The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-01
The Quaker's Corn-Crib.

A man had been in the habit of steal.
ing o from his neighbor, who was a
Quaker. Every night he would go soft
" to the crib and fill his bag with the
ears which the good old Quaker's toll
had placed there. Every morning the
old gentleman observed a diminution Of
his corn pile. This was very annoying
and must be stopped-but how? Many
a one would have said: Take a gun,
conceal yourself, wait till he comes. and
fire" Others would have said: "Catch
the villain, and have him sent to Jail"
But the Quaker was not prepared to
enter into any such severe measures.
He wanted to punish the offender, and
at the same time bring about his refor-
nation, if possible. So he fixed a sort
of trap close to one hole through which
the man would thrust his arm in getting
the corn. .. 49,. .."ru. ..,. a..
The wicked neighbor proceeded on
his unholy errand at the hour of mid.
night with bag in hand. Unsuspecting-
ly, he thrust his hand into the crib to
seize an ear, when 10! he found himself
unable to withdraw it! In vain he tug
ged and pulled, and sweated, and alter
nately cried and cursed. His hand was
fast, and every effort to release it only
made it the more secure. After q time
the tumult in his breast measurably
subsidized. He gave over his struggles,
and began to look around him. All
was silence and repose. Good men
were sleeping soundly in their comfort
able beds. while he was compelled TO.
keep a dreary, ~disgraceful watch
through the remainder of that long and
tedious night, his hand in constant pain
from the pressure Of the clamp which
held it. His tired limbs, compelled to
sustain his weary body, would fain have
sunk beneath him. and his heavy eyes
would have closed in slumber, but mol
there was no rest, no sleep for him.
There he must stand and watch tie
progress of the night, and at once desire
and dread the return of morning.
Morning came at last, and the Quaker
looked out of his window and found he
had Caught his man." .nagiu
I What was to be done? Some would
say, SEQ out and give him a good cow
hiding just as he stands, and then re-
lease him thatll cure him." But not
SO said the Quaker. Such a course
would have sent the man away embit-
tered and Ruttering curses of revenge.
The good old man hurried on his clothes
and started at once to the relief and
punishment of the prisoner.
TGood morning, friend. said he, ashe
came in speaking distance. ''How does
thee doW tl
The poor culprit made no answer,
but burst into tears.
"Oh, fiei" said the Quaker, as he
proceeded to release him. "I'm sorry
thee has got thy hand fast. Thee put
it in the wrong place o it would not
have been So"
The man looked crestfallen, and beg
ging forgiveness, hastily turned to make
his retreat. "Stay,D said his persecut-
or, for he was now becoming such to
the offender. who could have received a
blow with much better grace than the
| kind words which were falling from the
| Quaker's lips. "Stay, friend, thy bag is
not filled. Thee needs corn or thee would
not have taken so much pains to get it.
Come, let us fill it, and the poor fellow
was obliged to stand and hold the bag
while the old man filled it, interspers-
ing the exercises with tho ~pleasantest
conversation imaginable-all of which
were like daggers in the heart of his
chagrined and mortified victim. The
bag was filed, the string tied, and the
sufferer hoped soon to be out of the
presence of his tormentor; but again
his purpose was thwarted.
"Stay," said the Quaker, as the man
was about to hurry off, having mutter-
ed once more his apologies and thanks.
"Stay, Ruth has breakfast ere this;
thee must not think Of going without
breakfast; come, Ruth is calling.p n +
This was almost raendurablel This
was heaping ON Goals with a yengeancei
In vain the mortified neighbor begged
to be excused. In vain he plead to be-
released from what would be to him
q punishment ten times more severe
than stripes and imprisonment. The
Quaker was inexorable and he was
obliged to yield. m
breakfast over, Now" said the
old farmer, as he helped the victim
to shoulder the bag, ssif thee need any
more cora, come in the daytime and
thee shall have Is. " la H
With what shame and remorse did
that guilty man turn from the dwelling
Of the pious Quaker. Everybody is
ready to say that he never again troubled
the Quaker's corn-cfib. I have some-
thing still better than that to tell you.
J He at once relented and reformed, and
my informant tells me that he after
ward heard him relate, in an experi-
ence meeting, the substance of the story
n L.4x -xI.I~4 H2-H - ll-e4LAI