The Opelousas courier., 1891-05-09

want for a little fruit while I have an
abundance. That is one of the greatest
sources of enjoyment my abundance
gives me-to minister to the wants OF
Others"
"Then yours must be a happy heart. :"
SIT is, sir"
The traveller soon resumed his Jour-
ney, and the farmer again turned to his
work.
That evening Watts and Green met.
1t was in a small shed belonging to the
former, standing at some distance from
the house, and used in time of washing
sheep, there being a large brook running
by it.
"Watts," said Green, shaven't them
scamps troubled your orchard this sea-
SOM"
"What scamps2" quietly asked Watts.
"Why, them fellows that bother me
So"
"No one has troubled me-"
ssWell, that's curious. They're romp-
ing around my orchard most every
night. Last night they just about
spoiled one of the best gratis I've got.
I wouldn't have taken $50 for it. o,
just let Inc catch 'em at it, that's all.
"What would you do?"
"Id fog 'em within an inch of their
~lives!"
"Then l don't wonder that they rob
you of your fruit
"Don't wonder! What do you meana"
III mean simply this: that you are tax
ing just the course to bring down the re-
venge of these boys upon you"
"And SO / suppose you would have
me buy them of-that is, pay them for
not stealing"
80, no, you don't understand me-.
You know that these kinds of early fruit
that you and / have are great temptations
to the boys-and to even quite big boys,
too. Now, they see the apples lying
about on the ground, and it does not ap-
pear like real theft to jump over the
wall and pick a few of them up. They
see them lying there exposed to the bugs
and grssshoppers, and | cannot say that
l blame u person for occasionally picking
Up a few. 1t is certainly no palpable
loss to us, and affords great satisfaction
to them. Now, if you are asked for a
few apples and refuse them, or if you
find someone in your orchard merely
picking up a few windfalls, aud roughly
drive them out, you may expect they
will come when you don't know it, and
then a feeling of pique will lead them to
take as many as they can carry. In
short, your orchard is a kind of glass
house, and the more roughness you use
to keep people away from 1t, the more
liable you are to have it broken. You
know the nature Of boys as well as / do;
and you know that harsh language and
blows will make many, who are by no
means wickedly inclined, do some very
dangerous things. Now, no one troub-
les me. If any n wants a few of my
apples to eat, I give them some; for I
have plenty to spare while they are grow
ing and dropping from the trees. take
a great deal of real pleasure, too, in do
ing SO, for love to see people happy on
my bounty"
"But some Of them pizened my dog"
~ can't say that I wonder at that,
either"
"Well, I must say you have some
strange notions of right and wrong"
said Green, in a bitter tone.
81 didn't say that I thought it was
right. On the contrary, I think it was
very wrong. But then you must remem-
Der for what purpose you purchased the
dog, and in what manner you trained
him. I don't wonder that he was killed,
for he has bitten a number of people
since you had him."
Mr.. Green would have made some
further remark, but at that moment his
attention was arrested by the sound of
voices from the path that ran along by
the brook, and thinking that he heard
his w name mentioned, he listened.
"Did you know that some of the boys
broke one of old Green's trees last
night?" asked one of the unseen takers.
.tNo; did thegg"
ayes, and they walked off with more
than q bushel of his best apples, be-
"Egad, I'm glad of 1.-THE stingy old
curmudgeon. He wouldn't give anybody
apple TO save their Jife.o
esThat's George Grey's voice." mutt.
tered Green.
I'm tell you a circumstance" CON-
tinued Grey to his companion, both of
whom had stopped uron a little bridge
spanned the brook back of the sheep
shed. "You remember my brother
FRANKIE
Eyes
"And don't you remember ten years
ago, when he was a boy, how he saved
Green's life? Green had got into the
and had already sunk up to
his chin, and every movement he made
to free himself, only sank him deeper.
He had gone out upon a log to get a
duck that he had shot, and slipped off.
There was no way to reach him, and no
one dared venture after him. He groaned
and cried for help. His mouth was soon
under the mud, and in a moment mere
RS hUobi1tS WOutd JIG UuuGI tOU. Ills
power to cry for help was gone, and just
Is we expected to SEQ him disappear,
Frank came running down-he had
from the house as soon as Green
ell in-and threw off his clothes and
hen got q man to help him throw a long
board out upon the soft mud. Then he
the end of a long rope he had got
Q the men who had collected on the
hore, and taking the other end he ran