The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-08

1t than to WASH my nandS De1Ore Sluulng
down to supper. On the contrary, he
suspected that my hands were not quite
clean yet He wanted to know if had
wronged anybody besides Peter; l tried
to say no, but my conscience wouldn't
let me. l could have told a plumper
lie once without flinching-yes, and
flattered my own heart to believe the
lie. / was discouraged; felt bitterly
disheartened. 1t was indeed so much
harder to be Christian than supposed
that l regretted going to talk to the
minister at all. Like the young man
who had great possessions, l was on
the eve of going away sorrowful. But
my heart burned within me, and l was
forced to speak.
"'I In the way of business said 1,
no doubt have taken advantage here
and there, as, everybody does = as
church members themselves do when
they cam
" What everybody does is no rule
for you and me, Captain Bell said the
minister. 1T is to be a Christian in
the fullest sense-not simply to be
church members-that we must strive
for with all our hearts. The fact of be-
ing in the fold does not make the lamb;
there are wolves in the fold, alasl but
we are by no means justified in doing
as the wolves do, even when they APP
pear in sleeps clothing
g l felt the rebuke. WELL said /,
there is Deacon Rich; 1 think he paid
me note twice. The first time he
paid it we were transacting some other
business, and by some mistake the
note wasn't destroyed. | found it
among my papers afterward. l was a
good deal excited, and lay awake more
than one night thinking what | ought
to do about it. The deacon was hard
man, l considered, and took advantage
of man when he could. He had
driven more than one hard bargain
with me-
The deacon, who was present and
WINGED and coughed uneasily. Captain
Ball went on without appearing to mind
him.
"' So said to the minister, con-
cluded l would serve the deacon as he
would serve me under similar circum-
stance. kept the note by me good
while, and when l thought the particu-
lars of our settlement had slipped his
mind, said to him one day, May be
you would like to take up that note,
which had been due then a consider
able time. He was surprised, looked
excited and angry-said he had paid it,
and held out stoutly for awhile; but
there was the note. There was no
proof that it had been paid, and he finally
took out his pocket-book and, with
some pretty hard words, paid it over
again, with interest
"' And now,' said the minister,
what are you going to do about it?'
"'I suppose said l, the money
must be paid back
" So 1 went to the deacon, the next
day, and told him that on reflection /
was convinced that he was right and /
was wrong about the first payment of
the note, and returned the money-one
hundred and thirteen dollars-a good
deal to his establishment.
The deacon coughed and wiped his
forehead.
&" hoped then all was right" con.
tinued Captain Ball. g tried to sat-
isfy my conscience that it was; but
was afraid to 60 back to the minister
!, he has such way of stirring up the
conscience and finding mud at the bot.
tom, when we flatter ourselves that be.
cause it is out of sight there is no i'm
, purity there.
' " And l knew that as long as
, dreaded to see the minister something
must be wrong; and, on looking into
, my heart, / found the matter of mort
+ gage which l had forclosed on poor
a man and got away his farm, when he
| hoI c,1cnininr htrt that 7 uyn,,11 Of
him time to redeem it. BY the means
: | had got into my possession property
, worth two thousand dollars, for which
] | did not actually pay, and for which
Isaac Dorr never actually realized more
7 than half that amount. But the pro-
I ceedings were entirely legal, and so
q tried to excuse myself. But my weak
: ened conscience kept saying, You
-. have taken poor mans land withou
giving him just return. The law of God
I. condemns you, although the law of man
sanctions the wrong. You shall have
a no peace of sOul-yOur heart will burr
t you until, with justice, you wipe ou
! your injustice to him and to all others
4 whom you have wronged.'
$ Against the decree of my conscience
= | rebelled long time. 1t was hard fol
me to raise thousand dollars, togethe
e with the interest due from the time thu
mortgage was foreclosed; it was like
taking portion of my life to be oblige'
e to subtract so much from my gains ant
give it to a man who had no legal CLAIM
o upon me, and groaned and mourne'
V over it in secret, and tried to pray-bu
r that mortgage came right up between
d my prayer and God, and heaven LOOKED
d dark and frowning through it. AT last
l. l could not resist the appeals of m
n conscience any longer, and l went agail
to the minister, told him my trouble
n and asked him what / should do.
II " There is simple test said he
l. DO you love your neighbor as your
o self? If you do, you will be jus
II to him if it takes from you the las
Y dollar you have in the world
"That was a terrible sentence.
d went out staggering from it as if ha
n received blow. 90 God!' / said
t. how can be Christian?' But ha
ot help beyond myself; otherwise coul
l. never have endured that struggle.
knelt before God and solemnly vowe
|, for his sake, for the sake of his pardo
n and love, would not only do justice t
m tho poor man had Uropnad lint xuonl