Now this was very wise of Nerli, for
the houses of the rich must be like
cages and those who have acquired
riches by usury must be prepared to
defend them by force.
Therefore Nicolas Nerli's palace was
surrounded by high wrought iron
fences, and every door was kept bolted
n barred. Inside it was fit for a
king. Heavy carpets covered the floors,
and costly COLLINS, representing the
virtues, in the fyrms of beautiful wom-
en-. covered the walls; while in other
rooms We're priceless paintings show
ing the history of Alexander. Caesar
and other great heroes.
Nicholas Nerli gave literally to char
table institutions, and outside of the
city walls he had built a hospital, the
outside walls of which showed in fres-
cos the noble deeds of his own life.
In return. for a large amount of
money which he hao given to complete
the building of the church of Santa
Maria Novella his portrait had been
hung in the center nave of the church,
showing him kneeling before the holy
virgin. Every one in the city recog-
nized him in his red cap, his coat ined
with ermine and his small, piercing
eyes. His good wife,, Mouna Bisman-
itosa, stood on the other side of the vir-
gin with a pious expression in her hon
est, good natured face.
Nicolas Nerli was counted one of the
best citizens of the republic, having
never raised his voice even nee to
complain Of the existing laws. He
knew nothing of the sufferings of the
poor, nor of those whom the high and
mighty had thrown into prison.
One evening as he was returning to
his palace he was surrounded by a
crowd of ragged, half starved beggars,
who pitifully asked him to help them.
harsh words. but hunger had made
them reckless. They crowded around
and cried for bread, If only a mis-
cradle crust. 81
He was just in the act of STOPPING
down to pick up some stones to throw
at them when he saw one of his serv-
ants walking toward the palace carry
ing a huge basket full of loaves of
black bread. He told him to hand him
the basket, and instead of throwing the
tones at the poor he divided the loaves
of lack bread among them. The same
night While he was sleeping he was
struck with apoplexy and died so
quickly that he thought he was still
before him with a pair of scales in his
hand. In the one, and hat was the
he saw all the jewelry that he
had taken from orphans and widows
had pledged it with him. all the
gold which he gained by usury, and
he looked into the face of the
a~rclangel it was grave and stern, and
as Nerli understood that his fate hung
in the balance he began to remble in
deadly fear.
Saint Michael" he said, .if you put
in the one scale all that 1 nave robbed
and stolen. please fill! the other with
all the good that 1 have done. Remenl-
Der all the money I gave away to
of Santa Maria del Novella, which
would never have been finished but for
me 4nor the great hospital which was
blu by my money alone"
"11ave no fear, Nicholas Verli,' the
angel replied, II shall not forget
F. And with his beautiful hands he put
the cathedral n the great hospital,
its beautiful frescces, in the 9TH
ser scale, but it did not go down. Merrill
,tremb!ed with fear.
"Oh. Saint Michael, you have not put
in the golden basin for the holy water,
which 1 gave to st. Johns church, the
carved pulpit 1 gave to ST. Andrews
church or the baptimal fount 1 gave
to the Church of Saint Peter. These
gifts cost me much, very much money!"
The archangel put the basin. the pull
pit nj the baptismal found in the
scale, but still it did not move. Great
beads of Precipitation stood out on Ner-
lis forehead.
, Saint Michael he stammered, are
you quite SURE that your scales are
%correct?"
Saint Michael smilingly replied that
they We're modelled after the pattern Of
those used by all the bankers ii Venice
and Florence.
Then, woe to me! And the church,
the hospital, the pulpit and the fount
do not weigh as much as my miserable
You see for yourself, Nicholas Nerli,
tina your sins are far heavier than
your good deeds"
Then I must 20 to hell" stammered
Nerli, whose legs almost failed him.
observation-disclosures Nerli, patience! I
have not yet put in all. There is some
thing here
And his angelic face, radiant with
joy, he drew forth a basket filled with
lOaNeS OF DlacR bread ana put 1t into,
the scale, which began to sink imme-
diately until the two We're exactly even.
Nicholas would not believe his own
eyes.
You see now Nicholas Nerli," the
angel said, you are fit neither for
heaven nod hell. Go back to Florence,
give away more bread to the poor, and
give the loaves away with your own
hands. as you did last night, without
letting anyone know it. and you are
opened to you when you have lone
good for the sake of doing good with
out any thought of conceit."
Nicholas Nerli awoke in his bed and
decided to follow the advice of the
archangel ana feed his poor brethren,
tina. he might enter heaven, and he
found hat he received his reward even
while on this earth.