Year: 1860

that 1t lay in my power to do anything to show
you that am not ungrateful :"


As fate would have it, at this moment, a
large pear dropped at Carl's feet. Taxing il
up, he offered it to his companion. The latter
waved him off at first; but the rich, spicy odor
OF the fruit reached his olfactories. and hesi.
tatingly, he took the pear and bit it to the
core.


All" he exclaimed, what a delicious
pear" '''0'
Say you p" cried Carl "There are loads
OF them to be had for the picking Wait but q
moment, and you shall have a score. With this
ladder 1 shall ascend the tree, only hold the
ladder SO that it cannot fall -


During this speech, the person addressed
having finished the pear, stood looking hungri


y at the fruit above him. Carl now placed the
ladder and commenced ascending. But the
| cracking of the round warned him to desist: his
weight was more than the ladder would bear
Alas; were my little Fritz here, he would
run up like any squirrel-but the ladder is SC
frail: L fear we must leave the fruit alone"


Leave the fruit" cried Death, with water.
ing teeth, Stuff I myself will climb"


But, said Carl, in great alarm, did you
not hear how the ladder cracked with me
Consider, sir, you may fall


Nay. my weight is not half so great a:
yours Let 90 my arm; will 60. Hold the
ladder


Carl did not hold the ladder very carefully
lie warned the climber against the broken
round near the top, but no sooner was the lad
der unencumbered than he threw it on the
ground and himself alongside of it, and rolled
around IN perfect paroxysm of laughter.


Does any reader require to be told that for
me second time. Death was in the power of
Carl Todschalk7 -


The history, as if ashamed of the whole trans
action gives but few particulars of the scene
Briefly, Carl demanded and received six
nf Il
when released, descending and departing with,
out saying word


know that have acted ungenerously, -
Carl said, "but then my affairs are in sad dis.
order, and my farm would go to ruin were to
ieave IL now L will set about putting things
to rights this very day"
am compelled to state that things were NOT
put to rights by Carl, nor was the smallest at.
tempt made thereat by him When exactly
hve minutes Of the six months cxtorted by Carl
mad expired; he commenced casting about him
Tor some means of extending still further his
allotted time; and this occupation was by him
continued, with intervals for food and sleen
till he had devised one of the most cunnin no
pians that had ever entered .he mind of man
Nothing equal to it for ingenuity and farsight.
edness has ever been read Of in books or heard
from the lips of travellers. am given to un.
derstand that there was not doubt of its sue.
cess In the mind of its author


Du' WHO Is IL tnat mas escaped his destiny ?
On the next visit Of Death, without saving a
word, he strobe up, and with one blow severed
poor Carl'S head from his BODY.


My children it is the custom of the Father
Julius to say, ''the story which have Just told
might be better one, and might be narrated
in better manner" but there are few in which
the moral is more palpable. Know, and profit
by the knowledge, that, however often we may
escape, however circumstances may favor us,
however cunningly wo may scheme and plot,
the debt each one of us owes certain grim
creditor must, one day or another, be paid;
and he who, on that day, is found ready, will
be tar wiser than was poor Carl Todschalk.