The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-10-25

l ing thO iOue csiduecN AatAiitcS- anu iof
time he was at loss how to do it.
Finally he said:
"Ike, if Mis- Martin felt inclined to
come you wouldn't object, would you ~
Isaac shook his head.
'She won't feel SO inclined, Sam. 1t
amt natural that she should"
Il don't know" Sam replied. mis-
Martin has kind heart, an she is sym
pathizin' with the sick an the needy.
She's good woman, Ike"
She may be, bat amt ready 10 say
so. It's been thirty years since my fam
lily an the Martins have neighbored, an
in all that time not word had passed
between Us. It's hard to forgive an for
give after so lon9, Sam, IN low Mis-
Martin can't do it, She may be good
woman, but she amt good enough to do
that"
sam said no more, but went on up the
road toward the mill, while Isaac return.
ed TO his seat on the doorstep. Indy
still slept, and 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 ain't no right to ex-
pect her TO come, even if she was Chris
tian 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. 1 ANT 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 fer 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,
mopping the perspiration from his brow,
"but I'm in TOO much of hurry. Comm
by Burton's just now, Ike he comes out
an says Lindy is bad tuck, an that he's
afeared she's goin' of, an be asks me to
send the doctor up, so I'll have to git
long as peart as kin. Poor Indy"
Sam went on, after short pause, Il low
that doctors an medicine an sich likes
amt agoin' to do her much good less she
has proI er nussin.' Ike can't tend on her
wuih shucks, no matter how hard he
tries, an if he goes bout in sight Of 'er
with that forlorn, sad look he wears,
she'll die shore, jest o that alone She
needs good, cheerful woman nuss, Mis-
Martin, sech as you'd be. now
Sam stopped and waited. as if for
reply from Mrs. Martin, but she did not
speak, and he went en-:
''In cases Ike that" he said, "it's
great pity folks amt got no neighbors, for
good neighbors is a powor OF comfort 10
ihe sick an them ar ia related 10 the sick.
There's no KNOWN what good nussin'
would do fer Mis- Burton, ner how con
solin' Tord o sympathy -ould be 70
poor old Ikein his loneliness. l feel fer
them poor critters, Mis- Martin, an do
wish somebody would be neighbOrly with
en-
Again Sam paused, but Mrs Martin
said nothing, and he saw that he must
speaker palmer in oider to make the i'm
preston he desired.
"Mi's 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 20 let cross fence atween two
farms stand betSixt me an my neigh
bors, much less betwixt me an Heaven.
Now fer thirty years that cross fence up
there has kept you uns an Buttons apart
maxim You enemies when you ought to
"a been friends an neighboTs, an it was
all on account of contentiousness. Either
family would "a made up in minute if
the other would a tuck the fust step,
but neither would bulge an inch, an so
it's gone on an or, all of you bein' as
miserable as sin. Mis- Martin, tain't
right. People as hopes to be forgive 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 a time when
wouldn't gladly have buried the strife
and made friends with the Blrtons. Bat
Thought the first advances toward a re-
Cancellation ought to come from Isaac.
lie was most to blame"
"Mis' Martin" said sam, 81 don't
know who was most to blame. amt
no call to speak of that. Bat this !
know: Ifs person is true Christian
an wants to 50 act, that person mustn't
stick at no fine p'ints; an in effort to
about q reconciliation he must be willin'
to 90 more'n halfway to NEST t'other
party. Scripture says, Mis- Martin. TO do
good to them that despitefGlIy use you,'
an as Christians we're bound to do it."
Sam spoke with deep solemnity, and it
was plain that his words had great
effect on his audiicr Mrs. Martin was a
Christian woman and she meant we'll,
but, ike many other good people, she
fouad it hard TO humble herself. There
was longsilence, during which a con-
fict between duty aud pride waged with
in Mrs. Martins bosom.
sam" she said, at last, edo you think
Isaac would not resent my coming into
his hous;"
81 know he wouldn't" Sam replied,
promptly. "More than that Mis- Martin.
| know he'd ", leone You"
"Then I'll go, Sam, an let the outcome
oft be Whist it may, know shall feel
the better for goin'."
sam started on his way, happy in the
thought of what he had accomplished
aud hoping that his efforts might ;ead to
the burial of the difference that had so