Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-07-28
One Angry Moment.

from the newspaper he was reading, and
speaking with unusual sharpness of
tone.
A young man, one of his clerks, stood
before him.
"Do you understand me +? Mo- said
no Send Mr.. Carlton word that nei-
ther borrow nor lend"
The clerk had hesitated about sending
back the rough refusal of Mr.. Bray to
accommodate neighbor with the loan
of couple of hundred dollars, within
an hour of bank closing. even on the ex-
PLANTATION that he was 'short on a note. ;"
But, on this emphatic confirmation of
the first refusal, he turned from his en-
ployer and went forward to where the
messenger of Mr.. Carlton awaited an
answer.
"I'm tired of this eternal borrowing"
said Mr.. Bray to himself, in justification
of his angry refusal to accommodate a
neighbor. why don't he make timely
provision for his notes as do, and not
60 money-hunting at the eleventh hour !?
I'm not going to reduce my bank bal
ance to meet his careless deficiencies.
There is too much of this idle depen-
dence among traders to suit my notions
of things.
But these words of justification did
not bring the mind of Mr.. Bray into a
state of calm self-satisfaction. Reason
did not approve his hastily uttered de-
NAL and self-respect was hurt by this
sudden ebullition of anger.
"Send Mr.. Carlton word that l neith-
er borrow nor lend.'
81 needn't have said just that" Mr..
Bray was already in repentant mood.
81 could have refused on any decent
pretext. There was no call for an in
sulting denial"
All me How binding is sudden an
ger For while Mr.. Bray sat COM
muning with himself, and then, taking
up his pen, drew a check for two hun
dred dollars. Calling to his clerk, he
said:
"Here. Thomas, run in with this to
Mr.. Carlton
The young man took the check and
went out hurriedly. He came back in a
few minutes with the check still in his
hand.
"Why didn't he take it ?" asked Mr..
Bray, his face deepening in color as he
put the question.
"He said he was much obliged to you,
but Mr.. Angrew had accommodated
him."
"Mr. Bray, in a very quiet manner,
tore the check into small fragments. He
felt badly. Mr.. Angrew had the reputa-
tion of being the toughest, most unac-
commodating man in the neighborhood ;
while he took pride in the thought of
being held in very different estimation.
Even Mr.. Angrew had exceeded him in
amiable compliance and prompt business
courtesy He felt rebuked and hum
bled.
"Oh, dear! l wish had little de-
cent self-control p he said, sharply, tc
himself. This quick feeling. and hasty
action therefrom, are always getting me
into some kind of trouble"
AS Mr.. Bray walked homeward, after
leaving his store that afternoon, he saw
Mr.. Carlton approaching at the distance
of half block ahead of him. He wa;
conveniently near the corner of street.
and so taking the flag stones he crossed
over and thus avoided meeting his neigh.
, Dor.
IL don't like this" he said, in some
humiliation, to himself, as he breathed g
little more freely. ''Skulking like {
criminal don't suit me at all ! VIII,
, should fear to look any man in tn
, face %
Mr.. Bray, usually. cheerful man a
home though he sometimes darkenet
g the homelight for season through fit
of sudden anger, that soon subsided
!, But even the briefly ruling tempes
! leaves usually some mighty traces of it
/ course that requires many days of sun
! shine, gentle rains and refreshing dew
e to obliterate 1t was so with the ten
II pest of Mr.. Bray's too easily awakene
e anger. 1t never darkened the sky, nc
swept fercely along the earth, withou
q leaving its ugly marks behind.
It But usually he was cheerful in h
1t family, bringing home with him tn
q bright, warm sunshine. 1t was not s,
- however, on the present occasion. Tn
a little act of discourtesy to Mr.. Garlic
i. had not only shadowed his feelings b.
1T left his mind disturbed. He was Just
L a state to be annoyed by the mere
- !. triAes.
Two little boys were playing in Il
IN passage as he came in from the stree
s- At the very moment Of his entrance Of
oi of them hurt the other by accident. T.
- latter screamed out. a nd, under the pa
st sionate impulse of the moment, charg,
4ir his brother with striking him. In d