The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-05-18
The Christians Revenge.


The Christians Revenge.
Obadiah Lawson and Watt Dood WERE
neighbors. Dood was the oldest settler
and from his youth up had entertained 6
singular hatred against Quakers. There
fore, when he was informed that Lawson. 9
regular disciple of that class of people, had
, purchased the next farm to his he declared
he would make him glad to move away
again. Accordingly system of petty an.
noyances were commenced by him, and
every time one of Lawson's hogs CHANGED
to stray upon Dood's place, he was beset
by men and dogs, and most savagely
abused. Things went on thus for nearly a
year, but the Quaker, man of decidedly
peace principles, appeared in no way to
resent the injuries received at the hands OF
his spiteful neighbor. Matters, however,
were drawing to crisis, for Dood, more ne
ragged than ever at the quiet of Obadiah,
made oath that he would do something to
wake up Lawson sspunk. Chance favored
his design. The Quaker had high blood
ed filly, just four years old, which he had
been very careful iii raising. Lawson took
great pride in this animal, and had refused
a large sum of money for her.
| One evening, a little after shutdown, as
Watt was passing around his cornfeld, he
discovered the filly feeding in the little
strip of prairie land that separated the two
FARMS and lie conceived the iiendish design
of throwing two or three rails off his fence,
that the horse might get into the corn dur
ing the night. He did so ; and the next
morning bright and early, he shouldcred
| his rifle and left the house. Not long af
ter his absence hired man whom he had
recently employed heard the echo of his
gun, and in a few minutes Dood, consider
| ably excited and out of breath, came hur
| rying to the house where he stated that he
had shot and wounded buck, that the
herd had attacked him, and that he hardly
escaped with his life. The story was cred
tied by all but the newly employed hand,
who had a dislike to Watt, and from his
manner suspected that something was
wrong. He therefore slipped quietly away
from the house and going in the direction
of the shot, he suddenly came on Lawson's
FLY stretched upon the earth, with bullet
hole through its head, from which the
warm blood was oozing. The animal was
still warm, and could not have been killed
an hour. He fastened back to the dwell
ing of Dood, who met him in the yard, and
demanded somewhat roughly where he had
been. "Pve been to see if your bullet
made sure work Of Mr.. Lawson's fllly,"
was the instant rejoinder. Watt paled for
a moment, but recollecting himself fierce
ly shouted "Do you dare to say that kill
ed her p How do you know that she is
dead ?" replied the man. Dood bit his
lips, hesitated moment, then walked into
the house. A couple of days passed by
and the morning of the third one had
broken, as the hired man met Lawson rid
ing in search of his FLY. A few words of
explanation ensued, when with heavy
heart, the Quaker turned his horse and rode
home, where he informed the people of the
fate of his filly. No threat of recrimina-
| ton escaped him; he did not even go to
law to recover damages, but calmly waited
his plan and hour of revenge. 1t came at
| last.
Watt Dood had a Durham heifer for
which he paid heavy price, and upon
which he counted to make great gains
One morning, just as Obadiah was sitting
| down to breakfast, his eldest son came in
| with information that neighbor Watt
| Dood's heifer had broken down the fence,
entered the yard, and after eating most of
the cabbages, had trampled the we'll made
beds and the vegetables they contained
| out Of all shape-a mischief impossible to
repair. "And what did thee do with her,
Jacob" quietly asked Obadiah. 81 put
her in the farm-yard." "Did thee beat
her 2" 81 never struck her blow
Fright, Jacob, right. Sit down to thy
breakfast, and when done eating will at
tend to the heifer."
ftor no al E,i IA 10 oot
Lawson mounted a horse and rode over to
Dood's, who was sitting on the porch in
front of the house, and who, as he beheld
the Quaker dismount, supposed he was
coming to demand pay for his tilly, and
secretly swore he would have to go TO law
for it if he did. "Good morning, neighbor
Dood how is thy familya" exclaimed
Obadiah, as he mounted the steps and
seated himself in chair.
Gall well, believe" was the reply.
81 have small affair to settle with thee
this morning, and came rather early"
so suppose" growled Watt.
This morning my son found thy Dur
ham heier in my garden, where she de-
stroyed a great deal" "And what did he
| do with herr" demanded Dood, his brow
darkening. "And what would thee have
done with her had she been my hefer
| in your garden ~ asked Obadiah" "Pd
have shot her." retorted Watt, madly, "as
/ suppose you have done; but we are even
now; heier for tilly is only tit for tat. -
"Neighbor Dood thou knowest me not if
thou thinkest would harm a hair on thy
heiier's back. She is in my farm yard, and
not even n blow has been struck her, where
thee can ger her ut any time. know thee
| shot my iilly but the evil one prompted
thee to do it, and lay no evil to my heart
against my neighbor. | came to tell thee
where thy heiier is and now I'll go home"
Obadiah rose from the chair and was
about to descend the steps, when he was
stopped by Watt, who hastily asked,
what was your filly worth r. "A hun
dred dollars is what I asked for her." re-
piled Obadiah.
| "Wait," and Dood rushed into the house
whence he soon returned with some gold.
Heres the price of your tilly, and hereaf
ter let there he pleasantness between u.s."
| Obadiah mounted his horse and rode
home with lighter heart, and from that
day to this Dood has been as good a neigh
Dor as one could wish to have, being COM
pletely reformed by the returning of good
for evil.
| When II San Franciscan gets to be i'm
mensely wealthy he builds palace of a
stable, with marble halls, Brussels carpets,
and hot and cold water in every stall a
Chicago millionaire builds hotel nine
stories high; New Yorker builds hos
pital a Bostonian builds college, and a
Burlington man builds another bay win