The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-12-13
STEALING rus pKAooS's nA,Ls.

Z poor man who lived near the LOT whence
the rails were taken, aud 80 be deter
mined to watch and discover the thief, II
Z possible,
Accordingly, late one evening, he bat
toned his warm oyerooat snpgly abonl
bin and kept nocturnal yigils, perrnba.
latlug his spacious acres. As tho nigh,
grew long, and the deacon grew chilly,
ho nursed hiswrAth, peut up to be poured
out on the head OF the culprit who should
be caught in the act Of stealing rails.
Soon aiter midnight the deacon heard
footsteps, and watched behind an apple
tree until be saw a man making up a
bundle of those precious rails As the
poor fellow stopped TO lift tho bundle io
his shoulder, the deacon sprang from his
hidingplacc and poanced upon the ottend'
ing victim with anger IN bis looks and
voice, aud vengence in bic heart. As be
caught hold Of the collar Of tbesman' +
threadbare, thin aud ragged ooat-which
was torn iuto halves in his grasp The
deacon discovered that il was his life.
long neighbor, Mr., Dea
What DO you here? the deacon shouted,
Are you theft I'll have you up before
justice Of the peace tomorrow, aud put
you where you won't steal my rails any
/ more.
The old man thus apprehended and ad-
dressed by one with whom he had been
brought up in the same neighborhood
| from their youth, laid down his bundle
Of rails, threw bis torn hat upon he frozen
ground, and looking with boodshot eyes
into the deacon's face, which, white with
rage, the pale light OF the cold moon
made lock more CHASTITY, be said
Deacon Meigsl | know that have
done wrong ought not TO have stolen
your fence for fire wood. But tell you
what ii is, Deacon Meigs, when saw my
wife take off her poor ragged shaw aud
put 1t on the children as they slept In our
only bed, and heard her sob, as she tried
not to cry SO that could hear, and
saw her shiver, and knew that she had
sit up all night aud walked the house to
keep the warmth Of life within her (aud
had TO keep walking so as not to freeze,
but / didn't care anything about myself,
only for her and the little ones,) snd
when | thought that they would all be
hungry in the morning, and we should
have no fire so as TO boil tho last potatoes
whics had been given to us, and how the
children would cry, too, just pat on my
hat (there it is OH the ground) aud started
out TO steal some rails, and SO get them
warm once, anyhow, before they die.
And wish we were all dead togctherl
and then no deacon would ever scare me
to death again, at dead of night, when
knew | was stealing his rails.
The tears ran down the old mans face
as he continued in tones and attitude Of
wildness: Deacon Meigsl put yourself
where was tonight, aud where I've been
many night this winter, with your wife
and children crying around you, and
almost frozen, and almost starved, and
you lookin' on and seein' and hearin'
'em, and you'd steal railsl Yes, Deacon
Meigs, tell you that you'd steal rails,
though yon be deacon, and good 'un,
too, SO far as know. Ali Deacon
Meigs, there's no tellin' what man'll
do till he's put to 1t.
The deacon took out his handkerchief
from bis inner coat pocket, and wipe !
his eyes, and looked-no longer in anger
but calmly, and IN pity, aud In love (for
the deacon was real kind, good map)
and replied;
Mr.. Dea, take home these rails tonight
and make a good warm fire. am rather
inclined TO think you are right, and that
might steal rails If you put me tot, God
only knows. But Mr.. Dea, II You want
any more wood this winter, come to me
and will give you all you need, only
don't take any moro Of the fences, becanse
am afraid that this will displease God +,
but hang it'd rather all my fences were
burnt up than have my nelgbbors suffer
as you have done.
So these old men separated that night,
aud MIR. Dea never stole rails again, and
Deacon Meigs looked out tor bin, and
for other poor people, too, TO be snre that
none whom he couldhelp should suffer "a
as to be tempted to steal.
This occurrence took place in Madison,
Conn, when | was little boy. These
old men are now both dead bat eonnol
forget their looks, nor lose the impression
which my fathers narration Of tbis Incl
dent had upon me. Since then ! have
seen young men grow old in corruption
aud in crime, aud old men fall into act.
Of meanness and vice, and Christian men
do wrong and have seen them repent
weep, aud sin no more in those same ways
In which they bad fallen under strong
temptation-and when think that
have net committed iust those acts Of sin
into which they fell, think that might
have done the very same II bad bee0
tempted Just al they were tempted and "a
baye learned 70 pity them, and pray fol
them, and say 40 harshw0rds about them
God only knows under what power d
temptation even good msu may f.H
There Il no telling what man will dc
uulll be is put 70 Il. God help al.
VILLAGE SOCIETY ~ wIsTEH.
First: As 10 sewing eiabs, tic work
should be carefully restricted % such en-