HIS PAYMASTER.
KING FREDERICK of Prussia, when he was out driving one day, saw an old farmer who was plowing in a field, and singing cheerfully over his work.
"You must be well off; old man," said the king.
"Does this land on which you so industriously labor, belong to you?"
"No, sir," replied the old man, who of course had no idea that he was speaking to the king. "I am not so rich as that; I plow for wages."
"How much do you earn a day?" asked the king.
"Eight groschen," returned the man. (That would be about twenty cents of our money.)
"That is very little," said the king. " Can you get along on it?"
"Get along? Yes, and have something left."
"How do you manage?"
"Well," said the farmer, smiling, "I will tell you. Two groschen are for myself and wife, with two I pay my old debts, two I lend, and two I give away for the Lord's sake."
"This is a mystery which I cannot solve," said the king.
"Then I must solve it for you," replied the farmer. "I have two old parents at home, who kept me and cared for me when I was young and weak and needed care. Now that they are old and weak I am glad to keep and care for them.
This is my debt, and it costs two groschen a day to pay it. Two more I spend on my children's schooling. If they are living when their mother and I are old, they will keep us and pay back what I lend. Then with my last two groschen I support my two sisters, who cannot work for themselves. Of course I am not compelled to give them the money, but I do it for the Lord's sake."
"Well done, old man!" cried the king as he finished. "Now I am going to give you something to guess. Have you ever seen me before?"
"No," said the farmer. "In less than five minutes you shall see me fifty times, and carry in your pocket fifty of my likenesses."
"This is a riddle which I cannot guess," said the farmer.
"Then I will solve it for you," returned the king; and with that, he put his hand in his pocket, and, pulling out fifty gold-pieces, placed them in the hands of the farmer.
"The coin is genuine," said the king, "for it also comes from our Lord God, and I am his paymaster. I bid you, good-bye; " and he rode off, leaving the good old man overwhelmed with surprise and delight.
—S. S. Visitor.