Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-26

much esteemed and beloved as his wife if he
 did not always carry with him a disposition to find fault-an atmosphere of dissatisfac tion and discontent that made everyone around him uncomfortable.
 Salter and his nearest neighbor Thomas Reed, were employed in the same shop, and they often walked together to and from theil work. They got along without any differ ences with each other because Reed was the very opposite of Salter in his temperament He always sought to find the best that there was ill everything and in everybody, and he seldom failed to discover some bright spot, some redeeming trait. He fully believed that every man in every nation would dc we'll to heed St. Paul's injunction to the Ro- mans: eff it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men," and SC he usually avoided answering Salter's com plaints and would not argue with him in re- gard to them lest it end in contention. But he could speak very plainly, very much to ' rr, rl1rpose when he thought that duty de-
 mandad if foo, hat Salter had yet to learn. Last year on their return 1r.N 'neii u'ii labor, night before Thanksgiving, Reed sa,u "Pm glad that Tyler paid us off tonight.
 l haven't made any special purchases for Thanksgiving yet, have you, Salter? I have plenty of ways for my money to go and I
 have to study economy pretty closely, but I
 always mean to have a little something extra
 on Thanksgiving days. I think that the eff
 feet of such observance is good on ourselves
 and our families. It brings our blessings to
 mind and tends to make us have a thankful
 spirit"
 Salter replied in a sarcastic, grumbling tone:
 ''It's all well enough for you, Reed, to go
 in for something extra if your blessings are
 so many that you feel called upon to spend a
 day in giving thanks. For one don't, and
 1 never make any pretence to feeling what I
 don't feel. With me it is hard work year in
 and year out, with little gain and many dis
 appointments. I want nothing different on
 Thanksgiving days from what have on oth-
 CT days Let those people buy the turkeys
 and render the thanks who are prospered
 and have something to be thankful for
 Reed was mortified by the ungrateful, re-
 bellious spirit of his neighbor. He had nev- CT heard anything from him before that seemed to him quite so wicked as that. Then
 he felt called upon to speak.
 ''I should think, neighbor Salter," he ex- claimed, 'fthat you would fear that the Al
 mighty would send some dire calamity upon you for indulging ill such an ungrateful spir- it and speaking words that seem to me noth- ing less than blasphemy. Nothing to be thankful for!' Good Godl How dare you say it2 To all human observation your blessings more than those of the average man. Everyone who knows your wife con- siders her one of the best of women. It is no wonder to me that she is feeble; the won der thaE she is not NoJ1 speak of her ill-health complainingly, but fully believe that you are in part at least the cause of it. I believe that I should begin to wilt and lose my strength if I heard such talk every day of my life as I believe that she hears. It has been said that continual thankful for!' And yet don't know of two more comedy and better behaved children than yours are. Isn't that something to be thankful for? Last year our neighbor Flint had two children to partale of his Thanks giving feast with him. Tbis year they are sleeping under the sod and no child's pratt1e will be heard in his house tomorrow. Last year our good neighbor Hyde and his numer- ous family were all together around his table and they were very happy. This year his wife is widow and his children are father less and scattered; but you, Jacob Salter, are E aRa Psthas Hd fo1!' A few weeks ago my brother-in-law, Hatch, whom you have seen at my house, had five hundred dollars stolen which he had carefully saved to pay up the mortgage on his little home. Yesterday the mortgage was foreclosed and he finds just as winter is com ing on that he and his family are homeless, and his health is so impaired by his loss and the anxiety attending it that he is at present unable to labor. The same day that I heard of Hatch's loss some told me that you had paid the last dollar that you owed for ka1,1 myself only few days ago that you owed no man living penny. And with all these blessings you have nothing to be thankful for!' I suppose there are very many people who are not as thankful as they should be on Thanksgiving day or any other day. But
 you are the first man that 1 ever heard of,
 Salter, that was not willing to do something
 different from what he does every day to
 make Thanksgiving day day of gladness to
 his family. I cannot help feeling that you spoke thoughtlessly. I sincerely hope that
 there was more bitterness and ingratitude
 expressed by your words than you really feel
 in your heart. May you be led to see the ex-
 ceeding sinfulness of your besetting sin,
 everlasting grumbling. If we cannot add to
 the happiness of those around us, for mer-
 cy's sake don't let us add to their miseries.
 What right has any man to make his fellow
 creatures miserable, especially those whose happiness is entrusted to his keeping? If men do reap what they SOW, the man who scatters unhappiness all around him will have a very undesirable harvest"
 Salter was so stunned by the stlnglng re- buke of his quiet, peace-loving neighbor that he made no attempt to reply, and he walked slowly and thoughtfully to his home while Reed stopped in the grocery store. He was exceedingly chagrined. Since his boyhood l no one had ever presumed before to rebuke him so severely. Did he deserve it? That | was the question.
 | As he entered his yard he noticed, although | it was nearly dark, that board was hanging l loose on his well-curb. After looking at il | and turning over the curb for the better con venience of mailing it he went into the house l for hammer and nails, and he passed througf l the kitchen where his wife was preparing | supper without pausing to see if anything | was going wrong Reeds words were stll l ringing in his ears.
 As soon as his son heard his fathers foot steps he caught up the waterpail and ran ou l for fresh pail of water, as his father hat | told him that he must never fail to do so be l fore each meal. Salter was so intent upo1 | finding the nails to fasten on the board be l fore dark, and his thoughts were so running upon what Reed had said, that he neve l thought about Arthur's going for the water l An instant later frightened scream pierced his ears. Arthur made straight for the well | curb as he always did, and as his father hae unfortunately turned the curb over back O l the we'll, he of course ran directly into it The truth instantly flashed upon Salter. l 70 my God, my God!" he cried. 'Ar | thur is in the well!'' he shouted to his w1ft | as he rushed through the kitchen; ''throv 1 down your dishes and come." A4d as h leaped down the doorsteps he screamed tt his little daughter, 'Run, Lizzie, and see 1
 MT. Reed has got home."
 | Fortunately Reed was just opening hi
 door and he heard what Salter said. H. ! knew that there was trouble there of som kind and he threw his packages into the hal | and rushed on after Salter. He knew from | the position of the well-curb and from hear l ing Mrs. Salter vail Arthur that her boy was in that well. Without stepping to ask | question he tore off his shoes and sticking 1 his toes into the crevices of the stones ht 1 carefully and calmly, with what haste h, | could, descended the well, in the meantime | clearly giving directions to the others. Hi 1 wife and daughter had followed him acros I the street. He sent one of them for rope | the other for a lantern, and he enJolned upo1 | Salter, who was nearly beside himself witt l fright and grief, crying, Save him, saw ! him. Reed,' to keep quiet possible and b.
 ready to do anything that he asked him t. | do.
 Ten minutes later Arthur was drawn up Reed caught him by the hair as he came t
 the surface, probably for the last time, an'
 hastily tying the rope around him, shouted l to his father to draw him LID slowly and care