The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-10-28
THAT DISAGREEABLE NEIGHR0R.
The Best Way to Treat Him Be Kind
aud Agreeable Yourself.

! What is his name: Wher
does he live? His name i
: Legion and he lives in ever,
neighborhood. Do you know
him? Does he live by you? L
it not surprising to see how
much of the demon some me1
can carry: He tries in every
conceivable way to vex anC
worry you. Some of his doings
are clearly suggestions from
the Evil One. He is a constant
thorn in the flesh. He would
try the patience of Job, ano
even of Jesus himself. What
are we to do with him?
Several things may be done
4O Stop and think how much
better off you are than he is.
This is one time perhaps when
you may be excused for thank
ing God you are not like some
other men, and especially that
you are not like the man in
question. He is to be pitied.
Go off and think about how
miserable he must be. A man
can't be happy-nay, he is car
rying about with him some of
the torments and agonies of
the pit-that disagreeable
neighbor Of yours. Pity him,
and be thankful that you are
not like him, and resolve by
the grace Of God that you will
never become like him in the
least degree. (2) Believe that
here is an opportunity for you
to develop as no one else can
the grace of patient endurance,
and that you will make good
use of your opportunity. Sup
pose he goes on cheerishing and
cultivating the spirit Of the de-
mon and you go on cultivat-
ing the opposite spirit, just
think how far apart you will
be after e. while. The gulf be-
tween you will become as deep,
as broad, and as impossible
as the one between Dives and
Lazarus (Luke 16:19-3D; and
what is more, such a neighbor
will one day be crying for a
drop of water with which to
cool his parched tongue. Use
your opportunity as not abus-
ing it. i3) While using your
opportunity, make sure that
you guard your own temper.
Don't say anything hard about
him. Dom t retaliate in the same
coin. Make sure that the eye
for-an-eye and the tooth-for-a-
tooth spirit is kept as far from
you as the. east is from the
west. az On the other hand,
make it point to be especially
polite to him, do him good even
when you have to go out of
your way to do so, pray God
to help you to conquer him in
this way. The chances are that
after a while you will conquer
him by melting his heart, and
then you will have a friend
that is tied to you with hooks
of steel. You will be happy
and he will be happy with you.
If you do not win him before,
the chances are that on his
death bed he will send for you
and tell you what fool he has
been through all these years.
If YOU can then have the con-
sciousness that you have never
uttered an unkind word nor
allowed your family to utter
such a word about that disa-
greeable neighbor you will be
happy. Such consciousness
will be sweet to you through
ali eternity, while the con-
seriousness of his bitterness and
spleen will grow more and
more calling to him through
eternity, one of the most awful
thoughts of the future with
such a man must be that he is
to become confirmed in that
spirit Of his, that he is to grow
in bitterness, and that he is to
be shut in with himself to con-
template himself, where he can
worry and vex no one but him.
self. What future for such a
spirit! God spare any OF us
from such a future.
If such neighbors have to be,
make sure that you are not one
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