Year: 1872

answer. Alas, what had he done
How fatal was the gift the stranger
had bestowed The minute the lips
Of Midas touched the forehead of his
little daughter a change had taken
place Her sweet rosy face, so fall
of love IA it had been, assumed a gilt
tering yellow color with yellow tear
drops congealing on her checks. Her
beautiful brown curls became spirals
Of gold filagree Her soft and hexi-
ble form became hard and rigid in
her father embrace. oh frightful
misfortune The victim of his IN
satiable desire for wealth, Little Ma
rygoli was human child no longer,
but golden statue.


Yes, there she was, with the ques-
tioning look of love and pity harden
ed INTO her face. 1t was the pretti-
vst. and most woeful sight that ever
mortal beheld, aud poor Midas, in
his grief and horror, felt how infinite
~ warm and tender heart that low
ed him exceeded in value all the
wealth that could be piled up be
tween the earth and sky.


L y
all his gratifed wishes, began TO
wiring his hands and bemoan HIM
self he could not hear TO look at
Marygol1, nor vet TO look away from
her. All the features and token of
his child were there even the little
dimple IN her golden chin. But the
more perfect the resem blance the
greater the fathers agony at behold
ing IN this golden image all that was
left him OF his little darling pet
Alas too well has his wish oeen
granted. So Midas had only to
wiring his hands and wish that he
was the poorest man in the world, if
the loss of all his wealth would only
bring back the life into his dear lit
tie child.


While he was in this tumult of
despair he suddenly beheld q strang-
er standing near the door Midas
bent down his head without speak
ing, for he recognized the same fig
ure which had appeared to him the
day before, IN the treasure room, and
bestowed on him the Golden Touch.


"Well, friend Midas, said the
stranger, "pray how 10 you succeed
with the Golden Touch -


Midas wrupg bis hands. 81 am
very miserable, said he. Very
miserable, indeed 7. exclaimed the
stranger, and how happens that
Have l not faithfully kept my prom
ise to you? Have yop not every
thing your heart desired ?"


Gold is not everything, replied
Midas "and I have lost everything
my heart really cared for"


.'Ah SO you have made that dis
covery. Let us see, then. Which
of these things 90 you really think
worth the most-the gift of the
Golden Touch, or one cup Of clear.
cold water ,"


80, blessed vvateri'' exelainaed Nj
das- cit VIII never moisten my
parched lips again"


''The Golden Touch" continued
the stranger, I" or crust of bread. -


GA piece of bread is worth all the
gold on earth, replied poor heart
broken Midas.


"The Golden Touch," asked the
/ stranger, cor your own little, Mary
gold, warm, soft and loving, as she
was an hour ago p


"Oh, my child, my darling child =
said poor Midas, wringing his hands,
Il would not give that one small
dimple in her chin for the power Of
changing this whole earth into one
solid lump OF gold.


''You are wiser than you were,
King Midas. You now see that the
commonest things, such as lie within
everybodys grasp, are more valua-
ble than the riches for which so
many mortals sigh and struggle.
Tell me now, do you sincerely wish
to lid yourself Of this Golden
Touch ?"


"It is hateful to me-" replied
Midas.


go then and plunge into the
river that glides past the bottom OF
your garden. Take, likewise, a vase
of the same water, and sprinkle
it over any object that you may de.
sire to change back again from gold
to its former substance. If you dc
this in earnest sincerity, it may pos
sibly repair the mischief you have
done with your ayarice."


King Midas bowed low, and when
he raised his head the lUstrous
stranger had disappeared.
I You viii easily believe that Midas
lost no time in snatching up a great
earthern pitcher that became gold
as he touched it, and fastening tc
the river side, every thing he touched
turned yellow and became gold. Or
reaching the rivers brink he plunged
in headlong, without waiting sc
much as to pull off his shoes.


"Poof poof poof r snorted Mi
das, as his head emerged out of The
water Well. this is really a re
freshing bath, and I think it mus
have quite washed away the Colder
Touch. And now for filing ny
pitcher"


As be dipped the pitcher into tn
water it gladGened lis heart to see i
change from gol into She same hon
est ear hen vessel which it had been
King Midas fastened back to tn,
palace, and you need hardly be tolo
the first thing he did was to spr nkl
it by handfuls over the golden fgar'
Of little Marygold.


No sooner did it fall on her thar
you would have laughed to see how
the rosy color came back to the deai
child's check, and how she began II
sneeze and sputter, and how aston
ished she was to find herself drip
ping wet, and her father still throw
ing more water on her.


pray do not, dear father" cries
she see how you have wet my mic
dress, which l put on early thi
morning


For Marygold did not know tina
she had been a golden statue, no
recollect anything. that had hap
pened since the MON ent when she ha'
run with outstretched arms to coz
fort poor king Midas And he
father did not tell her 4zfS foolish h
had been, but led Marygold into tn
garden and delighted Ter little hear
by sprinkling all the roses and turn
ing them back again into real fra
{ grant beauties.


= And when King Midas had grow,