The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-08
The Bushel of Corn.
GRAY had neighbor who
by t. s. ARTHUR.

ton One day in harvest tins, when every
hand was as busy as bee, this man came
over to farmer Gray and said, in rather
petulant tone of voice.
"Mr. Gray, wish you would send over
and drive your geese home"
"Why So MIR. Barton, what have my
geese been doing?" the farmer said in a
mild, quiet tone.
"They get intomy garden, and l will
not have it,"
81 am very sorry, neighbor Barton, but
what can do ?'
"Why, yoke them, and keep them on
your own premises. 1t is no kind of a way
to let your geese run all over every farm
and garden in the neighborhood.
"But l cannot see to it now; it is harvest
time, friend Barton, and every man, woman
and child on the farm have as much as they
can do. Try and bear it for week or SO,
and then / will see if can possibly remedy
the evil"
"I can't bear it, and won't bear it any
longer" the shoemaker said. $50 if you
do not take care of them, friend Gray,
shall have to take care of them for YOU"
well, neighbor Barton, you can do as
you please" farmer Gray replied in his
usual quiet tone. 81 am sorry they trou-
BILE you, but cannot attend to it now"
"Tll attend to them for you, see if
DON'T" the shoemaker said, still more an
grily than when he first called on farmer
Gray.
"What on earth can be the matter with
them geese?" said Mrs. Gary, about fifteen
minutes afterwards.
az really cannot tell, unless neighbor
Barton is taking care Of them. He threat
ened to unless yoked them right off"
"Taking care of them! How taking
care of them? ?"
"As to that j am quite in the dark
Killing them perhaps. He said that if |
didn't take care Of them he would. So l
suppose he is engaged in the neighborly
business of taking care of our geese"
"John! William! Run over and see
what Mr.. Barton is doing with my geese"
Mrs. Gray said in quick and anxious tone
to two little boys who we've playing near
The urchins scampered off, well pleased
to perform an errand
sob if he has dared to do anything to
my geese will never forgive him ~ the
good wife said angrily.
"H-u-s-h, Sally make no rash speeches.
II is more than probable that he has killed
two or three of them. But never mind if
he has, he will get over his pet and be
sorry for it,"
4" Yes, but what good will his being sor-
ry do me? Will it bring my geese to
life ?"
"Ah, well, Sally, never mind. Let us
wait until we hear what all this disturbance
is about.
In about ten minutes the children came
home bearing the bodies of three geese
each without head.
"Ob, isn't that too much for human en-
durance %
"We found them lying out in the road
said the oldest of the two children. "And
when we picked them up, Mr.. Barton said,
"Tell your father that l have yoked his
geese for him, to save him the trouble, as
his hands are too busy to do it,"
"I'd sue him for it p said Mrs Gray, in
an indignant tone.
"And what good would that do9"
"Why, it would do great deal of good
it would teach him better manners II
would punish him."
"And punish us into the bargain. We
have lost three geese now, but we still have
their good fat bodies to eat. A lawsuit
would cost us good many geese, and no
even leave us so much as the feathers, be
sides giving us world of trouble and vex
alton. No, no. Sally, just let it rest, and
he will be sorry for it, know"
"SorTy for it, indeed And what goot
will his being sorry for it do us, shoul(
+ like to know. Next he will kill cow
and then we must be satisfied with his be
ing sorry for it. Now, can tell you tha
don't believe in that doctrine. Nor do
believe anything about his being sorry, thu
grabbed, ill-natured wretch %
"Don't call hard names, Sally" farme
Gray said, in mild, soothing tone-
"Neighbor Barton was not like himsel
when he killed the geese. Like every 9th
er angry person he was little insane, ant
he did what he would not have done hat
he been in his right mind. When you ar
little excited, you know Sally that evel
you do and say unreasonable things"
"Me do and say unreasonable things p