The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-01-23
How TO- Hill am Enemy.

There was a farmerHOnce who was a
very cross, surly, d~isagreeable man,
Everybody in the neighborhood knew
him, and every body disliked him. He
was sure to make the most of whatever
went wrong around him, and the poor
offender always met with severe pun
ishment. There was not a boy in all
the neighbOrhood who did not feel I'M
comfortable as he passed the gate and
the poor dog that barked at his geese,
or the neighbours rooster. that crowed
on his wall, was speedily visited with
the slash of his whip or the shot from
his gun. The very cat knew his foot
steps, and skunk away from him in ter
TOT. He was a complete pest, as much
to himself as those about him.
After a time, good Farmer Green
anne to live near him, and as you may
suppose, he was Don told the character
Of his not overpleasant neighbor.
well" says he ''if he shows off on
me, I'll very sOOn kill him.
This remark Of Farmer Green soon
got af1Oat, and all sorts of things were
said about it. He seemed the very
last man to Kill" any one, for his looks,
and words, and actions all told Of Il
loving heart which throbbed in his bO-
som and directed his life. Nobody
could think for a moment of his he"om-
ing a murderer. Mr.. Green's intention
at length came to the a of the i'll
natured farmer, and you may be sure
he was not at all pleased about it.
Everything he could do to tease, annoy,
and even injure Mr.. Green, was done,
to "killn this uely-tempered farmer
fnnl- II a IL in FrOn1 TNn1.t abI Snnl-a nS
calmly and kindly as ever
One day Mrs. Green sent to the wife
of our surly friend a basket of nice
Dlums; but her husband would not let
ner have them. He told the person who
brought them, very gruttly, that sit was
only done to get some of his pears in
return, and that he was not going Civ,
any Of them away"
At another time Mr.. Green's team Of
oxe stuck fast in the bog, and when he
asked his neighbCr for a little help, he
told him in a very rough way that /" he
had enough to do to mind his own bust
ness and refused to help him.
"Never mind" said Green, to some
one standing by, "T1l kill him very
soon-see if | don't"
Soon after this the team of the i'll
natured man was in the same plight
that his neighbours had been in. Mr..
Green saw it. He ran for his OXen and
chains, and set off to the bog. He spoke
kindly and offered his help, and began
to render it but what did he receive
in reply? Why, a fierce look and an
angry word: 81 don't want your help
Take your oxen away"
"NO," said the other, 81 must help
you, for the night is coming on, and
what is bad enough by day is ten times
worse in the dark Away pulled the
oxen and the men, and Dol all was set
right again. ;. .s
A strange feeling did that rough,
cross man carryhome with him that eve
ming, something which he had never
felt before. And a strange look did
his wife give him as he said: "Peg,
Farmer Green has killed me! He said
he would, and be has done it,
Yes, the "enemy" was KILLED" with
out the loss of a single life, or one drop
of blood. He went in the morning to
confess his inglatitude to his neighbor,
and to ask forgiveness; and the veryman
who had been noted for nothing buthis
wickedness, became the friend of all.
Phillips Southern Farmer.