Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-17
THE BETTER WAY.

"a lbNChh tAnAuGI vi A NC NeAIeNStf1F0, is
an oldetory, and was originally published
several years ago, but the moral conveyed
is jun as good now as ever1:
Farmer Gray had neighbor who was
not the best-tempered man in the world,
though mainly kind and obligiDg. He
was a shoemaker. His name was Barton.
One day in harvest.time, when every
hand was as busy as bee, this man came
over to farmer Gray and said, in rather a
petulant tone. of voice:
"Mr. Gray, 1 wish you would send over
and drive your geese home"
"Why SO, Mr.. Barton ? what have my
geese been doing ~ the farmer said, in
mild, quiet tone. D -.
"Tbey got into my garden, and will
not have it." -.... .........
"BamNery sorry forit, neighbor Bar
ton, ,sbut what can do ?" ..
why, yoke them, and keep them on
your own premises. 1t is no kind of q
way-to let your geese run all over every
farm and garden in the neighborhood."
"But cannot see to it now; it is har-
vest time, friend Barton, and every man,
woman and child on the farm has as much
as they can do. Try and bear it week
or so, and then will see if can possibly
remedy the evil" t- -
II can't bear it, and won't bear it any
longer ~ the shoemaker said "Soif you
do not take care Of them, friend Gray
l 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. ~ am sorry they
trouble you, but cannot attend to them
now" rIg,
"I'Tl attend TO them for Won. see if
don't, - shoemaker said, still more
angrily than when he first called on far
"What on earth can be the matter with
them geese r. said Mrs. Gray, about fif.
teen niiputes afterward. IS a
'I really cannot tell, unless neighbor
Barton is taking care of them. He
threatened to unless yoked them right
off"
"laking care of them? How taking
care of them?" E-t
GAS to that 1 am quite in the dark.
Killing them, perhaps. He said that if
didn't take care of them he would. So l
suppose be is engaged in the neighborly
business of taking care of our geese"
"Johnl Williami Run over and see
what Mr.. Barton is doing with my geese"
Mrs. Grey said in quick and anxious
tone,to two little boys who were playing
near.
The urchins scampered off, well pleased
to perform an errand.
ooh he if has dared to do anything to
my geese viii never forgive him!' the
good wife said angrily.
"Hu-s.h, Sally make no rash speeches!
1t 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."
"Yes, but what good will his being
sorry do me? Will it bring my geese to
hfeY
"Ah, well, Sally, never mind. Let US
wait until we hear what all this disturb
ance is about"
In about ten minutes the children came
home bearing the bodies of three geese
each without a head.
"Oh, isn't this too much for human en-
durancew
1--WE found them laying out in the
road" said the eldest of the two children.
And when we picked them up, Mr.. Bar
ton 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'"@ 20 y
"Td sue him for it," said Mrs. Gray, in
an indignant tone. ~ -
"And what good would that dor"
"Why, it would do great deal of good
1t would teach him better manners. 1t
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 law
suit would cost us good many geese
and not even leave us so much as the
feathers, besides giving US world o. o.
let it rest, and he will be sorry for il, j
know"
'Sorry for it, indeedl And what good
will his being sorry for it do us, l should
like to know. Next, he will kill COW
and then we must be satisfied with his
being sorry for it! Now, l can tell you
that don't believe in that doctrine. MOI
do l believe anything about his beinl
sorry, the grabbed, ill-natured wretch 7
Don't call hard names, Sally, f" farmer
Gray said, in mild, soothing tone
''Neighbor Barton was not like himself
when the7 killed the geese Like every
Other angry person hewas little insane
and he did what he would not have done
had he been in his right mind. When
you are little excited, you know, Sally
that even you do and say unreasonable
things."" XXI, ..
me do and say unreasonable thingsr
exclaimed Mrs. Gray, with look and
tonelof Indignant astonishment; ''me say
and do things when L am angry? DOM
understand you, Mr.. Gray"
Maybe can help you little. Don't
you remember the churn?"
eyes, but never mind about it,"
$50 you have not forgotten how unrea
sonab1e you were about the churn. Il
wasn't good for anything-you knew il
wasn't; ;yand you'd neverput a jar Of cream
into itat long as you liyed--that you
wouldn't And yet, on trial, you found
that churn the best you had ever used,
and now you wouldn't part with it on
any consideration. So you see, Sally, that
even you can say and do unreasonable
things When you are angry, just as well as
Mrs. Gray saw that her husband was
right-but still she felt indignant at the
outrage committed on her geese So she
took her three fat geese, and after strip
ping OIL the feathers, had them prepared
for the table. ''' .
On the next morning, as Mr., Gray was
passing along the road, he met the shoe.
maker, and as they had to pass very near
to each other, the farmer smiled, and
spoke, kindly. Mr., Barton looked and felt
very uneasy, but farmer Gray did not
seem TO remember the unpleasant incident
1t was about eleven o'clock on the
same day, that one Cf farmer Gray's
little'boys came running TO him and cry,
"Oh father! fatherl Mr. Bartons hogs
are in our cornfeld,"
"Tben must go and drive them out,
faid Mr. Gray in quiet tone.
"nrive Them OUT calculated Mrs
Gray. ",DriYe. .'em out, indeedl I'd
shoot them, that's what I'd dol I'd serve
him As he served my geese yesterdayp
But that wouldh't bring the geese tc
life again, Sally" /"
I.don't care II 1t wouldn't. 1t wosld
be paying him in his own coin, and that's
what he deserYos.p11, .t..',..I ......
"Y0u know what the Bible says, Sally,
about grievous words, and they apply
with-stronger force 20 grivous actions
No-noAI will return neighbor BARTON