Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-01-31

knew that something more than lack
of strength allied the king.
Belize he's forgotten" said the wo-
man to herself, and she gazed sorrow
fully at the king Her eyes frightened
presently, and she nodded her head.
He'll find out that there's naught to
take the courage out of a man. He'll
find 1t out" And she began grooming
a little song as she stirred her Cruel.
The storm was over in the morning.
The beach was washed clean, the air
was sweet, and the great sea was filed
with light.
But the king did not mind the beau
ty of the morning. He sat in the door
way of the old woman's cottage with
his head bowed upon his breast, and
for long time he did not speak. The
old woman. however. looked out upon
the sea and thought of her friend, and
her heart was glad within her.
The sun was high in the sky when
at last the king lifted his head and
and looked far up end down the coast.
"A God-forsaken country, madam"
he said, looking back into the cot
tage.
The old woman was cutting bread
and cheese for the kings dinner. She
stopped a moment, and looked down
at him. "Ah, man, there's no such
country as that" said she, and her
voice was quiet and sure, and there was
light in her deep eyes that set the
king to wondering.
For many days after this the king
stayed at the little house facing the
sea, and watched the old woman and
wondered at her. At length he asked
question that puzzled him.
Madam" he said, why is it you're
content? You are alone and have but
little. You may starve, die here alone
in this miserable place, with no one
to give you a cup of water"
The old woman gazed at the king,
| and he saw that the sorrow in her
heart was for him and not for herself.
why is it," returned she, that you,
being king and having much, no fear
of starving or of dying alone, why is
1t you are not content?"
The king did not answer the ques-
ton, he turned away and went out and
walked along the store.
For many days after this the king
puzzled over the question he had
asked. At length, in the sure way
1 hot n<I Of
the truth came into the kings heart,
and he knew.
Then he sought out the old woman,
and he had no need to speak; for she
she knew that he had got at the bot
tom Of all the truth there is.
After this the king was for going
back to his own country. And a sad
country 1t was, too. Strong men sat
idle in the towns. The wheat fields
and the corn fields were gone to weeds.
Little children lay in their cribs and
cried because they were hungry Boys
and girls grew up ignorant and quar-
relsome because the money to keep the
schools had been spent at the king S
court. There were no good laws in
that country, and no one minded what
laws there were and so things had
gone from bad to worse for a long
day.
But now the king was back again,
and he had the courage of regiment.
He gathered the wisest men in his
kingdom around him, and they made
new laws. The taxes were reduced,
and the schools were opened. Then
the strong men began to work, and
the boys and girls to go to school, and
the little children to laugh and play.
All this time the old woman lived
on in her little house facing the, sea,
nor dreamed that the joy in her heart
had spread into a great country, and
made thousands of little children glad.
The Christian Register.