The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-05-10
The Man that Killed His NeighbOrs.
By I. MARIA CHILD.

Z
Reuben Black was AN iniesfatiOn iu tir
neighborhood where he resided. Tie very
sight Of him produced effects SIMILAR 90 q
HindOo magical tune named Rang which
: said 10 bring Oh clouds storms and earth
quakes.
His wife seemed lean sharp and uncom-
fJrtalie TIE heals " bis boys had q
Dristling ASPECT. as If each hair stood OH
end with perpetual fear.
The cows poked Out their horns horizon
tally, a. soon As lie opened the barn-yarl
gales. The dog dropped lis Tail between
Hls les and eyed Linn askance 20 See VIA,
| IumOr De was in. The cat looked Wild and
! -crdggy. and had been known 10 rusA
straight up the chimney when lie moved
coward her. Fanny hembie's expressive
| description VI tie Pennsylvania stage hor-
.es was exactly suited 10 Reuhen's poor old
| uag. Ills lido resemJeI ala old lair
/ trunk" Continual whipping aud kicking
! 4ai made Aim such a. stole that 10 aMDlf .
ii blows could quicken DE-, pace, nO chr
| fuppng could change tie Gejected droop
.n. 81 Ills cad. All bis i~lurIi ldngua-r
/ said. a. plain - 4 horse cO~M say it. thai
ne was "a most uGhIppy beast
Even The trees on Reuben premises had
a gnaried aud knOtiei appearance. The
| Lark wcpt little sicklv iesr- of gum and
-hc branches grew awry. as il They felt the
continual disCOgd. and made sorry faces at
each other ueniad the owners back. His
ieids were red with sorrel or run over
Z With mullen fvory thing seemed as hard
/ .ll arid ts bis oWu viau.e. livery day hc
/ c.wscd The town and the neighboruOOl he
.luso th0y poisoned hi. dog. stonet bis
/ hers aLl shot his cats. Continual law
suits involved hiin ln SO much expense that
lie nad neither time nor money 10 spend On
I lie Improvement uf his ,AIm.
Against Joe smith. poor iabOrer In the
ueIghbornood Le had brought three suit.
IN succession Joe said he had returned "a
I spade Dee had borrowed. and Reuben said
I lie bad not He sued Joe and recovered
damages. for which he ordered the sheriff 10
I seize ms pig. Joe. in his wrath. called him
al old swIndler and curse 70 the neigh
/ h0rhoOd.
These remarks were soon repeated 10
/ Reuben. lie brought an action for libel,
and recovered twenty-five cents. pruvOk-
ed at the laugh this Occasioned, De watch
/ eel for Joe 10 pass by ami ~. has dog upon
INN, al the same TINE screaming iUrlOusN,
Call me AN old sNlndler again, will You ~
An evil spirit is more contagious than
/ the plague. Joe went home aud scolded
his wife boxed little Joe's ears. and kicked
the cat: and no; one of them knew what j;
was all for
A fortnight after. Reuben's biz dog was
/ found dead by poison. WhereupOn he
brought another action against Joe Smith.
and not being able 10 prove him guilty OF
the charge Of a dog murder be took his re
yenge by poisoning pet lamb belonging
10 Mrs smith Thus the bad game went
ON with mutual wOrriment and loss Joe's
temper grew more and more vindiCLiVe, and
the love of talking over his troubles al the
grOg-shOp increased upon him. Poor Mrs
smith cried and said it was all owing to
Reuben Black, Tor "A better-hearted man
IuaI ivu uliii-
such was The stale of things when Simeon
Green purchased tie farm adjoining Reu-
Uens. The estate had been much neglect
Ell, and had caught ,hs.le= ana mullen
irOni the ncighhornS fields. Bus sHncOn
"as "a dIlIsscnt man, blc-sei los nature wiki
a healthy olg4nizatOn ana genial temper
ament, and Il Use and kind education had
aided nature IN the perfection of her .OOdiy
work.
His steady perseverance and industry
soon changed the aspect Of things on The
farm. River mud, autumn leaves, old
bones, were all put in requisitlon TO assist
/ in the production Of use and beauty The
trees with NOES and insects, soon looked
clean and vigorous. Fields OF grain waved
where weeds had The simple gateway.
Michigan roses covered half the house
with their abundant clusters. Even tie
rough rOch, which formed the doorstep.
was edged with golden moss The sloek
horse, feeding III cloverS, tossed his name
and ueighed when his master came near. a.
much as 10 say The world is all the pleas
dnter Tor having YOU in IN il, Simeon Green"
The Old COW, iondlIng her calf under the
great walnut tree. walk up 10 him with g
serious, friendly face. asking for the slice OF
sugar beet he was wont TO give her Chan
ucleer, sirutling about with his troop o.
plump hens, aud dOway little chickens
took 40 trouble 10 keep CUT 0i his way. but
Tapped his glossy wings. and crUwed Il We
come In his very face. When Simeon
turned his steps h0mewdrd, the boys threw
their their caps, and ran shouting. ..Fa-
TIERS coming and little Mary went tod
ding up tc hlm. with "a dlndeiiOn blossom
10 place in lis button hole
His wife was Il woman Of few words. but
she sometime, said 10 her neighbors with a
quiet Kind Of satisfaction:
Every body iOves my husband that knows
him. They can: help it,"
Simeon Greens aCquaintances knew that
he was never engaged IN 4 lawsuit in his
lie, but they predicted that he would find
Il impossible 10 avoid Il now. They told
him his next neighbor was determined 10
quarrel with people whe her they would or
not; that he was like john Lilburne. OF
whom Judge Jenkins said. II the world
was empted OF every person but himself
Luburue would Still quarrel with John. ara
John with LiburLe~
that has character" asked Simeon
II he exercises IL upon me, l will soon ki!.
him.
In every EeighbofhOOd there are individ-
uals "ho Ike 20 ioment dispute, no; from
any definite intention Of malice or mischief
cut merely because il makes a little ripple
Il excitement In tie dull stream OF lie. ike
a conquest between dogs or game-cocks
such Scople were not slow in repeating 81
Neon Greens remark about his wraneliug
ne!ChhOr.
XIII ne, VIII he" exclaimed Reuben.
He said no more; but his tightly com
pressed moath had such a significant ex-
preston that his dog lodged him as lie
would the track Of tiger.
That very nigh, Reuben turned his horse
into The highway in hopes he would COM
mll some depreciation or neighbOr Green's
premises. But Joe Smith, seeing the AMI
nal AZ large, let down the bars Of ReuJen's
own c0ra-held, aud The poor beast walked
al. and teasied as be had no. done for many
I year.
Ii would have been great satlsiactionto 10
Reuben If he could have brought a Jaw nj
against lis horse; bui as il was. he cou-
tented himself with beating hun. Ills
next eXploi, was 10 shoot Mary Green's
handsome chaniicieer because he stood Oh
The stone wall and crowed. in the ignorant
joy of bis heart. tao inches bevond ,he
frontier Inc tls-t bounded tie contiguous
i.rn,.
simeon >...s. he VS. sorry for Tie Door
bird, auu sorry because his wife ana cbl.-
Aren liked tac pretty creature: iut Dther-
wise X MAS no great matter. lie had been
inieadiu- TO build poultry ward. with a
good high fence. that lis hens nirbt not
annoy his neighOOrS: aud how he was al-
monlShed 10 make haste haste and do il.
He would tuild them snug warm house to
rooSt In; they should have plenty of gravel
and oats, and room 10 promenade back