THE BOYS' CORNER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19744, 17 September 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE BOYS' CORNER.

THE MAGIC RING, BY EDITH HOWES. A young man named Blinks had beea left so weli off by his father that he had no need to earn a living. Having leisure, therefore, and being ambitious, he began to look about to see how he ought set his name far above »ii others in the Lists of fame.

For a year he read and thought. " Happiness!" he said at last. " Happiness is what all seek. Then if by any plan of mi no I can remove some worldwide source of sorrow, the very heavei-s wiL ring with my Dame and fame " With this great thought in his mind he went to and fro among men, studying those about him, and listening to their complaints. So another year passed. " It is certain that more sorrow is caused by ppople living unhappily together than in any other way," he said at last. " Where the worttiy and unworthy are voked together they must by nature pull in opposite directions, causing pa-n to both. Let me but plan something by which that, pain may be avoided, and my fame is assured." He thought and thought, till he grew thin with thinking. He studied precious stones and all their properties, and the effects of human qualities upon them as related in old books of magic; he learned the arts of gem cutting and setting; ho practised working in metals. At last, after years of patient toil, he produced a ring which,, on contact of the hands of two people, would betray unequalness if it were present. If both were worthy, then the ring remained unchanged, but if one ware unworthy, then a cloud came over the single gem that adorned the ring. If both were unworthy, the gem turned quite black. Great was his rejoicing over his discovery. "Now I shall be the most famous man in the world I" be cried. "And I shall make a vast fortune besides." He made numbers of the rings, then took a shop ih the city, where he displayed them in rows upon velvet stands. A sigu over the shop proclaimed: Magic Rings for Sale. They Ensure Happy marriages. For that is where choice lies," said Blinker to himself. "Children and parents must live together, worthy or unworthy, but young men choosing a wife have now no need to wed unhappily." Young men came in crowds to buy. "This is the greatest discovery of the age," they told one another. Soon all the rings were sold and helpers had to be engaged to make more. The helpers, sworn to keep the secret of the making, had now to work day and niglit to keep up with the demand. Biinkftr, the man who had made happy mtrriages was talked of everywhere. The world rang with his name. His heart rose high and prond. 'There is none greater and more famous than myself !* r he said. " Now I will marry Adora." For she was the gentlest and most beautiful lady in the city, and she, he felt, would be worthy to mate even with him. But when he had wooed her, find placed the magic ring upon her finger, at the contact of their hands the gem was clouded! " You are unworthy! Even you!" ho cried in horror, and ha drew the ring from her finger, and left her there in tears. Nor did he go back to her in the davs that followed. but his heart was sore, for the geutle lady had taken a place there, in such room as was left from his own swollen image. Yet ho must not wed an unworthy wife. He tried again, placing the ring on the finger of this lady and that, hoping to find one worthy of his choice, but each time the ring was clouded as before. There came to him one smiling and gay and bantering. A cousin she was of that gentle Adora whom he had not eveo yet succeeded ji banishing from hia heart. She made frtewls with nim and he admired her greatly. " AW!" he thought. " She will not cloud the magic ring. " I will not try it ot> to-day, she said when he asked her. " But bring it to-morrow and let it be a test," Ami she set the hour on which he should bring the ring to her. On the morrow he went eagerly to her house. But again the jowel clouded ovrr at the contact of their hands. •• Un. worthy!" he groaned. " You too! Aias, none is worthy. I must remain unwed." He would have left her, but she stayed him and now he had time to notice with surprise that she was not shamed nor weeping, but instead was merry and smiled as at a jest. " Be not too swift in your going," she said, " but tend the ring a moment for a farther test " Wondering, he gave the ring into her hand. She called, and a young/ mau, answering her smile with happy eyes, came from the next room. "Place thw ring on my finger!" she commanded, and Blinker saw plainly that between them lay some jest. The young man placed the ring upon her finger, and at the contact of their hands the gem remained as brightly shining as before. "* You see ?" she asked of Blink«r. "It is not my un worthiness that clouds the ring, nor is it that of my husband here, with whom I plotted to show you yourself. Whose un worthiness dimmed the ring, think you ?" Suddenly laughter was gone from be* face. Now have 1 avenged rny gentle cousin," she said. " Go! Down on your knees before her whom you judged so harshly and shamed so bitterly." Stricken, be returned to bis hows, thnre to dwell piteously on that which had befallen him. Looking at last into h:i own heart, he saw there the giant image of himself, to swelled wttfa pride that little room was left for aoy other. Bloated self, you shall soi cramp rcy life!" he cned, and ha rained blows opon the pampered thing til! it cowered and shrank. As that image dwindled, becoming list and 1«« till it'was almost nothing, longsmothered kindltneeeet and graces raised their head* and grew, and the crushed ! image of Adora crept softly trtm it* comer into the middle of his neart, where it expanded to full lovehness. He went to her and begged Her to forgive, and on hit krseea showed her his heart, and when she saw" how that bloated image of himaeif bad dwmd3*d, in her gentleness she forgave him W h "trembling band he placed the ring 3 her finger. Tint time it did not' cloud, hat remainder! as brightly m before. "Ass I then rfcaiiy worthy you V* he asked, and bis eye-s wers dimmed with bumble joy.