Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-06-09
KINDNESS the BEST PUNISHMENT.


A quaker, of most exehiplary, characier, |
was disturbed one hight by footsteps around
his dwelling; and he arose from his bed; and
cautiously opened a back door TO reoonnoitre
Close by was ain clubhouse aud under II a
CELLAR near window of which was a man
busily engaged in receiving the contents of
his pork barrel from another within the cell
lar. The old man approached and the man
outside fed. He stepped up TO the cellar
window and received the pieces of pork from
the thief within, who, after little while. |
asked his accomplice, in a whisper, "Shall
we take it all ~ The owner Of the pork
said softly, dyes take it all, and the thief in
dusrio,lsly handed up the balance through
the window, and then came up himself
Imagine his CONSERVATION when. instead of
greeting his companion in crime, he was con-
fronted by the Quaker. Both wete aston
ished, for the thief proved 10 be near neigh
Dor of whom none would have expected such
conduct. He plead for mercy, begging the
old man not to expose him, spoke of the me-
cessi'ies of poverty, and promised faithfully
never TO steal again.
off thou had'st asked me for meat" said
the old man, Kit would have been given thee.
! pity thy poverty and thy weakness, and es-
TEEN thy family. Thou art forgiven.n
The thief was greatly reloiced, and was
about to depart, when the old man said,
10 tb,
"No, no' said the thief ssl don't want the
pork"
"Thy necessity was so great that it led
thee to steal. One half Of the pork thou mus,
take with thee"
The thief insisted he could never eat n
morsel of it. The thoughts of tie crime
would make it choke him. He begged the
privilege of letting it alone. But the old man
was incorrigible, and, furnishing the thief
with bag, and half the pork put therein,
and laying it upon his back sent him home
with it. He met his neighbor daily for many
years afterwards, and their families visited
together, but the matter was kept secret
and though in after time the circumstance
was mentioned, the name of the delinquent
waSnevcr known. The punishment was Sc
we're and effectuaE 1t was probably his
first, and certainly his last attempt to steal.
| Had the man been arranged before a court
of justice, and imprisoned for the petty theft,
how different might have been the result
His family disgraced, their peace destroyed,
the mans character ruined, and his spirit bro
ken. Revenge; not penitence, would have
swayed his heart, the scorn Of the world
would have blackened his future, and in all
probability he would have entered upon a
course of crime at which, when the first Of
| fence was committed, his soul would have
shuddered. And what would the owner of
the pork have gained Absolutely nothing
Kindness was the best punishment, for it
saved while il punished.
The following illustration in point is going
the rounds of the new spapers:
Isaac Hopper, who was member of the
Friends Society in Philadelphia, once heard
a colored man, a painter by the name of
Cain, a hardened wretch, using profane Ian.
guage, and the most horrid oa,hs, while en-.
gagged in a street fight; and supposins per-
suasion would have no effect upon him,
he took him before a magistrate, who fined
him for blasphemy. Twenty years after,
Isaac met Cain, while travelling, and OBJ.
served that his dress was tattered, and his
countenance care-worn. This touched the
Friends heart, and he stepped up and shook
hands with, and spoke kindly to the fororn
being. At first Cain did not recognize him,
when the Quaker said to him, "Dost ,hon not
remember me, and how had thee fined for
swearing,"
ayes, indeed, dol" said the culored
man.
'Well, did it do thee any good!"
mo" said he, very gruhy, ''not bit il
only made me mad 10 have my money taken
from me-"
Hopper then invited Cain to reckon up the
interest on the fine, and paid him both prns
cipal and interest, and said at the same time,
n meant it for thy good, Cain, and am sor-
ry did thee any HARM" Gains counienance
changed-the tears rolled down his cheeks
= he took the money with many thanks
became qniet man, and was never after
wards heard to use an oath. i.''|t
Such was the happy result of Kindness
1t did what punishment conld not do.
Destiny is always of more importance
than origin. When Philip Henry, the father