The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-13
(From The Fairy Ring. }

Once upon a time there was a poor
worsan who went about begging with
her son: for at home she had neither
a morsel to eat nor a stick to burn.
First she tried the country, and went
from parish to parish; but II was
poor work, and SO she came into the
town. There she went about from
house to house for a while, and at
last she came to the lord mayor. He
was both open-hearted and open
handed, and he was married to the
daughter of the richest merchant In
town, and they had one little daugh-
ter. AS they had no more children,
you may fancy she was sugar and
spice and all that's nice, and, In a
word, there was nothing too good for
her. This little girl soon came to
know the beggar boy as he went
about with his mother; and as the
lord mayor was wise man. as soon
as he saw what friends the two were.
he took the boy into his house that
he might be his daughters playmate.
Yes. they played and read and went
to school together, and never had so
much as one quarrel.
One day the lady mayoress stood
at the window, and watched the chill
dren as they were trudging off to
school There had been shower OF
rain and the street was flooded, and
she saw how the boy first carried the
basket with his dinner over the
stream. and then he went back and
| lifted the little girl over, and when
\ L i 4, hi
when the lady mayoress saw this
she got very angry. ITO think oil
such a ragamuffin kissing our daugh'
ter-we who are the best people IN
the place." That was what she said
/ Her husband did his best to step hei
tongue. mo one knew" he said
how children would turn out in life
or what might befall his own. The
boy was a clever. handy lad. and otter
and often a great tree sprang from q
slender plant"
But no. it was all the same, what
ever he said and whichever way hi
put 1t. The lady mayoress held heI
own, and said beggars on horseback
always rode their cattle to death. and
that no one had ever heard OF sill
purse being made out OF sow's ear
adding. that penny would neve'
turn into q shilling, even though i
lglittered like a guinea. The end o
lit all was that the poor lad was turn
ed out of the house and had to pacl
up his rags and be of.
When the lord mayor saw there
was no help for 1t he sent him ava,
with trader who had come thithel
with q ship, and he was to be cabiI
boy on board her. He told his wife
he had sold the boy for a roll Of to
baceo.
But before he went the lord may
or's daughter broke her ring into twt
bits and gave the boy one bit, that i
might be a token to know him by i
they ever met again; and 80 the shiI
sailed away, and the lad came to l
town, far, far off in the world. anf
ito that town a priest rad Just come
who was 80 good a preacher tina
every one went to church 20 heal
him, and the crew of the ship wen
with the rest the Sunday after t
hear the sermon. AS for tho lad. M
was left behind to mind the ship ans
to cook the dinner. So while he wa
hard at work he heard some one call
ing out across the water on an island
So he took the boat and rowed across
and there he saw an old bag, WHIT
called and roared.
aye" she said, you have cons
at last! Here have / stood hundred
years calling and bawling. and think
ling how / should ever get over thi'
water: but no one has ever heard o
needed but you, and you shall be wei
paid II you will put me over to th'
lother side"
So the lad had to row her to he
sisters house, who lived on a hill OIL
the other side close by: and whel
they got there, she told him to bel
for the old tablecloth which lay OF
the dresser Yes! he would beg 70
lit; and when the old witch who livet
there knew that he had helped he
lsister over the water, she said h
might have whatever he chose to ask
"Oh," said the boy, then 7 won
have anything else than that OLE
Itablecloth on the dresser yonder."