The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-03-09
WESTERLY, r. l., THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1854.

ing the animal at large, let down the
bars of Reuben's own corn-feld, and
the poor beast walked in, and feasted
as he had not done for many year
1t would have been great satisfaction
to Reuben if he could have brought q
suit against his horse /; but as it was, he
was oblihed to content himself with
beating him. His next exploit was to
shoot Mary Green's handsome cock, be.
cause he stood on the stone wall and
crowed, in the ignorant joy of his heart
a few inches beyond the frontier line
that bounded the contiguous farms
Simeon said he was sorry for the poor
bird, and sorry because his wife and
children liked the pretty creature but
otherwise it was no great matter. He
had been intending to build a poultry
yard with good high fence, that his
hens might not annoy his neig ghbors
and now he was admonished to make
haste to do it. He would build them q
snug warm house to roost in; they
should have plenty of gravel and oats,
and room to walk back and forth, and
crow and cackle to their hearts content;
there they could enjoy themselves, and
be out of harms way.
But Reuben Black had degree of
ingenuity and perseverance which
might have produced great results for
mankind, had those qualities been devo-
ted to some more noble purpose than
provoking quarrels, A pear tree in
his garden very improperly stretched an
arm little over Simeon Green's prem
iscs. 1t happened that the ovorhang-
ing bough bore more abundant fruit,
and glowed with richer hue than the
other boughs. One day little George
Green, as he went whistling along, pick
ed up a pear that had fallen into his
fathers garden. The instant he touch
ed it he felt something on the back of
his neck, like the sting of Il wasp. tt
was Reuben Blacks whip, followed by
such storm of angry words that the
poor child rushed into the house in an
agony Of terror But this experiment
failed also. The boy was soothed by
his mother, and told not to 20 near
the pear tree again and there the mat
ter ended
This impertnrable good nature vcxed
Reuben more than all the tricks and
taunts be met from others. Evil efforts
he could understand, and repay with
interest, bnt he did not know
what to make of this perpetual forbear-
snce. 1t seemed to him there must be
contcmptous in it. He dis
liked Simeon more than all the rest of.
the people put together, because he
made him feel SO uncomfortably in
the wrong, end did not afford him the
slightest prctext for complaint 1t was
to see every thing in his neigh
boris domains looking so happy, and
presenting such a bright. contrast to the
forlornness of his own. When their
wagons passed each other on the road,
t seemed as if Simeon's horse tossed
his head higher and threw out his name
IS if he knew he was going by Reuben
Blacks old nag.
Heoften said heI supposed Green COW
,red his house with roses and honey
iuckles on purpose to shame his bare
ya,,ss. But be did not care-not he
lib was not going to be fool enough to
ot his boards with such stuff. But no
me resented his disperaging remarks,
IT sought to provoke him in any way
The rose smiled, the horse neighed,
md the calf capered but none of them
lad the least idea that they we're scorn-
ID by Reuben Black. Even tho dog
lad no malice in his heart, though he
lid one night chase home his geese,
nd bark at them through the bars.
Reuben told his master the next day,
nd said be would bring an action
Igainst him if he did not keep that dog
It home. Simeon answered very qui-
,tly that he would try to take better
are of him. For several days strict
watch was kept, in hopes Tower would
worry the geese again [; but they paced
,ome undis.urbed, and not u solitary
,ow-wow furnished excuse for a lawsuit.
The new ncighbors not only declined