The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1849-05-09
70. sfso.


n rereiting lie roRienis u IL pori-ha,.
rel from anoli.er ssi.ia he rslisr. IT.
old man approached. and lie nan Outside
! fred. lie stepped Up ID IT, cellar win.
dow and received lhe pirces IL 2ark I.nm
The thief within. who, allrr lilsis While,
i asked his supposed sespnpliee. 4 ahis-
per. . Shall Ne take il III 4" Tie owner
Il lie rofk said softly. :. Yes. lake Il III :,
and ne ihiei intusirionsly hand. q o. lie
balance through The window. and then
came " himself. Imagine his consrema.
lion when. instead 81 arsrtlns lis com.
ranion in crime. lie vas confronted b. lie
Quaker. Both were as,aaishei, for lie
ilief proved 70 be near neighbor Il whom
none would have suspected such conduct.
lie plead for mercy, begged lie old man
i moi 10 exrose him. spoke Il ,I,e necessilles
Of poverty. and Promised lsilhfully aeter
10 siral again.
= II thou hadsl asked me for meat"
said The old man, al would have leen
gisea thee. pity Thy poverty and ny
weakness. and esteem lily family. Thou
All forgiven"
he lhiri was greatly rejniced. and was
about 10 depart. when de old man sa,d.
!" Take The pork. neighbour
No. NJ" said The lhiel, Il don't wan,
the pork
Thy necessity was so rrea, ihst Il
led thee 70 steal. the hall Of The pork
thou must take with Ihte."
The thief insisted lie could never eat a
norsel Of i. The thoughts Of The crime
would make il choke him. lie begged
The privilege ~ leillng |, alone. But tho
oil man was incorrigihlc, and, furnishing
the thief with bag. had half Tic pork
put therein, and laying il upon his back,
sent hun hume with il. lie met his
nelghhor daily for many years aflerward.
and their families visited together, but ihc
matter was kept secret; and though IN
alter lime The circumstance was mention.
ed. The name of the delinquent was never
known. The punishment was severe anil
eliectnal. II WIS probably his frsl, it
was certainly his iast attempt to steal.
Had the man been arragmed before a
cont OF justice. and imprisoned for The
petty theft, how different might In, . been
the result. Ills family disgraced, their
peace destroyed, the mans character min.
ell, and lis spirit broken. Revenge, not
peniience, would have swayed his heart.
The scorn Of The world would have black
ened his future, and in all probability liz
would have entered upon u course Of criute
at which, when The first offence was conn
mltied, his soul would have shudJered.
And what would the owner OF lle pork
have gainedl Absolutely nothing. Kind
ness was The best punishment, for il saved
while il punished.
The following illustration in point is
going the rounds Of newspapers:
Isaac Hopper, who was a member Of
The Friends Socieiy in Philadelphia, once
heard rolored man, painter. by tho
name of Cain, hardened wretch, using
Prolane language, and the most horritI
oaths, while engaged in street fight:
and surprising pursnaslon would have no
elect upon him, lie took him before n
magistrate, who fined him for blasphemy.
twenty years after, Isaac met Cain, while
and observed that his appear
ance was much changed; that his dress
was tailered. and his counlenaee care
worn. This touched tile Friends heart,
and he stepped up and shook hands with,
and spoke kindly 10 tile forlorn being, Al
first Cain did not recognise him, when
The Quaker said 10 him. "Dost thou re-
me, and how had thee lined for
swearing I"
Yes, indeed, | DO" said The colored
man.
Well, did. il do thee any good!"
NO." said he, very gmilly, mot a
Bit; il only made me mad to have my
money taken from me"
Hopper then invited Cam to reckon IN
he interest ON the line, and paid him both
principal and interest. and said at the
anne time, Il mean, il for thy good. Cain,
md ! am sorry did thee any HARM"
ans counlenance changed-the tears
oiled down his cheeks-he took The mo-
ey with many thanks-hecame quiet
was never afterwards heard TO
Sc an oath.
Such was The happy result Of kindness.
did what punishment could moi do.
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