The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-09-18
THE POWER OF KINDNESS.

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 beer
n tough, rough customer, so Jack had
NATURALLY come into the same track
But he was good-looking, kind-hearted
and genial, social, and so had gained
for wife one of the very best maideni
in our town, as we'll as one of the
handsomest.
Master Freddy Sprout, aged five
years, stood by his mothers side with
n sadly begrimed and tear-streaked
face, and his story was that Solomon
Gordon had whipped him with stick
and the boy still bore few slight to-
kens of the castigation. Freddy, with
some playmates, had been throwing
stones ut Mr.. Gordon's dog, and one
of the missiles hurled by Freddy, had
hit the animal and caused him 10 howl
with pain. Of course the stone thrown
by such tiny hand could not have in
tiicted 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 a thrashing for. be il known,
Solomon Gordon was just such anoth-
er man rs Jack Sprout -waim-heartcd
generous and ncighborly, but rough,
uneducated, strong-willed and impul-
sive.
Jack Sprout put on his hat und pre-
pared 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 90 out now.
LET me alone, Abby. No maj,
shall strike child of mine without
having a chance TO strike Inc. / shall
20 aa3 see Sol. Gordon, and I'll give
him such a licking rs he won't forget
III hurry"
"No, no, Jack-don't go. What
good viii it do? Wait until you are
more cool.
/" Pshaw! Go away, Abby. There
is not power enough on earth 10 save
Sol. Gordon from drubb.ng, and III
give it TO him before the sun goes
down.
And as Jack Sprout looked at that
moment, he gave awful evidence that
lac was physically able To make good
his word, for more magnificent
structure of framework and muscle
was not 70 be found in town.
'Denr Jack" cried the wife, taking
her husband by the arm. "Oh, do
listen TO mo one moment; Freddy il
not much hurt, and he ought not to
have thrown stones ut Gordon's dog.
You know both Solomon and his wife
set everything by the little animal, and
he would not bark ut 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 only drop il"
Jack only shook his head and smiled
one of those smiles which are so terri
BILE on the face of an angry man.
'Oh, Jack, if you would only try
the effect of kindness upon Solomon
He is good man at heart"
Jack interrupted his wife with de-
risive sneer.
Don't laugh ut me, Jack. I tell
you it would be better to do so than
to resort to blows. If you were at-
tackled / should not blame you for try
ing to protect yourself; but this is not
the case that calls for your strength of
muscle. There is higher and no.
bier strength that you can use now. +"
"Oh, ho!" uttered Jack, "you are
preaching. You are always giving me
some of your Sunday school lessons.
You may experience religion as much
rs you please, but mustn't preach the
stuff to me"
Jack, !" spoke the wife, with stern
solemnity, have | been worse since
began to have an interest in religious
things?"
NO, Abby-you were always good. F"
"Then why will you not listen to
me9 If you will stay with me now
if you wait until your anger is cooled
and then go and speak kindly to Solo
mon Gordon, / give you my solemn
lpledge that you will feel thousand
timess better than you will if you
But Jack would not hear his wife
out. He said that he would thrash
Solomon Gordon and he would keep
his word. His temper was at the boil
ing point, and he was fairly aching to
get his fingers upon the man who had
dared to strike his boy; for Freddy
was his pet, and every blow that had
been laid upon the child's body had
made a mark of fire upon his own
heart. So he put his wife away from
him and hurried from the house, slam
ming the door after him.
Away went Jack Sprout with rapid,
heavy strides; and had Solomon Coz
don fallen in his way just then he
would most assuredly have been Sc
verely beaten, for though Solomon was
very stout, bold man, Jack was a
very Hercules.
But Jack was destined to get pretty
thoroughly cooled off before he met
the object of his wrath. AS he APP
preached the river just below the falls,
he heard loud cries of alarm and upon
hurrying forward, he found that boy
had fallen from one of the projecting
timbers into the water. He looked
over the railing and saw the little fell
low just coming up to the surface OF
| the foaming, boiling flood; curly
headed boy just about the age of his
own darling Freddy; stretching forth
his tiny hands in agony of despair. II
was terrible place, that seething,
Eroaring pool, where the waters of the
great river came pouring down from