The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-11-18

rellccting thus when Mr. Bracket ap-
pcared before him, coming up quickly,
and stopping with an angry stamp OF the
foot.
Now there may be a volume Of electric
influence even in the stamp Of Il foot, and
there was such an influence in the stamp
which Bracket gave; and WcIton felt
it, and braccd himself against it. There
was moreover an atmosphere cXhallng
from the presence Of the iratc man ut
once rcpcllMnt md aggrayating.
"John Wclton You have shot my
dopw The words were hisScd forth
hOtly.
"Ycs,' said Wclton, Jelly.
GLOW dared you do it?'
81 dare shoot any dog that comes
prowling around my buildings, especially
when | have had my sheep killed by
them"
" But my dog never troubled your
sheep, aid you know it,"
" low should know it|
''You know that he never did harm to
sheep. 1t wasn't in his nature. 1t was
Il mean, cowardly act, and Can oath) you
shall suffer for it.'
Brackctt, you don't know to whom
you are talking .,. -
40 how (anothcr OATH " wen find
out! Wen see. Don't put ON airS,
John Wclton. You amt Il saint, III
have satisfaction, if | have to take it out
of your hide "
"pctcr. you'd better 90 home and cool
of. You are making yourself nd'cu-
lOus.'
Now, really, this was the unkindcst
cut of all. Not all the mad words OF
Brackctt put together were 50 hard us
thi, single sentence; and John WcItoh
put all the bitter sarcasm Of the com
mand into it.
Brackctt burst forth into torrent OF
invectiyes, and then turned away.
Half an hour later John Welton ac-
knowlcdgcd to himself that he had not
done exactly right. Had he, in the out
sct-in answer to Brackets first out
burst-tod the simple truth-that he
had shot the dog by mistake; that he
was sorry and that he was willing to DO
anything in his power to MAKE amends
had he done this, his ncighhor would
probably have sottcncd ut once, but II
wa. too late now. The blow had been
struck, he had been grossly lnSulIcd; ;
and he would not back down.
Mr.. Brackctt was not 50 much rcIcc-
tive. He only felt his wrath, which he
nurscd to keep it warm. That evening
he hitchcd his horse to II job-wagon ana
went down to the village after harrc'
of flour Having transacted ms store
business he called upon Laban Pepper
Il lawyer, to whom he narrated the facts
Of the shooting Of his dog
Pepper was man anxious for lees
He had no sympathy or soul above that
You say your dog was in company
with two Of your children?
" Yes"
" And this passage over Mr. WcIton
land, and through his shed, has been
freely yielded by him as right OF way
to his ncighbors?" ,
{" Yes SIR ever since can remember;
"Thcn, my dear sir, WcIton Is clearly
liable. If you will come with me, we
will step into Mr. Garfcld's and have Il
suit commenced ut once.
Mr.. Garfield was the trial justice.
All this happened on Friday evening;
On Saturday it had become noiScd
abroad in the farming district that there
was not only serious trouble between
ncighbors Wclton and Brackctt but that
they were going to law about it.
On Sunday morning John NcIt0l
told hiswifc he would not attend church
She could 20 if she liked She had NJ
need to ask her husband why he WouI'
not 90 out. She knew he was unhappy
and that he could not bear to meet NJ
old ncirhbor in the house of God whll
the dark cloud was upon him. Nor d,
she rwish to meet either Mr.or Mrs. BracF
cit. 50 they both stayed ut home.
Peter Brackctt was even more mlser'
able than John Wclton, though perhal
he did not know it. He held IN clos
compunionship the very worst demon
man can cmbracc-thc demon of wratl
rul vengeance; and in order to maintal
himself mt the strain to which he had sc
his feelings, he was obliged to nurse tn
monster He did not attend chgrcli oI
thot day. nor did his wife. Two or thrc
times during the calm, beautiful sab
bath. as hc glanced over toward III
urirhbor's dwelling, he found hmScl
BEGINNING to wish that he had not gone Il
see John Wclton in such heat OF anger
but he nut the wish away, and nurse
back his wrath.
On Monday, toward noon, the consti
bic came up from the village, and read
John Wclton animposing legal documcn
II was summons issued by VIM. Ga
field, Esd, ii Justice Of the peace al
ouorum, ordering the said John NcI!'
to appcar before him, at two o'clock, {
Wednesday, at his office, then ana II thr
! lo answer to the complaint OF fcu
Brackctt. etc. The officer read the sun
, mons, and left with the defendant
| copy. ,u,I,on bo
/ ever been called upon to face the law :
q first hc WAS awc-strickcn, and then he WI
!, wroth lie told himself that he won,
fight it to the bitter end. Ana now
tried to nurse his wrath and became mo
:. unhappy than before: p-o. e,ro,
+ On Tuesday evening, Parson sure
q called upon Mr.. Welton. The good ma
had heard of the trouble, and was cXcec
!, incly exercised in spirit. Both the mt
wErc Of his flock, and he loved and I
r. spcc,ed them both. He sat hown aloi
With Wclton, and asked him what
4 meant. ,.u
"Tcll me calmly and candidly all abo
e it," he said. -, =,
After Il little reflection, Mr.. Welt
- told the story. lie knew the old clcrl
g man for Il true man and whole-heari
friend, and he told everything just as
understood it.
"And neighbor Bracket thinks c'
il now, that you shot the dog KNOWN!
Is was his?"
d 81 suppose So" .
'lf you had told him the exact f'
:. in the beginning, do you thing he wo
" have held his anger?' ,