The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-07
How to Deal with a surly Nclghbor.

growing upon on Out.farm, some distant
from lis homestead; but whenever he
rode by he SAW his ncighbor pulsfor,l'a
sheep in The field, destroying his hope
of harvest. These sheep were Of the
gau,t iong-legged kind, active as span
iels; .hey could spring over almost any
fence. William Ladd complained TO his
ncighbor himself, an, also sent him sew
eral messages but all without avail. Per.
haps the sheep would be kept out for u
day or two; but the legs of the intruders
were long, and the tender blades OF
wheat were more tempting than their own
scanty pasture.
Mr.: Ladd rode by again ,and again ne
found the trcspassers trampling down his
corn. What was to be done? Natural
ly enough the injured farmer felt ag-
grievcd, and in the first impulse of hil
anger he told his men to act the dogs OF.
the sheep, and if that did not keep them
away, to shoot them.
But farmer Ladd was a man Of q
thoughtful turn of mind, and not ono to
indulge feelings of wrath and malice.
He WAS in tho habit Of reading the Bible
and he loved the lessons he learned from
that best of all books. In other words
the farmer was n Christian. So when he
reached his home, with his anger cooled
down, William Ladd began to think
calmly. While he thought of his own
field of wheat trampled down and ruined,
his mind turned to hs neighbours sheep,
| torn and bleeding and dead Neither
picture was pleasant; but Of the two, tho
| latter was more painful to him.
The farmers better feelings began to
| prevail. He knew where it is written,
"The discretion Of man deferretl his
| anger" and "let not tho sun go down
upon your wrath" AT any rate, the more
he thought of what had passed, the more
| dissatisfied he was with himself, and the
more his compassion and forhearance
| were stirred up in favor Of his neighbor.
Poor Pulstord,' thought he, lis not
so much to blame, perhaps, after all. it
! may be he cannot prevent his sheep from
| straying; and even if he can, what bus-
ness have / to take his punishment into
my own hands? He is poor man, too,
and an injury inflicted upon him will
increase his poverty while God has so
prospered me, that even tho loss of the
entire crop Of my field will scarcely he
felt Besides this, if cannot forgive
wrong, even ii Intentionally done, where
is my ChrisiinnityI And where is it i
am told that | am not to render evil for
not do; / have gone the wrong way to
work with my poor ncighbor, / will try
another plan"
Mr. Pnlsiord was an ugIy-tempcred
man, sprly, and unwilling to oblige.
This WAS his natural disposition, ana
trouble had made him more cross grained.
1t seemed to him that everybody had q
spite against him but he had never, per-
hnps, thought that if man would have
friends, he must show himself friendly
IIc was i'll particularly ill-hnmor on
ono particular morning. He had heard
of tho threats Of his richer neighbor, and
the direction he had given about his poor
sheep; while he WIS not at al aware that
the hasty order givon 10 the men about
dogs and guns had been set aside hours
before
And so, trctting and fuming, ho set
about chopping wood in his yard, aud
was giving vent to come Of his oycrboil-
ing anger in this work when he was stop
ped by pleasant voice close by.
Good morning, neighbor."
Pulsford looked up, aud whom should
he see facing him but Ladd, sitting
quietly on his horse, and smiling good.
humorcdly. 1t was almost moro than he
could bear; but he bore it somehow, and
without replying, went on chopping his
wood more furiously than before.
Good morning, Mr.. Pulsford,' re-
peated the unwecome visitor.
Pulsford gruntcd and growlcd, and still
continued his labor.
81 have come TO SEQ you again about
these sheep OF yours" said SIc Ladd
This was too much for the angry man
to endure silently. lie threw down his
axe, Strengthened his back, and looked
his adversary full in the face.
"You arc come TO see mo about my
sheop" said he, wrathfully; "a pretty
sort of neighbor you arc, 10 tell your men
TO kill my sheep! Yes, have heard OF it,
| havo-s rich man like you TO go shoot
ing poor fellows shccpv'
"Wcll, was wrong about that" said
tho farmer mildly; "and 1 don't mind
telling you was wrong. And since you
know what told my men, may as well
tell you now that your shoep are safe
from any harm l ever intended them.
But it wont do, you know" added he
good -hun,oredly, ''to Let your sheep eat
all my corn sc. i am just come over to
make you an offer"
ooh an Offer" still surli.y and gloomi
ly.
"Yes, neighbor; have been thinking,
and am come over to cay that, if you
like, will take your sheep to my home
stead pastures, and put them along with
mine. 1 think they will do better there
than here, perhaps; they won't be likely
10 stray, because they will be under my
shepherds care; and they will not be any
further trouble 10 you through the sum-
| mer. Then after harvest you can bring
them back again and, meanwhile, if any
thing goes wrong with them, or you miss
any Of them, you shall take your pick out
of my flock"
The n.an leaked ao:iiG;;sedi and coii-
founded. !. seemed rs though his rich
| neighbor was i'll earnest, but he was not
sure; so he said:
"Do you mean what you say, sir?"
"Cortainiy do" said Mr.. Ladd; at
will be better for me to feed your sheep
| in my pasture on grass, than to feed
| them hero OH corn; and see that your
| fence cannot keep them out"
"Thcy shall not trouble you any moro,
| Mr.. Laad,' said the other, in g subduod
tone; "Ill take care that they don't got
into your corn-feld again. And if l do
rot accept your ofer," he added, ~ thank
| you for it all tho same. 1t is kind and
| ncighboriy, and when man is neigh
horiy can be the same"
Pnlsiord was as good as his word his
sheep never strayod again, by somo meaps
they were kept TO their own ground.
! What is still bettor, q kindness sprang up
between tho prosperous farmer and his
unsuccessful neighbor, which did not end
In unkind words, though it began with