A look of puzzled amazement came over his sad face,
which made the two watchers chuckle with amusement. He turned the
coin over and over in his hand, and gazed at it in astonishment.
As he looked at it he felt with his foot for the other shoe, and
slipped that one on. To his great surprise that shoe, too, held a
coin. Holding up both silver pieces, and staring at them in
silence, he made a most impressive picture, which was by no means
lost upon the two beholders. Then suddenly clasping his hands
together he fell upon his knees and gave thanks for the blessing
that had come upon him.
As he prayed, the boy and his tutor learned from his words that
his poor wife was sick and helpless at hone, and that his
orphaned grandchildren were suffering for food, while he, old and
feeble, was striving by heavy toil to earn a crust. The old man
invoked the blessing of Heaven upon the unknown but generous soul
who had pitied his poverty--the kind heart, whosesoever it might
be, that could thus beat warm in charity and kindness for the
hungry and the poor.
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