The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-15
The GRACE OF FORGIVENESS

THE GRACE OF FORGIVENESS
'T'll never forgive john. can't. He's
gone too far for forgiveness from me-"
'sOh, my dear, don't say that. You
really can't afford to harbor such a
feeling. Do try to have the grace Of
forgiveness, for your own sake as well
as his
1t was Aunt Myra's soft yoice-the
woman SO gentle and self-poised. SO un-
tried and untempted, it seemed to 9TH
er mortals, who were often so harass-
ed and fretted; it hardly seemed as ii
she knew enough of vexation to give
counsel about it.
Don't, auntie. you can't judge me by
any common rule. for there never was
a case like this, SO fan of aggravation
and and-yes, insult! And to think it
should be John, my own half -brotherl
And you talk about the grace of for
giveness. Why. you never were used
half so $50 mean in all your life, Aunt
Myra'
Hadn't she been? She slowly rocked
and for moment her thought went
back to a time when the seas had well
night gone over her, and the quiet she
had attained was the calm of victory
instead of stagnation-but not many
knew Of this.
Perhaps not, in Just tais way, Lot
tie; but I've lived twice your years and
found that life is teo short for strife, es-
peciaIiy among kindred .
Well, I haven't started strife I've
been misused. And to think how
went over to Johns and helped him and
his wife through typhoid, and left my
own concerns and work. and now af-
ter pretending to be so grateful and
owing his life to me. now he repays me
in this way.
Lottie Haines was too indignant for
many tears, but she wiped her eyes and
glared across the road at a pretty
Queen Anne house, the innocent object
Of offense
After the widowed mothers death
and Johns marriage, he and Lottie had
divided the property, she keeping the
homestead and garden and orchard adj
joining, and he the most of the land,
and building himself a nice house on
the end of it nearest the village. Lot
ties house was old and needed fre-
1uent repairs, and her brother some
times advised her to give it up and live
with him; but she loved independence
and she loved the old place, and more
than all sne delighted in the view for
in front the long, gentle slope of the
fields ended in the blue waters of the
Sound.
If the house only stood across the
road, she sometimes said; the view was
little the best there. Others thought
so too. Lawyer Jacobs had been try
ing for quite some time to buy few
OF those acres from John and in the
face of stern denials had from time to
time increased his offer, and it looked
at last as if he had succeeded in his
object, for in a very Snort space of time
cellar had been dug and the frame
Of a cottage had gone up before the
amazed and indignant eyes of Lottie
Haines. She had spoken her mind free
~ to the school mistress and the dress
maker who sometimes boarded with
ner, and they had fully agreed with
her that it was the meanest kind Of
treatment
But now Aunt Myra, who had come
for long visit, and who had always
feasted on the beautiful view during
other visits, pursued her unrufIed ways
about the house and calmly talked of
the grace Of forgiveness and the folly
of strife.
Well, Lottie. thought she could for
give much and often, but not this great
offense, and that John should be the Of
fender. He had kept away from her
since that luckless morning wnen he
had stood for a while watching the men
dig the cellar and had then come across
TO her and met such a storm Of ques-
tions and scathing reproach tHat he
fairly covered under it, and without
explanation or excuse had hurried
away. She had seen him over at the
house sometimes and once had MET him
face to face. but had given him no no
tiee
1t was terrible to tive this way She
felt It keen1y. but how could he be 50
rruel?--for a, few hundred dollars to
take away so much Of interest and
pleasure from her life. And she had
30 few enjoyments; had been for the
most part content to be at home, and
not feeling shut away from her Will