The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1879-06-25
ONE ANGRY MOMENT.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

/
the newspaper he was reading, anG
speaking with unusual sharpness of tone
A young man, one of his clerks, stood
before him.
:" Do you understand meP No-I said
no! Send Mr.. Carlton word that
neither borrow nor lend"
The clerk had hesitated about sending
back the rough refusal of Mr.. Bray to ac-
commodate neighbor with the loan oi
a couple of hundred dollars, within an
hour of bank closing, even on the ex-
pianation that he was short on a note. VI
But, on this emphatic confirmation of the
| first refusal, he turned from his employer
and went forward to where the messen-
ger of Mr.. Carlton awaited an answer.
"rm 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 l do, and not
go money-hunting at the eleventh hour? ?
I'm not going to reduce my bank balance
to meet his careless deficiencies. There
is too much of this idle dependence
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
nial; and self-respect was hurt by this
sudden ebulition of anger.
"Send Mr.. Carlton word that l neither
borrow nor lend"
81 needn't have said ust thatm Mr.
Bray was already in q repentant mood
Il could have refused on any decent
pretext. There was no call for an insult
ing denial"
All me! How binding is sudden
anger! 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 itp" asked Mr.
Bray, his face deepening in color as he
put the question. .......-...
"He said he was much obliged to
you, but Mr.. Agnew had accommodated
him."
+ Mr.. Bray, in very quiet manner, tore
the check into small fragments. He felt
badly. Mr.. Agnew had the reputation
of being the roughest, most unaccommo-
dating man in the neighborhood; while
he took pride in the thought of being
held in very different estimation. Even
Mr.. Agnew had exceeded him in amiable
compliance and prompt business cour-
tesy! He felt rebuked and humbled.
"Oh, dear! wish l had little de-
cent self control' he said, sharply, to
himself. "This quick feeling, and hasty
action therefrom. are always getting me
into some kind of trouble
AS Mr.. Bray walked homeward, after
leaving mis- store that afternoon, he saw
Mr.. Carlton approaching at the distance
of half block ahead of him. He was
conveniently near the corner of p street,
and so taking the flag-stones he crossed
over and thus avoided meeting his
neighbor.
~ don't like this" he said, in some
| humiliation, to himself, as he breathed
little more freely. Skulking like a
criminal don't suit me at all! Why
should / fear to look any man in the
| face pn
Mr. Bray was, usually, cheerful man
at home; though he sometimes darkened
the homelight for season through fits
of sudden anger, that soon subsided.
But even the briefly ruling tempest
leaves usually some mighty traces of its
course that requires many days of sun
shine, gentle rains and refreshing dews
to obliterate. 1t was so with the tenn.
pest of Mr.. Bray's too easily awakened
anger, 1t never darkened the sky, MOI
swept fiercely along the earth, withou
leaving its ugly marks behind.
But usually he was cheerful in hi
family, bringing home with him TIN
bright, warm sunshine. 1t was not SO
however, on the present occasion. Thi
| little act of discourtesy to Mr.. Carltoi
had not only shadowed his feelings bu
| left his mind disturbed. He was just il
state to be annoyed by the meres
trifes.
Two little boys were playing in tn
passage as he came in from the street
At the very moment of his entrance on
of them hurt the other by accident. Th
latter screamed out, and, under the pas
sionate impulse of the moment, charge
bis brother with striking him. In dil
ferent state of mind Mr.. Bray woul
have tried little moral suasion in tn
case; or, at least, withheld punishmer
until he saw clearly that duty to HI
child required its administration. Br
now, obeying an unhappy impulse, b