The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
The Man who Killed the Hens.

though they could narQIy % bud t0D0ssS.
great friends. A man who would
have friends must show himssks
friendly; but though Tom wan ffienda
" enough, Fred was rather = suriy
chap. They were however sober and
industrious and each prided himself
on his well-kept garden, arriving to-
produce the earliest peas and the big
gest cabbages, though when Tom hap
pened to get the advantage Fred Yves
sure to be savage about 1t.
One Spring morning Fred looked
out and saw Toms hens scratching up
his peas. He rushed out half-dfeeeed
and made an onslaught upon the in-
vaders, killed two hens, and drove the
rest away, and feeling little mean
over his exploit flung the dead hens
over into the field at the back OF the
gardens, and went into the hOuSe.
When the hens were found, Fred pre-.
tended to know nothing ab0utit. But
as Tom suspected that Fred had killed
them, and Fred k,aetp he had, 1t was
not strange that coolness sprang up be-
tween the families.
Harvest time came, and Fred Ar.g
cher fell from the top Of q wagon, ana
broke leg and some ribs, and Wa
laid up in the house. He didn't SUFFER-;
or bread, for his employer and othesn
fooked after that, but his garden went
to the dogs, and got weedy and ssedy
enough.
Tom thought it over, and one day
said to his wife, II can't bear to see AZ
so. 1t isn't doing as we'd be done by.
I'll take spell at poor Fred's garden
The doesn't deserve IL, said Toms
wife, as she thought of the dead hens,
1.-The Bible tells US to bear one an.
others burdens" replied Tom:
Fired wouldn't have put bis little
finger to one of ours," said the wife. &
'If We do good only to them that d.
good to you, what thank have ysI
was Toms prompt reply.
II believe you are right, Tom" sald
his wife, "but there's our own gardens
wants as much work as you can give
it." h5s
"Look not every man on his own
things, but every man on the Things
of Others" was Toms rejoinder, and
that closed the argument.
Fred was sitting in the easy chair
one evening; he was rather m0re;
cross than usual, as sick folks ar8.
when they begin to mend, when In
came neighbor Tom, with
"How dye do, mate?"
Fred, with an effort, groWled out =
half civil answer.
"About your garden, neighbor, !" sald
Tom. :Ss
"What about it?" asked Fred.
"'Tis in terrible mess"
"Could have told you that" ssid
Fred.
II want to put it to rights bit e
you'd let me-"
"YouW
"Yes, why not, there's those trees
need cutting"
II know they do"
"a good many other things want
seeing TO-" said Tom.
lyon need not tell me that" said
the crippled man.
"May I do it?" said Tom.
"What for? I can't pay. you 4 2al1
do.n
II don't want you to may / do u
"If YOU like" answered Fred.
So Tom put his odd time into Freds
garden, A month later Fred was
hobbling around with q stick, and
Watching Tom as he was raking over;
bed. Everything was neat ana.
tidy; but when ne looked over Toms
fence he said:
"Why, Tom, you are backward
with your own work."
Rather, neighbor, but I'll soon.
fetch up. There, I think that puts on
the finishing stroke" he added, a. he
shouldered bis rake to 60 home.
"But, Tom-stop bit, Tom-I'Ee
something to say. I say, Tom, this u
very kind of you. I could not hAvei
Thought of it. And Tom say, ToEns
I can't bear it," and he drew his
brown hand across his face, and
brought it away moist. II can't bear
it, Tom to think how crooked I've al.
ways been with you. Those hens OF
yours, Tom"
"Never mind about them, Fred
"'Twas I that killed 'em, Tom.n
"Neyer mind" answered Tom,
"they shouldn't have got into your
garden"
"Did you know I did 1t, then"
Well, I gave a pretty close guess |;
but what matters 2" =,
"You've beat me-" sobbed Fred i
"you've beat me out and out. God
bless you for it, Tom" And he held
out his hand to Tom, who grasped IL
and shook it heartily. .-------z.s
The man who killed the hens Wan
conquered, and Tom Carter had learn:
ed how to "overcome evil with good"
The Little Christian. -
SIMPLE BEMEDIEs.-Wet tobacco
will relieve bee or wasp stings.
" l.ltl. ..o,,udod f0a