The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-01-12
NOT ALWAYS GOOD
PREACHERS OPINION OF APPEAL
TO "PRINcIPLE!"
In His View the Stumbling Block to
Reconciliation Between Erring
Brethren Is in That Word
Used by S~tiffnecked.

The mud was almost nuD-Qeep. IN
two strong horses drew the single
carriage with reasonable comfort, bu
one horse might almost have stuck II
the mud. Mr.. Blake was driving Il
inspect one OF his cheese factories
and only the fact that the thing hat
to be done accounted for his driving
out with the roads in this condition
He had the road to himself, however;
and hs had the added satisfaction, II
such 1t was, of remembering that II
was the daily journeys Of the milk
wagons to and from his several rae
tories, that plowed the mud to this
bottomless condition.
Ahead, at the side Of the road, he
discovered a solitary figure walking.
The pedestrian picked his way with
some care, looking round from time to
time at the approaching vehicle. As
soon as he saw that tt was a two
horse carriage with a single passen-
ger, he stopped, selected a favorable
approach to the roadway, and began
cleaning the mud off his boots. By
this time Mr.. 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 .
mile deep in the mud. Those are good
horses Of yours. I 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 30 far when the
roads are like this?" asked Mr.. Blake:
I'm coming down to try to recon-
sile two members who have had 4
quarrel" said Mr.. Pepper.
"Well if you get them reconciled by
two o'clock you al ride back. l have
to drive on to the farther factory, and
l expect to return about that time"
Mr.. Blake drove back past the
house where he expected to find Mr..
Pepper, and as 1t was after two
o'clock, he concluded that the preach
or had finished his task earlier than
he expected and walked home. But as
he was getting almost out Of sar-shot,
he was halted by loud shouts in q
camp-meeting voice, augmented by
two others of the amenscorner 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 eem to have got them recon
ciled, but you nearly lost your ride"
said Mr.. Blake.
Eyes, 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-
ple!' More men go to hell with that
word on their unforgiving 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 trifle. and say:
It's . matter Of principle with met
When men begin to say: Principle!
I'd rather undertake to
reconcile two hends from the bottom
less pitt"
How did you do TT" asked Mr..
Blake.
II reasoned with them, and prayed
with them. and / got them both on
knees, and ] thought q dozen
times It was as good as settled, when
one or the other would say 'P~rincipleI.
md the fat was all in the fire again.
Wed have been there till doomf4
day. but the last time we rose from,
our knees I saw the carriage disap-
and ! said: There goes my
chance Of q ride home. and your day
Df grace II going. too. Let your prin-
ciples 60 where they came from
they knew where that was-sand
shake hands and be brothers!' And
they did 1t. and I said 'Glory!' and
shouted for you to hold on and let
me In. Most Of what men call prin>
siples. a such times are pure stub
Mi. Blake told the story many
lines In later years. and he was ac-
;ustomed to say that he had come to
relieve that Brother Pepper told the
,ruth.-Youth's Companion.