The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-05-17
THE PATRIARcH's STORY.

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THE PATRlARcH's STORY.
sst BY 4. Il. CRAIG.
I once knew an old man who was
looked upon in the community as q
sort Of oil. to the machinery Of So
ciety, pacifer to the quarrelsome
and fAnlthnding, the peevish and
the cross. Evidently he was one of
those good men upon whom heaven
has pronounced, BLESSED are the
peace makers" for he could restore
the lovely angel peace to the brawl-
ing family or contentious village, as
well as to the mind of the crying
child or the stubborn boy.
He was so old ct this time that
his working days were over, and
consequently was always on foot,
welcome anywhere and everywhere
through 'the silla0es eAne in hand
and happy, smiling face, and q bow
and kindly word for every one he
met. A perfect embodiment of
good nature, and q miracle Of hap
piness! None in all the village;
from earliest recollection had ever
known him to be angry-as we use
that word. He was the oldest citi
zen IN the place and he mingled
constantly in its affairs when he
was in the prime Of life, but even
then, though meeting the roughest
class Of his fellowmen, and often
provoked to the greatest extreme,
even beyond the point of virtnous
endurance, if that was possible, he
was always civil and respectful to
the villager. Neighbors envied him
his happy, peaceful mind, and
thought that heaven had cert .inly
been paftiAlto him il bestowing the
most desirable gifts. I win never
forget his honest confession when
closely interrogated ON the subject
by sincere and wondering admirers:
-..I am now an old man" said he,
stprobably the oldest in the village,
and though I never intended to say
much to The world regarding my
self, fearing others might think me
vain. yet Ss it may do good to my
young friends here 10 know the Sc
cret Of my happy disposition az
you are pleased to call It, and as my
experience may help them to pass
smoothly over many a rough step in
life, I win, for once, disregard my
own feelings on the subject and give
them a honest history of the whole
matter. e
When I was q very little child, al
far back as i can recollect, ] was
quite delicate IN health, Indeed my
parents thought I could not posi-
bly, live TO manhood, and conse
quently they wished to make my
few days on earth rs happy as spossi
BILE. And so I was made the LITTLE
pet of the family. As capital to be
gin with I had an exceedingly un
| desirable temper. I became peeyisl
| and irritable at the merest triAes
was easily offended when no offens,
was intended. At first my will be-
came the pleasure of q large house
thold, but soon the pleasure becam,
\ Q stern necessity. My elder brother
and sisters yielded to my most un
reasonable demands, with q prompt
iness and grace that did them cred
! il, and saved many o terrible ROY
at home. They trembled when
| got into one Of my fits of passion
for you see they thought I had bu
| . few weeks or months to live, an,
therefore dare not contradict me
On these terrible occasions m
mother pette,l me to sooth my fur
but that only served an opposit
end, and encouraged the disease t
rage the more.
I had grown mp to the age Of fif
teen, and though my health wa
good then, my temper was tenfol
worse. / went to school, but wa
alone, for no one liked me. Th
boys avoided me aad the girls wer
afraid of me. This in no way ten
ded to my improvement. I hate
my schoolmates; hated the teacl
er; I hated the school! Everybo.l
was wrong, and I was right! A
were bad but me. Iquarreled wit
my slate, and I quarreled with m
books. I was old enough now to
talked of in the village. People b
gan to say that I would come tor
good end. Once I had almost bre
ken a boys skull with q sharp ston
and it was a, much as q dunn
brute's life was worth to meet n
where I could inhict blow witho,
being seen. Many of the wise pc
pie Of the village gravely shoe
their heads, and expressed q fe,
that I would end my life on Il
gallows. q ~
One day I was digging in Il
garden; Isremember it as If it hs
occurred butyesterday. My moth
had superior taste for cultivatir
flowers, and had coaxed me tn
morning to dig for her. She had
large and beautiful garden viii
might have been q paradise to al
J other than . demon / was using
spade at the time, and as usual, n
). in the very best mood. Careless
or perhaps Intentionally, / had tur
ed out one of mothers choise
flowers. She saw il, and cried, :
James, see what you have done!
, cannot help it. said I angrily. Y,
must try to help it, she insiste
This was more than she had ev
dared to ssy to me before and