The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-21
NOT ALWAYS GOOD
PREACHERS OPINION or APPEAL
TO PRINCIPLE"
In His View the Stumbling Block to
Reconciliation Between Errins
Brethren Is In That Word
Used by Stiffneeked.


Used by stiffneeked.
The mud was almost hub-deep. The
two strong horses drew the single
carriage with reasonable comfort but
one horse might almost have stuck in
the mud. Mr.. Blake was driving to
inspect one of his cheese factories;
and only the fact that the thing had
to be done accounted for his driving
out with the roads in this condition.
He had the road to himself, however;
and he had the added satisfaction, II
such it was, of remembering that 1t
was the daily journeys of the milk
wagons to and from his several fac
tories that plowed the mud to this
bottomless condition.
Ahead, at the siGe Of the road, he
discovered a solitary figure walking
The pedestrian picked his way with
some care, looking 1o-ud rom time to
time at the approaching vehicle. AS
soon as he saw that il was a two
horse carriage with single passen-
ger he stopped, selected q favorable
approach to the roadway, and began
cleaning the mud off his boots. BY
this time MIR. Blake recognized the &C.
centric Methodist preacher Mr.. Pep
per-
Good morning, Brother Pepper"
he called out to him. "How's the
navigation"
But Mr., Pepper did not answer; he
merely stood till the carriage stopped,
and climbed in between the muddy
wheels.
Glad to see you, Brother Blake"
he said I've sunk down in the mud
an average OF one foot for every step,
and I've come three miles; so I'm a
mile deep IN the mud. Those are good
horses of yours. | like a good horse
two good horses-when roads are
like this. You came at a good time.
I'm very tired"
What brings you so far when the
roads are like this?" asked Mr.. Blake.
I'm coming down to try to recon
sile two members who have had a
quarrel" said Mr.. Pepper.
well, If you get them reconciled by
two o'clock you can ride back. have
to drive on to the farther factory, and
/ expect to return about that time"
Mr. Blake drove back past the
house where he expected to find Mr..
Pepper, anu as it was after two
o'clock, he concluded that the preach
err had finished his task earlier than
he expected and walked home But as
he was getting almost out of ear-shot,
he was halted by loud shouts in a
camp-meetlng voice, augmented by
TWO others Of the ameucorner quality
He refined in the tired horses and saw
the preacher running toward the gate
shaking hands with both the men at
once and giving them a parting ad.
monition. Then he hurried through
the mud to the carriage
you seem 10 have got them recon
ciled, but you nearly lost your ride, q"
said Mr. Blake.
Yes. yes!' pulled Mr.. Pepper.
scraping his boots against the iron
step. They're reconciled. but it was
hard work"
He finished scraping his boots, and
then took up his parable.
Brother Blake" he said. you can
do almost anything with two men till
they begin to say Principle! Princi-
pie" More men 30 to hell with that
word on their unforgiylng lips than
any other word in the dictionary.
Let two men be just as mean as
they know how to be, and know
they've been mean. and show them
their duty, and each will stop and
bubble over some triAe. and say:
It's a matter Of principle with met
When men begin to say: 'Principlel
Princlple;' I'd rather undertake to
reconcile two hends from the bottom
less pit"
How did you do it?" asked Mr..
Blake
81 reasoned with them. and proved
with them. and ! got them both on
their knees and ihourht % dozen
times &c was a "ood as t'o vt.H
one or the olae- would e,v nr..i 'e'
and the fat 'v,s oil .7 'rr - go.
Wed fa.c bs'l lto.e rl 10H
day. but thl as .'uo w. t .ou
our knees ! saw f.'