The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-04-10

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more than made themselves amends
ultimately for any self denial they NAV
have suffered regarding it in the pres.
ence Of their host and hostess. Thus
very soon the whole town knew the
story, and Mrs. Gears holly sprlg
spoon became celebrated.
Never did dinner party leave the
givers of it with heavier spirits than
theirs left Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler,
Wampler would have been not little
disturbed simply at q misadventure in
his carving and Mrs. Wampler at once
In her cooking, but to these occasions
of discomfort the affair of the holly
sprig spoon added, or at least seemed
to them to add, the possibility of nut:
ting in question their honesty, and the
sense of this moved them finally to
find offense in the behavior of Mrs.
Gears. The more they thought it over
and the habit of people in Osceola
was to think over things a good deal
the more offense they found, so that
the feeling of both soon came to be as
expressed by Mrs. Wampler, "She
might as well have said 1 stole her
spoon in so many Words
In point of fact, no such thought had
at that time entered Mrs. Gears mind
For ten days she had fretted continu.
ally, suffering in her appetite and in
her sleep, over the loss of the spoou
and the consequent break in the set
| When the spoon reappeared so strange
~, the sight of it threw her into kind
of frenzy, and she felt that she must
clap hands on it at once or it would
disappear again. And when she had
got it in her hands her feeling was as
If some cruel prank had been played
on her and she must look sharp or il
would be repeated. How the spoon
came to be where it was found which
was the question of first interest to the
rest of the company, did not occur tc
her until later, and when it did occu,
1t at first started no doubt in her OF
the honesty of the Wamplers. But the
crazy, dull sense of having somehow
been victimized continued to harry her
and for that she began imperceptibly
to hold the Wamplers answerable.
Under fortnight's pricking by these
fantastic grievances the next time Mrs
Gears and Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler me-
they barely knew each other, and the
next time after that they knew each
other not at all. Then it became i'm
possible to invite them into the same
companies, and through the circle OF
their common acquaintance there be-
gan to steal, like line of spilled oil
across floor, separation out of sym
pathy. By the time the separation be-
came fully defined Mrs. Gears UNI
bragg at the Wamplers had come tc
positive grounds. She did not scruple
to think and to say freely, Eve have
no direct proof, but it's very singular
that the spoon should have been found
In their possession, and they've never
offered any explanation"
The Wamplers, too, had by this time
taken an open stand. On all convenient
occasions and on some not convenient
they declared that they preferred not
to have the friendship of people who
thought them capable of stealing .
spoon. " l.,
Thus the difference grew into al
open feud. Finally it was carried into
the church. A document was laid be
fore the session, urging it to summon
Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler to an explana
ton. Their conduct, the document sci
forth, in thus far refusing an explana
ton was neither brotherly nor Chris
tan. 1t savored, if not of guilt, al
least of self righteousness and pride
and in either case they were amenablt
to the session. There was prolonged
argument in the session, as well: az
some plain speaking and strong feel
ing. At the vote the lay members
divided evenly, and it devolved on thu
pastor, the Rev. Cornelius Holt, to de
eide. He was a man Of rare humility
but of ready sense of justice and al
obstinacy in following it that NJ
amount of aggression could outwear
He decided against the petition and il
favor of the Wamplers. He had talked
with them, he said, frequently about
the affair of the spoon. They had in
deed several times sought his counsel
| liz was convinced OF Clelr honesty
and if they offered no explanation il
was simply because they had none tt
give. The appearance of the spoon il
their house was as inexplicable tt
them as to others. He would not sax
that they had always borne themselves
as frankly and forgivingly as Chris
tians should, but there had been, he
feared, mistakes made on both sides
The difference that had grown up ha6
been a great grief to him. AS pastor
and as friend he had employed al
his ,persuasions to heal it. He believed
that in time it would be healed anG
that right feeling, the loving spirit
would yet prevail, but if it were
brought into the church it would only
intensity and deepen and the day oil
Its removal be put further off.
There was moisture in his eyes. 6
half sob in his voice, as he concluded
with LET us pray" and he offered &
brief, fervent prayer for gentle counsels
and coniding hearts. He was checked
| 11x- HI