The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

coopynsAt, 1912. y the New Ysst Herald Co. Al
DON'T know in what country, IN
which county, in which district, In
which street, in which corner, there
] lived a poor widower and not far from
him a rich widow. The widower had
a beautiful daughter. The widow had
two who were not very pretty and were
rather advanced in years. The widower
married the widow and they combined
the two households and lived together.
The husband was fond of his wifes
daughters as of his own, but the woman
liked her own daughters better than her
husbands child and the two girls dis
liked their pretty sister very much In
deed. Now of course the father was very
sad about it, but could not help 1t.
Once there was a fair in the town,
va;cb was not far from the village, and
the husband had to 90 to the fair. The
two elder girls and their mother asked for
no end of pretty dresses they wished
+b.;r father to bring them from the fam,
but the pretty girl of the poor man did
not dare to open her mouth to ask for
ANYTHING. We'll. my daughter, what
shall 1 bring for your asked the father
in a sad voice; why don't you speak
You shall have something too"
Don't bring me anything" replied the
girl but three walnuts and / shall be
satisfied" The man went to the fair and
brought home many snowy dresses. red
shoes and bracelets. The two girls rum
mayed among the heap of pretty things.
They threw about the colored ribbons,
golden rings and artificial flowers: they
tried on their heads the various Turkish
shawls and tried the effect of paints on
their faces; they skipped about and sang
in their joy; they cheerfully embraced
their mother and highly praised their
fathers choice at last, having got tired
of looking at the things, every one put her
share away in the closet. The pretty
girl placed the three walnuts in her
bosom and felt very sad. The two girls
could hardly wait for Sunday. They
dressed up most showily; they painted
their faces and as soon as the bell rang
for church they ran and sat in the front
pew. Before leaving home, however,
they gave the pretty girl some very dirty
wheat and o-de.ed her to clean it-about
half bushel full--by the time they came
back from church.
The girl began to sort the wheat, weep
ing, and her tesrs mingled with the wheat.
Suddenly, though, a flock of white pigeons
came flying through the window and in a
minute picked out the dirt and the tares
IrOu among Ine Wnedt anu III onOtntI miu-
ute few out of the window, with no sign
or trace left of them.
The girl stopped crying, and in her joy
about her sweet helpers she forgot all
about her sorrow. She took out her three
walnuts in order to eat them, but as she
opened the first one, why, mercy, a won
derful dress fell out, dress of pure cop
per: from the second a silver one, and
from the third a glittering gold one.
More she didn't need. She put on the
copper dress, hurried to church, sat
down in the last pew among all the old
women, and sure enough the whole congre-
cation stood up to admire her, so that the
clergyman was obliged to stop in his ser
mon. The two girls looked back quite sur
prised that there should be one prettier
than themselves, but they had to admit
that the newcomers dress was ever so
much more beautiful than their own.
1t happened that the kings son was also