The Newtown bee., 1888-11-16

ten and earnestly; 1 cxhorted; gave of my store to aid in spreading the gospel; was accounted among men as bright and shining light and I had faith in all the promises. What have I done to de- bar me from entrance here?" St. Peter looked over the angels shoul- der and glanced at the entry in the book.
 'sThou hast boycotted postmaster, y answered he, with a look of sorrowful reproach.
 ''But that was not sin,'' calculated the trembling deacon.
 "Not sin? Not sin?" retorted the saint, as he shook the great key in his hand. "Think you it is no sin to hate
 your neighbor, to do him despite, to seek to deprive him of the recompense, small and pitiful, which is bestowed for his | duty to you and your neighbors? Think you it is no sin to put yourself to pains taking trouble to deprive your neighbor
 of living, when for each mean action you cheat him out of only one cent, rob man cent at time? Humph, pret- | ty Christian
 ''But, but, 1, I, 1 did not like his ap- | pointment as postmaster" faltered the deacon.
 ''But, but, but, " replied St. Peter, "but he was your neighbor and you tried to | do him despite. He was appointed to serve you and you tried to deprive him of his recompense. He was a poor man and you sought to turn away from him his daily bread. You were unjust to him and found fault without cause. You did this not for avarice, not to benefit yourself, that were some excuse, but you | did it in mean, soul-shriveling uncharit- ] ableness. You did it protesting to be a Christian, an example of that religion whose essence is brotherly love, neigh borly kindness, good will to men. Out upon thee. In the dark, deep recesses of hades, in the gloomiest, most cheerless avenue of despair, there is new ward fitted up for the 'boycotter of the post master.' There you will seek your abode. There you will remain for millions of cycles of ages. Since it affords you amusement to hate and do small-souled spite to your neighbors, you will there find kindred spirits and abundant time to plan your schemes of petty malice. Away with thee! Avaunt! Begone!!' The poor deacon was hurried on, on, past the Hypocrites' ward. He went by | a ward where the self-righteous Pharisee | To T ;,, upon the Levite, who saw the man | wounded and went by on the other side.
 He saw the slanderous, wagging their | tongues in malicious venom against their neighbors. He saw the stirrers-up of strife, trying vainly to cause contention | among others. He noticed that the far | ther he went in that division the smaller and more shrunken and shriveled were | the souls in torment. At last he came to the entrance to a pit, or rather a crevice | in a pit, over which was the legend :: "Boycotters of Postmasters They loved not their neighbor. They loved not their neighbor. They sought to deprive him of bread. They robbed him, not for their own gain, of cent at time; and took pains to deprive him of pennies. They are the smallest of souls in these con- | fines.f
 | Just then the attendant imp seized the deacon by the ear and held him over the
 pit. The poor victim shrieked and strug- gled and the imp laughed as he dangled the lost one for moment over his place of final torment. Before dropping him, he gave one terrible shake and the dea- con-awoke.
 His wife was tugging at his ear, ex-
 claiming: "Wake up, Samuel, wake up.
 You've got an awful nightmare"
 The deacon was in drenching sweat.
 He trembled and it took him several min
 utes to satisfy himself that he was not in fact in the sBoycotters' Ward of the
 Small Souls Division in the bottomless
 deep of perdition.
 l It is needless to remark that he tore up
 the earnest remonstrance, discontinued
 his spiteful efforts to injure his neighbor
 and, to make some amends for his past
 behavior, he mailed more letters ut the post office during the next fortnight than
 he had written before in five years. He
 bestirred himself to raise the boycott on
 the poor postmaster and his example was
 soon followed by all.-[ Published by re.
 quest.