The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-01
NOT ALWAYS GOOD
N. 81 ~ 1t
PREACHERS OPINION OF APPEAL
TO "PRiNClPLE."
In His View the Stumbling Block 10
Reconciliation Between Erring
Brethren is in That Word
Used by Stiffnecked.

Inc muu was almost Hup-uNNP' -"
two strong horses drew the sinSl'
carriage with reasonable comfort, Di
one horse might almost have stuck II
the mud. Mr.. Blake was driving u
INSPECT one OF his cheese factories
and only the fact that the thing MAJ
ito 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, /
such II was, of remembering that 4
was the daily journeys OF the m'lk
wagons to and from his several lac
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 witt
some care, looking round from time &
time at the approaching vehicle. AS
soon as he saw that il was two
horse carriage with a single passea
ger, he stopped, selected favorable
approach to the roadway, and began
cleaning the mud off his boots. by
this time Mr.. Blake recognized the &C.
centric Methodist preacher, Dir. 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.
Pm very tired"
What brings you so far when the
roads are Ike 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
I expect to return about that time
Mr.. Blake drove back past the
house where he expected to find Mr..
Pepper, and as It was after two
o'clock. he concluded that the preach
er 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 meeting voice, augmented by
two others of the amen-corner 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 to have got them recon,
ciled but you nearly lost your ride,
said MIR. Blake.
Yes. yes!" pulled Mr.. Pepper
scraping his boots against til iron
step. They're recoaciled, but 1t 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-
pleu More men go to hell with that
word on their unforgiving lips than
any other word in the dictionary
ar h. O
they know how to be, and know
they've been mean, and show them
their duty, and each win stop and
bubble over some trifie, and say:
It's a matter of principle with me"
When men begin to say: 'Principle'
Principle I'd rather undertake TO
reconcile two fiends from the bottom
less pit"
How did you do it," asked Mr..
Blake
Il reasoned with them. and prayed
with them. and / got them both on
their knees, and ! thought a dozen
times II was as good az settled, when
one or the other would say Principle"
and the fat was all in the fire again.
wed have been there till dooms-
day, but the. last time We rose from
our knees | saw the carriage disap-
pearl. =. and | said: There goes my
ch re" Of a ride home, and your day
OF gr4,n Is going. too. Let your prin-
cir 20 whore they came from
they knew where that was-'and
shake hands and be brothers.! kqa
they did #. and I said 'Gloryi' and
shouted for YOU to hold on and let
me in. Most OF what men call prin-
ciples at such times are pure stub
bornness."
Mr.. Blake told the story many
times in later years. and he was ac-
customed to say that he had come to
D.. n. -