The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-07

Martin has q kind heart, an she i
sympathizin' with the sick an tn,
needy. She's good woman, Ike"
"She may be, but I amt ready to say
so. It's been thirty years since my
family an the Martins have neigh
bored. an in all that time not wore
has passed between US It's hard tx
forget an forgive after SO long, Sam
an low Mis- Martin can't do it. She
may be good woman, but she aim
good enough to do that"
Sam said no more. but went on ur
the road toward the mill, while Isaac
| returned to his seat on the doorstep
Indy still slept, and, as her husband
sat listening to her breathing, his
thoughts ran over the conversation he
had just had with Sam Gross.
I'D be glad to have Mis- Martin here.
| he thought, "but amt no right to cx
pect her to come, even if she was Chris
tan enough to forgive an forgit- Three
months ago, when Martin lay sick.
never went about him, an even
when he died / kept away from the
house. not so much as seein' him buried.
amt no right to expect her to be more
forgivin' than myself.
| When Sam Gross arrived at Mrs. Mar.
TINS house he went in and asked for a
drink of water. She gave it to him.
then asked him to stop awhile to rest.
I'D be glad enough to-" Sam replied,
hopping the perspiration from his
brow, but I'm in too much of hur-
~. Comm by Burton's just now, Ike
/ he comes out an says Indy is bad tuck,
an that he's afeared she's goin' off, an
| he asks me to send the doctor up, SO
I'll have to git long as peart as I kin.
| Poor Indy" Sam went on, after a
short pause, II low that doctors an
medicine an SIGH likes amt agoin' to
; do her much good 'less'n she has proper
Tussin'. Ike can't tend on her with
shucks, no matter how hard he tries,
an il he goes bout in sight Of 'er with
that forlorn, sad look he wears, she'll
die shore, jest O that alone. She needs
a good, cheerful woman nuss, Mis- Mar
tin. sech as you'd be, now
Sam stopped and waited, as if for a
reply from Mrs. Martin, but she did not
speak. and he went on:
I'm cases like that" he said, SITS a
great pity folks amt got no neighbors,
fer good neighbors is power O. COM
fort to the sick an them as is related to
the sick. There's no KNOWN what
good nussin' would do fer Mis- Burton,
ner how consolin' word O. sympathy
would be to poor old Ike in his loneli-
ness. feel fer them poor critters, Mis-
Martin, an do wish somebody would
i; be neighborly with EN-"
Again Sam paused. but Mrs. Martin
said nothing, and he saw that he must
speak palmer in order to make the i'm
preston he desired.
''Mis' Martini he continued, 'life is
powerful short, an if people expect to
prepare fer eternity they amt got no
time to waste in useless bickerin's.
Them as expects to be happy in the
next world can't afford to spend their
time here in contentious. Fer my part,
Mis- Martin, I'd hate to let a cross
fence atween two farms stand betwixt
me an my neighbors, much less betwixt
me an Heaven. Now fer thirty years
that cross fence up there has kept you
uns an the Burtons apart, maxim you
enemies when you ought to "a been
friends an neighbors. an it was all on
account of contentiousness. Either
family would "a made up in a minute
it the other would "a tuck the fust
step, but neither would bulge an inch,
an SO it's gone on an on, all of you
bein' as miserable as sin. Mis- Martin,
faint right. People as hopes to BE- for
give in the next world must forgive in
this. put it to you, now. Mis- Martin,
if amt right?"
Sam, you are right" Mrs. Martin re-
piled. THAT cross-fence trouble has
caused me many sorrowful days, and
there never has been time when 1
wouldn't gladly have buried the strife
and made friends with the Burtons.
But l thought the first advances to-
ward a reconciliation ought to come
from Isaac. Hewas most to blame"
MIS- Martin" said Sam, Il don know
who was most to blame. / amt no
call to speak of that. But this know:
If a person is true Christian an
wants to so act, that person mustn't
stick at no fine p'ints; an in effort to
fetch about reconciliation he must be
willin' to 60 moren halfway to meet
t'other party. Scripture says, Mis-
Martin. to do good to them that de-
spitefully use YOU an as Christians
we're bound to do it"
Sam spoke with deep solernity, and
it was plain that his words had greRt
effect on his auditor. Mrs. Martin was
Christian woman and she meant well,
but. like many other good people. she
found it hard to humble herself. There
was long silence, during which a con-
flict between duty and pride waged
within Mrs Martins bosom.
SAM" she said, at last. ''do you
think Isaac would not resent my COM
ing into his house?"
Il know he wouldn't" Sam replied.
promptly. More than that, Mis-
Marin, know he'd welcome YOU"
Then I'll go. Sam, an let the out
come of it be what it may. know
shall feel the better for goin'.''
Sam started on his way. happy in the
thought Of what he had accomplished.
and hoping that his efforts might lead
TO the burial of the differences that
had SO long kept the two families al
ennity.
Mrs Martin went Immediately TO
Durton's, and when old Isaac from his
seat on the doorstep sew her coming up
the yard-path he was more surprised
than he ever had been in all his life
However, ne COMPOSED himself sniff