Year: 1861

Finally he found a servant who pleased
him perfectly. Peter was so dutiful to his
employer that he slept on hard bench
instead of bed, and ate barley bread and
potatoes for his dinner Many day went
by that he and his master lived on dry
crust and water. All the while Peter
said he wanted nothing better. But had
Gustavus known his heart, he would ra-
ther have been without him.


One stormy night the rich miser lay
half-asleep on his straw mattress He
heard step at the door, and it made him
jump, for he had a large box of gold and
silver under his bed.


"Who are you p he cried.


81 am Peter, your servant"


"What, Peter, are thieves breaking in
the house?"


"Yes, sir, said Peter smiling, "thieves
arc in the house. There are two of them
one who steals every pleasure from his
life to satisfy his avarice, and another
who is going to break open your money
box. YOU are one, and am the other"


Just as Peter spoke these words, he
sprang upon Gustavus, who was too weak
and excited to make any resistance. The
faithless servant then told him that he was
going to tie him, and if he made noise
enough to attract the police. he would in
stantly shoot him.


The only answer Gustavus made was
long groan, and he lay still while Peter
tied him. for he was very much afraid to
die. and his avarice had made him great
coward.


AHA you may well groan, for | am
going to let all these yellow birds out of the
cage" meaning the gold coins in the box
You thought | was the best servant you
ever had, and | was true enough until
found out your disposition, and where
your money was. Now you see | am going
to compensate myself for my starvation
and poor wages. Iwould like to know
what advantage all your stinginess and
sel6shness have been to you. The thou
sandth part Of your wealth is enough to
live upon and you have gone about the
streets in beggar's rags. You never gave
u servant sufficient wages for his service
and have almost starved yourself to death.
| have no education, and you have been to
the University but can give you one
lesson Think more Of y0ar feline men,
and less Of gola'


Having finished these words, and emp
tied the gold and silver in strong linen
bag provided for the purpose, he slipped
out of the door.


1t was several hours before the cries of
the miser awakened his neighbors. But
it was too late to recover his gold and de-
tect the thief, for he had escaped from the
city. Still the theft did him good, for af-
ter several weeks of grief at his loss, and
remembering parental advice, he resolved.
to break off from his course of life He
moved into one of his large houses in a
respectable part of Nuremberg, and COM
menced to atone for long life of avaricc
by selling various pieces of property, and
bestowing the returns on benevolent enter
priscs. 1t was hard for him to be benev-
olent at first, but it became easier in time.
Yet he was an old man now. and conld
only live short time longer hence it was
great source Of sorrow to him that he
had not commenced earlier to show kind
ness to his fellows, and to learn that mon
ey is nothing as an end, and should only
be sought as a means for utility and
good deeds. His last words to the attend
ant that stood at his death bed were:--
40 that had been doing in early life
what | have these last three years. |
would have saved myself lifetime of un-
happiness


ca We learn that an attempt was
made to steal some horses from pasture
belonging to a man living somewhere near
North Charlestown, N H., on Sunday
night last. but the designs of the thieves
were frustrated, by the owner seeing them,
just as they were about taking the animals
\ ~ II