“The doctor asked the old miser again about his affairs—‘If I die,’ said he, ‘I leave what little I have to this boy, my nephew Nicholas.’ The doctor took his leave, and Alvarus addressed his nephew as follows:—‘Nicholas,’ said he, ‘take care of this bag for me; I shall fall asleep presently, for I feel heavy; there is not any thing worth having in it; it is full of rubbish; nevertheless, some people would be base enough to wish to take it from me.’
“Alvarus went into a sleep, from which he never awoke again—Nicholas called to him—he did not answer. Nicholas run for his father and mother—they arrived, but the miser was no more. Nicholas told them the story of the bag, which they opened, and found full of guineas. The doctor confirmed the story of Nicholas, and that the property was his right. The father and mother of Nicholas shed tears at the death of Alvarus; nevertheless they said, ‘How good and wonderful is Providence! It appeared only by chance that our son should happen to go on that day to inquire after his uncle, who had then mislaid his treasure. Providence has put it in its proper channel. Let us bury Alvarus with respect, and mourn not so much that he is dead, as that when living, he had never enjoyed life.’
“Nicholas succeeded to the wealth of his uncle, which was improved by the industry and care of his parents; and from being a poor lad, Nicholas is now an opulent farmer.”
“That old miser was a very foolish old man,” said William, as soon as Mr. Willock had concluded the story. “Certainly he was,” answered Mr. Willock;“he might have made himself very comfortable, and yet have laid by sufficient to keep him far from the dangers of want in his old age; and that shows, my dear children, the difference between prudence or economy, and avarice:—prudence allows all reasonable enjoyments, but no extravagance or waste; and as the articles of plain wholesome food, refreshing drink, and neat decent cloathing, do not require any great sacrifice of money, and are proper for us, and as good management makes us as frugal as possible, we cannot be much the poorer for those reasonable indulgences; and all beyond, it is wise and necessary to lay by; out of which, we ought, nevertheless, to spare a portion, such as we can afford; to the distrest. It is then that our prudent hours are blest by Providence, and the motive approved by the same Almighty who has taught the ant to provide for winter; and indeed old age, my dear children, may properly be called the winter of life.
“We will now,” said Mr. Willock, “consider the nature of the Desire by which men wish to obtain any thing unfairly, or what is called coveting our neighbours’ goods.—There is not any Desire that can be more base or wicked than this, and it leads to the greatest crimes; if ever you feel it in your bosoms, which I trust you never will, check it, my dear children, as being base, mean, unfair, unjust, and beneath your natures; and be assured, that it is a Desire which in the end will never have success, as it is contrary to the commands of God, and below the honour and dignity of the human character. Your dear mamma can relate to you a very pretty story of the ill-success of such a desire, as well as of the folly of being too good-natured.” Mrs. Willock, finding the eyes of all her little family immediately turned towards her, began as follows:
The Story of the Two Merchants and the Black Pebble.
“In the city of Peristan, which is a province of Cashmeer, in Hindostan, lived a merchant, named Baizeed; he was a very good young man, but was so generous and prodigal of his money, and so very good-natured, that any body might get it from him; and the patrimony he had received from his father was almost spent. As Baizeed was walking one day through the streets of Peristan, he met an old man, with a small bag in his hand, who accosted him, and asked if he would choose to buy any pearls or precious stones? Baizeed had the curiosity or desire to look at them; and the old merchant seated himself under the portico of a house, where he displayed his goods. Baizeed looked at them one by one; but his attention was chiefly taken up with a small black pebble, which had on it some marks of gold, resembling in form the rays of the sun. Baizeed inquired particularly about this stone, which the merchant told him was of considerable value, though it only appeared as a common black pebble; that it was a talisman, invented by the magician Mahoud; and that in all cases of extremity or danger, it would give the owner the most faithful counsel of the good genii. Baizeed, on this, laid the pebble down, giving up all thoughts of purchasing it, as he supposed its price to be infinitely out of his reach. “I do not wish to inhance the value of the pebble,” said the old man; “I only ask fifty gold mohurs for it.” Baizeed assured him that he could not afford to give him half that money for it, and was going away, when the old diamond merchant stopt him—“Well,” said he to Baizeed, “as you have taken such a mighty fancy to the pebble, you shall be welcome to have it on credit, and pay me when you may be able.” Baizeed on this thanked the old man as politely as he could, and accepted the stone from his hands, when the old merchant explained to him some characters which were on it, in the Hindoo language, and formed the following sentence—‘The rays of wisdom.’
“Baizeed, on his return home, shewed the pebble to his wife Aseecha, and was very eager to invite all his friends to shew them also the purchase he had been so lucky as to make, and invited them to a feast for that purpose. When Baizeed’s friends were met together, one examined it carefully, another liked its curious appearance, and a third wished him to make an immediate experiment of its virtues. Baizeed was not long waiting an opportunity. One of his neighbours being engaged in a lawsuit, was very anxious to know what he should do in the affair, and intreated him to try the effect of the magic pebble.
“Baizeed took a small flint in his hand, and, upon striking it against the stone, at the first blow, the liquid fire came forth from it, and running upon the ground, immediately formed the sentence of ‘Truth.’