Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-05
A RELIGIOUS THIEF SiLENcsD.
He shouted In Meeting and stole Hay
from His Seishbors-

He shouted In Meeting and stole Hay
from HIS Seishbors-
In the early days of Sunday River
valley Ithiel Smith lived there. He had
plenty Of hay in the barn. 1t was Gus
tomary 10 go 20 the barn about 8 o'clock
in the evening and fodder the cattle and
see that they are all right for the night;
also 10 have enough hay on the barn
floor 70 feed in the morning about 4 a. m
On several mornings this hay that he left
on the door for morning use was gone.
He did not know what had become of
il. AT first he thought he had forgotten
to pitch tho hay from the NOW. but
when every few mornings his hay was
gone he began To think about the cause
Of the loss Of the hay, but could not
discover IL.
Toward spring he noticed that neigh
Dor used 70 often come in and spend an
evening with him, staying late. Smith
noticed that he generally came snowy
nights. and staid TILL after the cattle
were foddered for the night. One night
after this neighbor had been gone for
some time Smith went 20 the barn. His
hay was gone. It was showing hard.
Then he went back 20 the house and
said not a word about the hay.
re made it in his way TO go 10 this
neixhhor's about chore time and see how
much hay he had in his barn. He saw
about half ton on the scalfold over the
cows.
-. - -
TO visit him he did his chores and left
the hay on the ioor ~ usual. When the
man left Smiths house TO 20 home.
Smith went out carefully 10 the other
side Of the barn where he could look
around the corners and sec the small
door on that side. Just as he looked
around the corner he saw a bundle of
hay come ont Ok the door; then the
neighbor came out after il. shutting the
door. and shouldering the hay went
across lots in the snow 70 his barn.
smith Ter him 20 and did not say one
word. but he put on locks TO his barn
doors the next day.
Ia the spring when the snow thawed
there was a road across the field covered
with scattered hay 70 this mans barn.
One Sunday a. they came from meeting
this man was along and several other Of
the neighbors. Smith invited them 10
come % his barn. he wanted to show
them a curiosity. They all went. He
took them into the barn and opened the
small door THAI thu hay went out Of.
snd showed them the streak Of scattered
hay. saying. The curiosity was that It
bel from his barn 20 neighbor So-and-
Sos barn. and AL The tracks went the
same way from smiths barn to this
mans barn Smith said, Now. good
neighbors. can you solve this great
mystery2 leave you 20 find the cause.
They gave their verdict then and there.
saying. That explained how this man
had kept his two cows on one ton - hay
ard bal part II t left az this time.
This man did not call on smith any
more. neither was smiths hay missing
after that. But Smith could net forget
the less n his hay. especially by man
that claimed e. enjoy religion and would
get shouting happy every time that he
went a. meeting. Is puzzled smith how
this man could be So happy and not
make restitution 90 him for the hay he
hal stolen from him IN the past.
Smith made up his mind that the next
sinle this man shouted he would shout
80. After while there was a meeting