Truth Triumphant.
Ina far-off country, there was once a jeweller who left home with some valuable diamonds, for the purpose of selling them in a city at some distance from his own residence. He took with him his son and a slave. This slave he had purchased when quite a small boy, and had brought him up more like an adopted child than a servant.
The merchant at length reached the city whither he was going, and disposed of his diamonds with great advantage. While preparing to return home he was seized with a sudden illness, which in a few hours terminated his life. The merchant was quite a stranger in the city. This his servant knew, and believing himself quite safe, he declared himself to be the son of the deceased jeweller, and entitled to take charge of his property.
The real son was filled with great grief, but what could he do? He had no means of establishing his right to the property, for he had no means of proving himself to be the son of the deceased. The servant was loud in his pretensions, and one circumstance served to favor his claims. He was a young man, quite comely in his person, and polished in his manners; whereas the jeweller’s son was mean in his appearance, and had been seriously injured in his education by the indulgence of his parents. It was, therefore, quite natural that strangers should take part with the servant against the son.
At length, in order to end the dispute, the latter referred the matter to a court of law. There, however, from a total want of proof, nothing could be decided. Each party was equally positive, but neither could do more than to assert his claim. At length the judge declared his utter inability to determine which was the rightful heir to the property.
The novelty of the case, and the great amount of property in question, excited the interest and curiosity of a large part of the city. Divers opinions prevailed, and the subject became a fruitful theme of conversation and dispute. It was thought to be a case of so much importance as to merit the attention of the prince of the country.
The case was accordingly stated to him; but in like manner he also was confounded, and at a loss how to decide the question. At length a happy thought occurred to the chief judge of the prince, by which to ascertain the real heir. The two claimants were summoned before him. He ordered them to stand behind a curtain prepared for the occasion. Through this curtain two openings were made. They were directed to project their heads through these holes, and then each one might tell his story. When the judge had heard them he was to decide the case, and cut off the head of the one whom he should judge to be the slave.
Both agreed to the plan; the son relying upon the honesty and the justice of his cause; the servant, through his confidence in the impossibility of detection.
The judge took his seat, and the parties took their stations. An officer with a drawn sword stood in front ready to strike off the head of the one whom the judge should decide to be the impostor.
They now told their stories. Just as the last one had finished, the judge cried out in a stern voice to the officer, “Enough! Enough! strike off the villain’s head!” The officer sprung towards the young men with an uplifted sword. The impostor, conscious of his guilt, started back behind the curtain; the son, conscious of the justice of his cause, stood unmoved!
The judge immediately decided for the latter, ordered the property to be given to him, and the slave to be punished for his wicked and ungrateful attempt at deception.