St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-09-28
The EVIL Passions of Anger
and Envy.

Phil in rage.
"What's the matter, my bOy?" said
grandfather gently, but quickly catch
ing a hand and holding it with firm
grasp as Phil tried to rush past him.
"He's been spiting me, and I'll spite
him. Let go, grandfather-please"-
! Phil struggled to free his hand.
"But let me hear something about it
first, Phil. Sit down here with me.
Whom do you want to spite and why /?
There will be plenty of time to do it
then, You know -
1t was very hard for the angry little
boy to wait, but grandfather was too
good friend to have his wishes disre-
garded.
'Why, sir, | made dam out in the
little creek where Harry Danforth and
play-and made little waterwhe"l
and put it in and it worked beautifully
you just ought to have seen it -
and vaow Harry's been and broke up
my dam and carried off the wheel"
AFe you sure Harry did it 2"
HWhy YES, sir. No one but he and
l plays there"
Ibid you see him do it ?"
"No, but know he did, and I'm
bound to break down his vine swing
to pay him up, and teach him to let my
things alone"
"Spiting is a very poor business,
Phil, | tried it once myself when | was
boy. Indeed, | suppose tried it
more than once, but that one time |
remember so well think it was the
last, for never forgot the lesson it
taught me-"
"Tell me about it, please, grand
father mean tell the story"
Il had boy friend with whom |
played as much as you play with Harry
Danforth. Our homes were near to-
getheI and we were fond of sharing
with each other whatever we had
which could be shared.
owe were both very fond of garden
| ing and kept up Il friendly rivalry us to
who should he able to show the finest
roses and violcts and marigOlds and
poppies-we had very few geraniumS
or verhenas in those days, and what
| YOU call pansies now we used to call
Johnny -iump-ups. We always divided
whatever seeds or slips we had, and 1t
was Il great thing when either of us got
| hold of anything new which only
came about through some one giving
us something. for there were fewer
green houses then. and people were
not so much given to spending money
for everything. Ncighbors used to eN-
change among each other what they
| had.
''Well, was greatly surprised one
day going over to Rob's, to find he
| had two fuchsias. They were rare
! flowers then-sOme one had sent them
to him from quite Il distance and how
we both admired the graceful, dropping
stems, the shining leaves, and the one
or two buds which gave promise OF
future beauty. He was much elated mt
having the only ones in the neighbor-
hood but | fully expected him to give
one of them to me. You may imagine,
then, that felt angry and astonished
at his seeming to have no thought OF
anything of the kind, although | had
only the day before given him more
than half had of some white peOny
bulbs. which were considered very
choice indeed.
81 thought the fuchsias the most
beautiful things | had ever seen, us
they bloomcd on with their lovely
clusters of scarlet bells, and every time
| saw them | felt crosser at Rob fOl
keeping both himself.
Il did not stop to consider that
had really no right to expect it of him
but allowed my feelings of envy anC
anger to grow in my heart in wa!
which many have found the cause o
sore trouble. Try, my dear boy
never to let such feelings get the uppe
hand of you. Stamp them down an'
east them ont, for if you do not maste
r them they will master you. | go
pretty well punished for harborini
them as | did, but not perhaps Il
severely as | deserved.
81 got sullen and could not play o
work harmOniously with Rob an
/ longer, so was glad when was sen
q to spend two or three weeks with m
uncle who lived Il few miles distant
| walked back home on the morning c
my birthday, and, passing by wher
Rob lived, stopped before the gate t
see if | could get Il glimpse of the fuch
1 sias. | could only see one under a tire
e where Rob had placed it for shade, an
= | was amazed To see how it had grow
= and what IL beauty it was in this il
e "But the ugly, covetous fcelin
e within me arose so strongly that onl
: felt more and more angry that RO
e should have II thing so much finer tina
n ANYTHING had. Hardly thinking whi
Y | did, to give vent to my spite pickc
q up little stone and flung towards i
! aimed truer than expected, and tn
e next moment the glorious plant la
|, over on its side, the stalk broken shoI
e of not far from the root.
It 81 shrank away in dismay. No on,
3 | was almost sure, had seen me, but
e the whole world had been looking q
;, | could not have felt more btterl
IS ashamed. | reached home and foun
! it hard to put on decent face to III
l. swer all the kind wishes for my brit
e day and to seem pleased with my pre-
Il ents. Rob was there with the brigh
f est face among them. | couldn't be;
|, to look at him, but he didn't stop
-e notice how | tried to avoid him.
IS "'Come into the garden he said,
y soon as the others had said their sa
20 | could not refuse to 90, but in II
, shame and confusion | hardly unde
stood his eager chatter.
"'I've been keeping it for IA birthd;
present. the dear fellow was sayin
It's been all could do. tell you,
k wait so long-I used to have to hi
le my tongue to keep from saying, "Her
1t Jack, of course this is for you.'
ie picked out the prettiest for you-air
lg they just splendid, though
&c "There in the centre of a round bt
of in my garden, with decoration arouI
rd it of moss he had brought from Il
V woods, was the other fuchsia, larg
III and more laden with bloom than Il
e. one ! had ruined for him.
es ''As he tenderly laid his hand und
= a cluster of the flowers. lifting them