Year: 1873

Iu suO NOioS VIZ uSI hDNio . Ao9hSN
to the spot, and, on finding the
goldsmith dead under his money,
exclaimed at really is a misfor-
tune, when blessings rain down
like cudgels." Then heirs camo
and divided the spoil.


Meanwhile the farmer went
happily home, and showed the
ring to his wife.


1--WE Shall never want for any
thing, dear wife," he said sour
fortune is made. But we must
consider we'll what we must wish
for"


The wife had a bright idea
ready at hand.


"Let US wish ourselves some
more land" said she u" "we have so
little. There is just . nice strip
which stretches into our field. Let
US wish for that"


THAT would never be worth
while," replied the husband; ''we
have only to work we'll for q year,
and have a moderate share Of
good luck, and we can buy it for
ourselves"


And the man and his wife work
ed hard for a whole year, and the
harvest had never been so plenti
full as that autumn, so they were
not only able to buy the strip Of
land, but had money to spare.


"You see," said tho husband,
"the land is ours and the wish
too."


Then the good woman thought
it would be a capital thing to wish
themselves q COW and a horse.


"Wife," answered the husband,
again clinklng the surplus money
in his pocket; sit would be folly
to sacrifice our wish for such q
trumpery thing. We can get the
COW and horse without that"


And, sure enough, in another
years time, the horse and COW had
been we'll earned. So the man
rubbed his hands cheerfully, and
said:


"Another year has passed, and
still the wish is ours, and yet we
have all we want: what good luck
we have"


The wife, however, began to be
very impatient, and tried serious
iy to induce her husband to wish
for something.


"You are not like your old self"
she said Grossly "forme1ly, you
were always grumbling and COM
planning, and wishing for all sorts
of things; and now, when you
might have whatever you want,
you toll and work like slave, are
pleased with everything, and let
your best years slip by. You might
be an emperor, duke, great, rich
farmer with loads Of money, but
no-you can't make up your mind
what to choose"


"Pray do cease continually wor-
rying and teasing me-" cried the
farmer we are both Of US young,
and life is long. The ring con-
tains but one wish, and that must
not be squandered. Who knows
what may happen to US, when we
might really need the ring? Do
we want for anything now I? Since
the ring has been ours, have we not
so risen in the world that all men
marvel at US? So do be sensible,
and amuse yourself, if you like, by
thinking what we shall wish for.


And so the matter was allowed
to rest for the present. 1t really
seemed as if the ring brought
blessings on the house, for barns
and granaries grew fuller and full
Ter from year to year; and, in the
course Of time, the poor farmer
became a rich and prosperous one.


He worked all day with his
men as ifthe whole world depend.
ed upon it; but in the evening,
when the vesper bell sounded, be
was always to be seen sitting, con-
tented and well.to-do, at his thres'
hold, to be wished "Good even,
ing" by the passers-by. Now and
then, when they were quite alone
and 30 one near to hear, the WON
an still reminded her husband OF
the ring, and made all sorts oi
propositions TO him. He always
answered there was time enough
10 think about it, and that the
best ideas always occurred to one
last. So she gradually fell into the
way Of mentioning it. less often
and at last it rarely happened that
the ring was ever alluded to at all
| The former, it is true, turned the
ring on his finger twenty times s
day and examined it closely, but
took good care never to express the
slightest wish at the time. Anc
so thirty and forty years went by
and the farmer and his wife grew
old and their hair snow-white, anc
the wish remained unspoken.-