PRIEST AND LETTER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3383, 18 July 1927, Page 7

PRIEST AND LETTER.

In a little village in the Asturias Mountains (Northern Spain) is an orphanage managed by an old priest, who often found it difficult to provide sufficient food for all the young inmates. After much hesitation lie spent £3 6/8 an enormous sum for him, on the 20th share on a ticket in the National Lottery. Then he wrote to the Director of the Mint, in Madrid, sotting forth the precarious situation of his charge®, and adding ingeniously: “It would be very kind if "you would arrange that my number (17,229) should win a prize. The least thing will be of the greatest help to us and God will reward you.” The Director was so angry that he thought of having the priest arrested. When, however, the drawing of the lottery took place, No. 17,229 was the first prize and the priest for his share received £25.000. Ho hastened to write to the Director a second letter in blissful ignorance of the fact that ho had only just escaped being imprisoned in which ho said: “You are our great benefactor. Your name shall be engraved in letters of gold in our chapel and all my orphans shall learn to bless you.” This second letter was received with even greater anger than the first, but the priest in the orphanage knows nothing except that his orphans are better cai-ed for.