Year: 1879

Duke Le0p0ld's Stone.
There was once great Duke Leopold,
| Who had wit and wisdom, as well as gold,
| And used all three in q liberal way
For the good OF his people, the stories say.
To see precisely what they will do,
And how nearly notion of his came true,
| He went from his palace one night alone
! When hrooding storm and starless skies
Hid his secret from prying eyes
| And set midway in the road stone.
1t was not too big for man to move
The Duke was confident on that score;
Yet the weight OF the thing was enough tt
The strength of ones muscle-and something
more


Something MORE" laughed the Duke as he


strobe
Through wind and rain on his homeward road
This time tomorrow L reckon will show
1t notion of mine is correct or no.'
From a window high in the palace wall,
He watched next day for the passers-by,
And grimly smiled as they one and ALL
Where they found the stone, left the stone to


lie.


A numbering ox-cart came along,
And Hans, the driver, was stout and strong;
One sturdy shove with the right intent
Would have cleared the track of impediment;
But whatever appeared to be needless work,
Or work that another might possibly do,
Hans made it point OF duty to shirk.
He stopped his team for q minute or two,
And scratched his head as he looked about
For the easiest way of getting out:
Chem" Lucky for me that the road is wide, /"
lie lazily murmured, and drove aside.
The next that came was grenadier
Bristling in scarlet and gold array;
And he whistled tune both loud and clear,
But he took no note of the rock in his way
When its ragged edges scraped his knee
" Thunder and lightning! what g this ?'' says
" Have MT the blockheads sense enough
To clear the road of this sort of stuff?
A pretty thing for a grenadier
To stumble against, and bark his shins,
If 1 knew the rascal that planted it here
Yes, surely! I'd make him see his sins"
He clanked his sword, and he tossed his


plume,
And he strutted away in terrible fume;
But as for moving the stone-not he
" 1t is just" said the Duke, cas- thought it


would be-"
little later, still watching there,
He spied on the way to the village fair,
troop of merchants, each with his pack
Strapped on a well-fed animals back.
" Now let us see," with nod of his mead
And merry twinkle his highness said:
" Perhaps this wonderful multitude
Will lend hand for the public good"
But alack! the company, man and horse,
Hardly paused in their onward course.
Instead OF cantering four abreast,
Two by two they went east and west;
And when they had LETT the stone behind
" To think OF a thing like that" said they,
" Blocking the highway for half a day"
1t never reached the collective mind
In the light of manner that implied
Some possible claim on the other side.
SO a week, and two, and three slipped past;
The rock in the road lay beddea fast,
And the people grumbling went and came,
Each with tongue that was glib to blame,
But none with hand to help. At last
Duke Leopold, being quite content
With the issue of his experiment,
Ordered his herald to sound blast,
! /.
A word from his high-born lips to hear.
From far and near at the trumpet call,
They gathered about the palace WALL
And the Duke, at the head of glitterins


train,


Rode through the ranks of wondering eyes
To the spot where the stone so long had lain. +.
1 will leave you to picture their blank sur


prise,


When he leaped from his horse with smiling
And royal hands pushed the stone from its
place!


But the stare OF amazement became despair
When the Duke stopped down with his gra-


cious air,





A casket shut with craven lid.
The legend upon it he read aloud
TO SILENT and very crest-fal .en crowd:
"This box is for him, and for him alone,
Who takes the trouble to move this stone"
Then he raised the lid, and they saw the


shine


Of golden ring, and purse OF gold;
" Which might have been yours" said Duke


Leopold;
" But now, regret to say is mine.
1t was 1 who for reasons of my own
Hindered your highway with the stone.
What the reasons were you have doubtless


guessed
Before this time. And as for the rest,
I think there is nothing more to say.
My dear good friends, 1 wish you good


dayw


He mounted his horse, and the glittering


train


After their leader galloped again.
With sound oil trumpet and gieam OF gold
They flashed through the ranks OF downcast
eyes,
And the crowd went home feeling rather


asoldo
Perhaps, however, lesson lies
In the story, that none of us need despise.


-.Mary e. Bradley, in st. Nicholas.



HIS FIVE MOTHERS-IN-LAW.