Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-01-14
TALES AND SKETCHES.
lr's NONE OF My BUSINESS.
By hRS. HARRIET Z. STOWE.

This was one of the golden sayings of Je-
deGiah Pcttisul. One might think so, at
least jy the frequency and cmph asls with
which it fell from his lips. Jedediah WAS
rycllonld one OF the richest men in the vii
lg. e4 Nccdwal. He lived in that great
mii,ie Eo Sc you see yond,r with the TUFTS
Of iilass hclorr each Of the front windows,
the lr at sugar naples in the grassy yard,
the light, ntnt picket fences, the large barn
80 Perfectly butt, 80 trinity kept, and sur
rounded ny the we'll tended acres Of the
richest farm of the neighhoIAood. Jedcdiah
Was rcputcd 4 snug safe mun-an cSce.lrnt
i manager OF money of which lie had lajn
by an untold store; how much it was diff
cult 10 say. but there was "slow, dry
smile which curled his hard features Whcn
tue inquiry w6s made, that stimulated the
Imagination of the QurstiOncr more than the
mention of any definite sum. Jcdrdiah was
an excellent householder in all pertaining To
his own. His wife lacked for nothing
, ru-tlrd to church in the stiifest of silks and
/ heaviest of satIns, wore an India shawl, and
! got her bonnets quarterly irom New York,
10 the great edifcation of Miss Pewit, the
country nillincr. and of all hcr'rurel neigh
! hors. All Jrdcdiuh's SONS and daughters
walked in brightness and lived on the fat
: of the land; they went to the best schools
wore the best clothes, ate the best things,
and were reported to do every thing in the
best way. lie rubbed his hands as he look
ed around on his rising race. He ila'tcrcd
himself that there were ro such children
going. He took care cs ;hem; they were
his. and Jedediah always took care of his
own things Whatever was his though but
the breadth and thickness of hair, was his
and MAS attended to with microscopic
nircty,
But 70 all that was not HE. TO everybody
not his own, to cycryhody's cares, wants,
outside the c,rcir Of his own, Jc,(edinh had
one short, golden saying
"IT'r NONE or MY BUSINESS
Jcdediah was proper, church-going man
nay, a church member, and being n church
mcmhcr, his townsmen thought the least
they COult do for q man OF such substance
and admirable management was To make him
n deacon. They nopcd thereby, n a measure
to bring the church into the charmed circle
which he called his own. They were much
mistaken. He was too shrewd for them
"If they think they're going to put their
burdens oil on my shoulders they are mis-
! taken. pay my subscription puHctually
that's all agreed to do /; as 10 the rest, it,
Gone of my business
, Ii subscription was up for any charita-
bic object, Jcdcdiuh was very acute in find
ing out that it was none Of his business.
Subscribe to q town library No wha
did he want OF town library; am able tt
buy all the books want, and prefer to rcac
my own hOoks.'
but, Mr.. T., ttiso, think how many o.
your neghbors are not, and what an excel
lent thing tor them it would be-"
well, let them get it; it's none OF my
business. Ini sure; we've more books nos
than we can ever read"
MIR. Pettisol, we called to see if yoI
would subscribe .or a furnace for III,
church =
mo. What's the use of furnace; Tn,
. stove keeps us comfortable enough"
n "Your pew and two or three about it arr
d comfortable, but tho galleries, where tn
d poorer people sit, and the pews near tn
door-in short, half the pews in the hous
are very uncomfortable"
s. "Well, let them that find it so subscribe
| don't; so it's none ofmy business"
Now Mr.. Pettisol was a very orthodo
man, ana believed dcvoutly every one Of til
1. five points of Calyanism and he could sc
any young minister in a twinkling tina
biundered on them. He kept an auster
watch on his new pastor, Mr.. Service, whol
lv he suspected somehow of not having tn
u good old ways. Il don't hear You preac
be the strong old points," he would say "D
a vine sovereignty and election" and tn
= minister smiled in manner that Mr.. Pett
oy sol wondered at.
he did YOU ever hear Of this doctrine, VI
Pettisoll Look not every man on his ow
y things, but every man on things of Others.
That isn't doctrine" said Mr., Pettiso
ne a deeisysrsor OF the Bible"