Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-02-02

towards US, and harping forever upon the in
jury we had received at their hands. know
that said never would cross their thresh-
hold again; but ga bad promise is better br o.
ken than kept" is wise old saying, and
I'm willing to take back that, and good many
other things that l have said, whether they
rctract anything or not.
sBut what triumph il will be TO them
We shall virtually acknowledge to the world
that tie fault lay with us and 1 can imagine
the patronising airs that Smith will assume
toward US. Bah! l wont do it; it's little
too humiliatingl" And Mr.. Jones arose, and
stood with his back to the fire, and looked a.
round him with dignfed air.
81 don't look upon it in that light, now !"
said Mr.. Jones. 81 confess l did, until of
late but it seems to me, now, as though 1
must do my duty, and then shall feel happy
again. It's of no use, this trying to lay all
the blame upon them. We are all to blame.
In the first place, ii was foolish quarrel a.
bout few pounds of tea and sugar. You
thought he ought to have saved some of his
best articles for you, because you had spoken
for them before their arrival and because he
did not, we felt hurt, and charged him with
showing partiality towards his wealthier Gus
toners; and when he denied the charge, you
gave him to understand that you did not be-
lievc him; that you knew he did not forget
what you had said some time before /; and You
know that must have been provoking
'sWell; but didn't know? Didn't Shaw
tell me that he heard Smith say that he wish
ed he had more Of thatIsugar, for that ought to
have some of it; but that he always filled out
Major knights orders, and that was what took
the last %
eyes; know have heard one thing
here, and another thing there, and people
have not been at all backward in encouraging
us in our course towards Mr.. Smith Some
times wish We had never listened to a single
thing told US about him. 1t is hard to believe
that he has slandered us, as we have heard
and it is hard TO feel that we cannot place con-
fdence in those who told us. No doubt il ha.
been the same with side, that il was with
the other. They have said hard things about
US. We have done the same by Them until
the foolish little quarrel has grown into Sc
rous difficulty, and the first cause is almost
forgotten in the throng of bitter words, cold
looks. and CALLING acts of unkindness which
have followed. I'll tell you what think. In
the first place, Mr.. Smith was wrong. 1t was
very natural for us TO resent it; but 1 WISH
now, we never had. But what's done can't
be undone. You told him what you thought
not, however, till you had told several 9TH
ers, and heard things to aggravate the case.
Then, you know, you did not keep your tenn
per very well. Mr.. Smith got angry too, and
made some very unkind remarks. We felt
injured, and cherished foolish pride in let
ting people see that we could show proper re-
sentiment when We were abused Then other
people stepped in-not TO make peace, but
to widen the brcach-and we sat down every
thing that came to us as true, often magnify
ing some slight remark into hideous inucn-
do. And SO. you see, we to blLme-very
much so. We all erring creatures; not
one of us but has faults, and it seems to me
that we ought to consider our own frailties
when we feel inclined to censure others-and
not pick up every bone of contention that
comes in our way, but just pass it by, and
think no more about 1t
eYes-yes-you are right - answered the
husband ''but the plague of it is, if Smith
and go TO talking matters over, we shall just
take a circle, and come right round to the
starting point, and neither of us will own
that we were wrong in the first place. i know
just how it will be. 1t is of no use to talk it
over; it will just be raking mp of all the
troubles from first to last, and such affairs are
just like coal fire-the more you stir it, the
hotter it grows"
..Let the fire alone, tho, and il will smoul-
der away. and die out of itself. So, with this
trouble; let it go. Say to them, let by-gones
be by-gones, and just drop the matter entire
ly, and begin where we left off, forgetting that
any thing of an unpleasant nature has happen
ed. Come, now, what do you think of it 20
"Mrs.Jo adjusted her collar, and smooth
ed her hair with her hand, as if preparing for
a start. Mr.. Jones sat down again, laid his left
foot over mis- right knee, and leisurely picked
the lint from his trowsers, gathering 1T In lit
tie pinches, and carefully dropping 1t between
the andirons, for they sat before cheerful
wood fire. He was in something of quandary.
Pride and conscience were struggling for ihc
mastery in his heart at last he said, ''Blame
me if want to have 1t 60 all over the village
that 1 acted the penitent, and Smith the mag
unanimous judge who listened to my humble
suit, and granted a merciful pardon"
ssNow, John,' said the wife, s'which is real
ly most magnanimous, to acknowledge fault,
or forgive one? 1t seems to me to be the
most easy, natural thing in the world, to for
give an erring friend when he takes the place
of penitent. But know that the proud heart
struggles long and painfully with itself, when
it feels the justice and the necessity of ac-
fault; and when it has achleV-
ed this victory, it seems to me that 1t has won
higher honors than it has when it obeys its
natural impulses, and run over with forgive
ness and tender compassion towards peni-
tent We ought not to allow dread OF the
SCOTS of village gossips to deter us from our
duty. Let us do what will please God, and
every truly good person. Let us set our own
hearts at rest, and feel that whatever others do
or saw, wc will d 10 right. Better be sDeered at
for good act than condemned for a bad one'
"Well,n said the tailor, "I wish it was well
over. do feel dreadfuliy awkward about go
ing over there under the circumstances. But
come! We can walk along down that way and
if we do not want to 60 in, We can just take
stroll around and come home again j"
They were soon equipped for their walk land
locking the door behind them, passed through |
the narrow front yard, and stepped into the
street. II was a clear Autumnal evening. The |
moon shone brightly, and lit up the streets of
the village with a soft, mild radiance, and all
along upon the sidewalks lay little patches of
nuivering light and shades where the moon |
l;gbt and the shadows of the over-hanging |