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_The Story of the Poor Man Who Befriended a Beggar_

THE SILVER TRACKS

There were once three brothers who lived in the same village. One of
them was very rich. He had houses and fields and barns. He had nothing
to spend his money on for he had no children and his wife was as saving
and hardworking as himself. The second brother was not so rich but he,
too, was prosperous. He had one son and all his thought was to
accumulate money and property in order to leave his son rich. He schemed
and worked and slaved and made his wife do the same.

The third brother was industrious but very poor. He worked early and
late and never took a holiday. He couldn't afford to for he had a wife
and ten children and only by working every hour of the day and often far
into the night could he earn enough to buy food for so large a family.
He was a simple man and a good man and he taught his children that the
most important thing for them to do in life was to love God and be kind
to their fellowmen.

Now it happened that once, when our Lord Christ was on earth testing out
the hearts of men, he came in the guise of a beggar to the village
where the three brothers lived. He came in a brokendown cart driving a
wheezy old horse. It was cold and raining and night was falling.

The Beggar knocked at the door of the richest brother and said:

"I pray you in God's name give shelter for the night to me and my
horse."

"What!" cried the rich man, "do you suppose I have nothing better to do
than give shelter to such as you! Be off with you or I'll call my men
and have them give you the beating you deserve!"

The Beggar left without another word and went to the house of the next
brother. He was civil at least to the Beggar and pretended that he was
sorry to refuse him.

"I'd accommodate you if I could," he said, "but the truth is I can't. My
house isn't as big as it looks and I have many people dependent on me.
Just go on a little farther and I'm sure you'll find some one who will
take you in."

The Beggar turned his horse's head and went to the tiny little house
where the poor brother lived with his big family. He knocked on the door
and begged for shelter.

"Come in, brother," said the Poor Man. "We're pretty crowded here but
we'll find a place for you."

"And my horse," the Beggar said; "I'm afraid to leave him out in the
rain and cold."

"We'll stable him with my donkey," the Poor Man said. "Do you come in