The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-10
A Gift Of
Cabbages
By EDWARD D. SIMPLIFY

ago Hans Berault, a young countryman
who had never learned anything except
what he could pick up on the farm,
drove into the capital of the dukedom
of Flanders with a load of cabbages to
sell in the market place. He was sur
prised to see flags flying from all the
windows. the people out In their best
costumes ard every appearance OF
holiday
Now Hans, who In his farm clothes
looked greener than the cabbages In his
cart, stopped beside the curb and asked
some men talking there what was the
occasion of the festivities and was told
that the duchess. who had up to this
time been a minor, came of age that
day and would assume the reins of
government.
"And what are those wagons so gay
~ decorated for? And where are they
golng?" asked Hans.
They carry presents to the duchess"
Now, Hans was a good citizen. and
he bethought him that he, too, should
offer his gift to his sovereign, so he
drove his cart toward the palace. in
tending to offer his cabbages to her
highness. On the way he stopped at a
shop and bought some flags, the largest
of which he placed over the cabbages.
Then he went on to the palace, where
the wagons he had seen were drawn
up in the court, waiting their turn to
be unloaded. Hans pulled up at the
rear Of the line and waited too. When
his turn came the chamberlain asked
what he had and from whom it came.
"Cabbages from my farm, and / offer
them to the duchess as my own gift as
her loyal subject" Hans replied.
With this the chamberlin grew red
In the face and began to berate Hans
for what he called his effrontery,
mere country lout making a gift Of
ed for guard to take him away.
Now the duchess, who was Just eight
cen years old, was nightly interested
in her presents and was leaning out of
an upper window looking down watch
ing their unloading. Seeing the pre-
had innocently placed himself. she sent
a messenger down to say that Hans !
gift would be accepted, and he was to |
come into the palace to be thanked per
sonally by her royal self So the coun-
tryman was conducted into a richly |
furnished apartment, where the girl |
received him and thanked him for his
cabbages. She appeared to be much
touched by the loyalty of the simple fel-
low.
"We would like" she said. ito have
you in our army. Il seems more TT
ting calling for you than filling the
earth. Would you like to be a sol
dierT
Indeed / would" replied Hans:
land for so sweet and gracious a SOW
ereign 1 think l could conquer all your
enemies single handed"
Then she gave an order that Hans
should be given a commission as lieu
tenant in one of her regiments, and
dismissed him with many thanks for
his valuable present
We can never be sure of any heart
into which the little god of love will
not send one OF his arrows. The young
duchess was at most impressionabe
age, and she could not forget the hand
some face and figure, the honest loyal
look of the young cabbage grower. She
gave orders that Hans was to be sent
to a military school, and she kept track
Of him, learning that he was a very
apt scholar and bid fair to make a fine
soldier. Within a year he was pro-
noted to be captain and from that
time forward continued to advance
with equal rapidity till he commanded
a regiment.
Then one day while the army was
engaged in q war with the enemies of
the state news came to the duchess
that her troops had been beaten, her
in chief had been killed ;
and the foe was marching on the capt !
tai. In her distress she thought of the 4
who had said that for so {
sweet and gracious a sovereign he
thought he could conquer all her enc )
MES single handed. Ordering her I
coach and her mounted bodyguard, she
lrove out toward her retreating forces.
When she met them she sent at once :
or Colonel Hans Berault and said TO 4
lin: [
Colonel, you once said that for me =
,ou thought you could conquer my +
nemies single handed. | wish you TO t
axe command OF this retreating army :
md turn 1t against the enemy"
Your highness can make It posi-
lie" replied the colonel.
"How?"
II will order the army to halt as the .
nen come up, and you can tell them
he story OF how became their leader g
t will win them to your support at y
nee. and they will fight for you to the !
cath" ]
Then the troops were collected as :
asst as they arrived. and the duchess Il
old how Hans when a simple fellow Al
( the lowest grade had made her a.
resent of his cabbages and how she RI
ad received his gift. They heard the Il
tory with cheers. and when their new q
sader ordered them to reform and =
larch back against the enemy they =,