Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-06-06
The Power Of Kindness.

Jack Sprout was good husband an in
dulgent father, an honest man, an accom-
modating neighbor, and he possessed many
other excellencies of character which
might have made him an excellent member
Of society had it not been for certain loose
habits which had marked his course from
childhood. His parents had been careless
and prone before him, his father had been
D tough, rough customer, so Jack had nat
urally come in the same track. But he
was good looking and kind hearted, and
genial and social, and SO had gained
for wife one of the very best maidens
of our town.. as well as one of the hand,
soonest.
Master Freddy Sprout, aged five years,
stood by his mothers side, with sadly
begrimed and tear streaked face, and his
story was, that Solomon Gordon had
whipped him with a stick, and the
boys legs still bore few slight tokens Of
the castigation Freddy, with some of his
playmates, had been throwing stone at Mr..
GOrdon's dog, and one of the missiles
hurled by Freddy had hit the animal and
caused him to howl with pain. OF course
the stone thrown by such a tiny hand
could not have inflicted much injury upon
the canine brute, but Solomon Gordon
loved his dog, and when he saw what had
been done he caught Mr.. Freddy and gave
him thrashing; for, belt known, Solo
mon Gordon was just such another man as
Jack Sprout-warm hearted, generous and
neighborly; butrough, uneducated, strong
? willed and impulsive.-:s. s.g. -. 4ngr 20
Jack Sprout put ON his.hat and prepared
to sally forth. His lips were pale and
tightly compressed, and the huge
muscles Of his arms worked like bundles
of rope.
Dear Jack, pleaded his wife, "don't go
out now"
Let me alone Abby. No man shall
strike a child of mine without having a
chance to strike me. shall go and see
Sol. Gordon, and I'll give him such lick
ing as he won't forget in hurry"
mo. no, Jack-don't go. What good
will it do? Wait until you are more
cool" 3NI89A6 bJE9vqIT
"Pshawl f3o away, Abby. There is
not. power enough on earth to save Sol
Gordon from drubbing, and I'll give it
to him before the sun goes down."
And as Jack Sprout looked at that mo-
ment. he gave awful evidence that he was
physically able to make good his word, for
a more magnificent structure of frame
work and muscle was not to be found in
the town, - ~
"Dear Jack" cried the wife, taking her
husband by the arm. "Oh, do listen to
me one moment; Freddy isnot much hurt,
and he ought not to have thrown stones at
Gerdon's dog. You know both Solomon
and his wife set every thing by the little
animal, and he would not bark at the boys
if they did not plague him. If you go and
find Gordon as you are now you will only
make matters worse Oh, wish you would
drop it. ~ 3,
Jack only shook his head, and smiled one
OF those smiles which are terrible on the
face of an angry man.
Oh, Jack, if you would only try the
effect of kindness upon Soloman! He is a
good man at heart"
Jack interrupted his wife with deris-
i've sheer. aa ,t
"Don't laugh at me Jack. tell you it
would be better to do so than to resort to
blows, Ii you were attacked | should
not blame you for trying to protect your
self; but this is not the case that calls
for your strength of muscle. There is a
higher and a nobler strength that you can
use now" - 1sI Ei s.
ooh, hol" uttered Jack, "you are
preaching You are giving me some
OF your Sunday school lessons You
may eApeIleuCe TellSlOn as mucn as you
please, but you mustn't preach the stuff
to me-"
Jack" spoke the wife, with stern So
lemnity, have l been worse since I
began to have an interest in religious
things ?" 7I q @
No. Abby-you were always good
"Then why will you not listen to me
If you will stay with me now-n you will
wait until your anger is cooled-and then
go and speak kindly to Solomon Gordon, |
giEeyou my solemn, pledge that you win
feel thousand times better than you will
if you"
Z. But Jack would not hear his wife out.
He had said that he would thrash Solomon
Gordon, and he would keep his word. His
temper was at the boiling point, and he
was fairly aching to get his fingers on the
man who had dared to strike hissboy; for
Freddy was his pet, and every blow that
had been laid upon the child's body had
made mark of fire upon his own heart.
80 ne put mis- wife away from him and hur-
rled from the house, slamming the door af-
ter him.
Away went Jack Sprout with rapid,