The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-11-12
The Quakcr's Corn Crib

A man had been in the habit of stealing
corn from his neighbor, who was Quaker
Every night he would 60 softly to the crib
and fill his bag with the ears which the good
Quuker's toll had placed there. Every NOR.
ming the old gentleman observed dininu.
ton Of his corn pilp. This was very annoy
ing, and must be stcppedLbut how! Many
a one would have said, "Take gun; con-
ceal yourself, wait till the villain comes, and
fire." Others would haye shid, "Catch the
william, and have him sent to Jail"
But the Quaker was not prepared to enter
finto any such severe measures. He wanted
to punish the offender, and at the same time
bring about his reformation, if possible. 81
be 6xed o. sort of trap, close to the hole
through which the man would thrust his
arm in getting the corn.
|, The wicked neigh5or pro ceeded on his
unholy errand at the hour Of m midnight, with
bag in hand. Unsuspectng gly, he thrust his
hand into the crib to seize an ear, when 10
he found himself unable to withdraw it! In
vain he tugged, and pulled, and sweat, and
a|ternatively cried and cursed. His hand
was fast, and every effort to reledseit only
made it the more secure. A ter a time the
tnmGlt in his b-eust lneasurably Sub sided -
He give over his useless struggles and be
gan to. look around him. All was silence
and Tcpose. Good men were sleeping sound.
Iy in their comfortable beds, while he, wps
compelled to keep a dreary, disgraceful
watch through the remainder of that long
and tedious night, his haud in. constant pain
from the pressure of:tke clamp which he'd
it. His tired limbs, compelled 10 sustain his
weary body, would fain have sunk bereath
him, apd his,hedyy eyes would have Closed
in slumber, but no There was no rest, no
sleep for him. There he must stand and
watch the progress Of the. night, and at once
desire and dread the return of morning -
Morning came at last, and the Quaker look
ed out of the window and found he had
"caught his man."
What wos to be done! Some would say.
"Go out and give him good cowhdlng just
as he stands, and then release him; lhaRil
cure him." but not 60 said the Quaker
Such q course would have sent the man
away embtteted and mutterjng curses Of
revenge. The good old man hurried on his
clothes, and started at once to the relief and
punishment Of his prisoner. ..
"Good morning, friend ~ said he, as he
came in speaking distance. GLOW does
thee,Elo!". . -, T. H.
The poor calprit made no answer, but
burst fntos tears.
'*Oh fe!" said the Quaker, as he proceed
ed 10 release him. 81 DIN sorry chat thee
has got thy hand fast. Thee put it in the
wrong place, or it would not have been So"
The man looked Grestfallen, and begging
forgiveness, hastily turned to make his re-
treat. "Stay." said his prosecutor, for he
was now becoming such to the offender,
who could have received a blow with much
better grace than the kind words thatWere
falling from the Qnaker's lips. "Stay,
friend, thy bag is not filled. Thee needs
the corn or thee would not have taken SO
much pains to get it. Come let us ill it,
and the poor fellow was obliged to stand
and hold the bag while the old man filled it.
interspersing the ceremony with the pleas
ATTEST conversation imaginable-all Of which
were like daggers in the heart Of the cha
grined and mortified victim. The bag was
filled, anil the string tied, and the prisoner
hoped soon to be out of the presence Of hi:
tormentor, but again his purpose was thwart
ed. i,
,"Stay," said the Quaker, us the man was
about to hurry off, having mustered once
more his apologies and thanks. "Stay
Ruth has breakfast ere this; thee must no
think of going without breakfast; come, Rutt
is calling" - -
This was almost uncomfortable This wa!
uheaping Goals" with vengeance! II
vain the mortified neighbor begged to be, ex
cused. I'm vain he plead to be released from
what would be to him a punishment tel
times more severe than stripes and impris
onment. The, Quaker was inexorable, an,
he, was obliged to yield -
Breakfast over, "Now," said the old for
mer, as he helped the victim to shoulder thu
bag, "if thee need any more ccrn, come il
the day time and thee shall have it,"
With what shame and remorse did thu
guilty man turn from the dwelling of th,
pious Quaker +! Everybody Is ready to 50!
that he never again troubled the Quaker
orn.c-ib. | have some thing still bette
than that to tell you. He at once repente
and reformed, and my yiaformanvtells me tha
he Afterwards heard him relate in an expert
eince meeting, the substance of the story
have related, and he attrb uted his converst
ton, under Gods blessing, to thefcourse th
Quaker had, pnrsued, to arres. him in h
downward course. sf'F \,
----~s0os.------
6r"Mithter, mithter, what have yc
done!'' said a little newsboy to greenhol
who had just tied his horse to spruce pol
as he thought, on Third street, Philade'Phi
! a.