“Indeed, husband, I will think no more of these riches you promised me, if you will stay quietly at home, assist me in getting an honest livelihood, and give your thoughts to God and the church.  But how comes it that you are in the hat of a priest?”

The forlorn general picked up the hat, and having eyed it distrustfully, said in reply:  “You must know, dear Polly, that though I gained some fame as a politician; that my valor as a military man no man ever dared doubt; and that no really great man ever had more undertakings; this hat is the only trophy left to me.  And though my melancholy put a quick end to the rest of my days, I am resolved to preserve this relic of my lost kingdom, so that when my enemies scoff and say, “all the wonderful things that were written of him had no truth in them, except only as they appeared on paper, I can, pointing to this hat, say:  ‘here’s the ducat!’”

“You are dearer to me than several kingdoms would be, dear Roger,” resumed the honest woman, kissing him affectionately.

“And now, Polly,” he rejoined, “give me an account of your trials and struggles during my absence, for I see care has written the history of many of them in your face.”

The good woman immediately drew her chair beside him, and commenced giving an account of the many troubles and trials she had undergone; but so numerous were they, that it would be impossible to recount them all here.  The little pictures which gave such a martial air to his home had been sold to get bread; death had kindly stepped in and relieved the mother of one daughter; the other was out at service.  In short the forlornness pervading each object that met his eye, told how hard had been the struggle for bread.  As she continued recounting her trials his grief deepened; but when she came to the death that had carried away his favorite child, his head dropped, and burying his face in his hands, he gave vent to his feelings in sobs and tears.  “Heaven give me strength,” he sighed, “that I may retain her sweet face in my memory.”  This was indeed a misfortune that seemed to shut the past from his thoughts, and to increase his sufferings as the future appeared to him in all its loneliness.  And when he had partially recovered from this shock of grief, the good woman brought him food, for he was hungry; and also procured him a change of raiment from one of the neighbors, there not being a shred of his own in the house.  And when he had satisfied his appetite, he turned to his wife, saying; “As these misfortunes which have overtaken me are incident to the lives of all great men, I hold it good policy that we mourn them not too long, but set to loving one another, that we may be cured of the sins of this world when death calls us away.”