A0 thL,IL Ived at S]\thul

in lecland, anold peasant, who was no more rich wisdom than 1n fortunc. Whilst at church one day the good man heard a fine scrmon on charity. “Give to lim that asketh thee,” said the preacher, “and it shall be returned unto thec a hundred-fold.” The peasant’s attention was taken by thesce constantly-repeated words, which confused still more his already clouded faculties. Hardly had he returned home than he began to cut down the trees of his garden, to (llg up the soil, and to pile up stones and wood as though he were about to build a palace.

“What are you doing man ? 7 asked his wife.

“ Call me no longer ‘my

there, myv poor

poor man, " said

the peasant, in a solemn voice ; we are rich, my dear wife, or at least we are going to he, In a fortnight’s time I am going to give

by

away my cow and “ Our cow ! our only resource 7 wifc, “we shull dic of hunger.”

“ Hold vour tongue, you silly woman,” replicd the peasant; it 1s casy to sce you unduerstand nothing ot our pastor’s latin. In giving away our cow, we shall recenve a hundred back as a reward. The pastor said so. [ shall shelter lifty beasts in the stable 1 am building, and with the value of fifty others

cried the

I 'rRoM THE

A SDTORY

I'rexcu or I8 L.abounave.

I shall buy pasturc enough to feed our herd i summer as in winter. We shall be richer than the King.”

And without heeding cither the prayers or reproaches ol his wife, our simpleton began to butld his stable, to the great astonishment of his neighbours.

This work finished, the good man slipped a cord round the neck of his cow and led it dircet to the pastor’s house. He found him talking to two strangers, whom he hardly glanced at. so cager was he to make his resent and to receive his reward.

The pastor was amazed at such a new species of charity. He gave a lengthy ex- planation to the foolish fellow to show him that the Bible only spoke of spiritual rewards. [t was of no use: the peasant only repeated. “You said so, sir, you said so.” Wearied last of reasoning with such a blockhead, the pastor broke forth in holy wrath, and slammed his door in the face of the peasant, who, perfectly astounded, st()od rooted to the spot, repe kltmu imcessantly, ** You said so, vou said SO, Ho“m cr, he had to return h()mc° Nno casy matter. It was i ospring o the ice was melting, and the wind swept the snow in great drifts. At every step the man shipped, the cow bellowed, and refused to advance. In an hour’s time the peasant had missed the path, and was 1n fear of losing his lifc. He stopped in perplesity, ]\nox\m(r no more what to do than the animal which led. Whilst he stood in doubt, a man, laden with a great sack, came up to him and asked him what he was doing in such bad weather with his cow.

When the peasant had told him his griev- ance, the stranger replied, *“ My good man,