The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-26
Heart to Heart
I QKS.
BY EDWIN A. NYE.
Copy. Qhf, 1908, by Edwin A. Nye
LETTING A THIEF GO.
BY EDWIN A. NYE.

LETTING A THIEF GO.
Yes. Judge. l took the coal. am
guilty" said Fred Watson Of Des
Moines to Judge Stewart Of the police
court in that city. -
The thief.
But wait. ....
Il took the coal, judge. I had to;
that's all. I would have stolen from
you or any one else," continued the
prisoner.
Standing shamefaced In court. Wat
son pleaded guilty to stealing coal
from a neighber. his story was
pitiful one. ... ..... ..-
Il simply had to have COAL" said
Watson. Il have been sick all winter
and have been up only three days
from the sickbed. My doctors bill had
run way up. and no one would trust
me for any coal to keep my house
warm. l appealed to the Humane So
cicty, and it put me OF"
Judge Stewart questioned Watson
closely and believed his story.
The Judge refused to prosecute Wat
son and said:
III a man willfully steals 1t is diff
ferent. but when a man in your cir
cumstances, with family on his
hands, is driven to 1t a charitable
world should show clemency. I'll dis
miss your case"
o just Judge!
If you had simply looked into your
calf or buckram bound lawbooks you
would have pronounced Fred Watson
guilty Of petty larceny and sent him
to prison.
But there's a higher law.
You didn't look into the musty
books. You looked into your own
good heart and found a law which
says. BLESSED are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy"
But somebody says:
Stealing Is stealing. and no court
in that way. The trouble with this
country today is the failure Of the
courts to enforce the law"
Well. it may be.
And yet it should be stated there Is
almost as much danger In this country
in the wrongful OvER-enforcemento OF
the law as In the wrongful UNDER
enforcement Of 1t.
That Is to cay
The disposition Of the courts to send
the poor man who steals q loaf Of
prison. while through technicalitie'
and trickery the man who steals mil
lions goes scot free. That Is dan
gerous sort Of law enforcement.
The quality Of mercy in this case Of
| Fred Watson 10 not strained.
| And the Lord Of mercy will requit<
this Judge for his bowels Of mercy.
TIE SECRET.
Does the world owe . man living
| Yes-and no.
! 1t owes him a chance to earn liv'
ing. and, having given him the chance
he owes the world the service neces
sary to earn his living.
1t was said in the beginning that q
man must earn his bread by the sweat
Of his brow. not by the sweat OF some
other mans brow.
| But some men eat bread for which
no sweat has been expended. @
And that il not the worst OF it.
| There are those who steal another
mans opportunity to earn bread and
by so doing steal the bread out Of tina,
mans mouth.
But. thank goodness. few men are en-
tirely denied the chance to sweat fol
their bread. What pinches most o.
| us is this:
We are crowded out of our oppor
tupity to do what we would like t.
do. We are forced to take up an un
congenial task. We are willing t
work. but we want to select the Job.
Well. 1t Is rather pitiful. but
We cannot all OF US be awarded thu
task we prefer. We may theorize ant
| declaim on what society ought to b.
and ought to do. but after all on
theories we must face things as the.
are and make the best Of them.
Some philosophers say the secret 0
human happiness is only to be foun,
in the doing Of the work one most de
sires to do.
/ That is to be doubted.
Happiness may be found that way
other things being equal. for it Is un
deniable there is certain Joy in
chosen task.
But there Is another way In whicl
happiness may be found-comparativ
happiness. for all happiness is com
parative-and it is deeper happines
than the mere Joy OF congenial Iabors
That way is to do what thy ham
fndeth TO do-do 1t cheerfully an
heartily, and be Herewith content.
| All. my friend. IL You are bravel
doing the task that Is next to yor
denying yourself. sacrificing yourself
and if you are well satisfied to do tina
task manfully. ungrudingly. until 20
can do better, you have got close t
the secret.
1t is mighty poor philosophy tina
comforts only the man who gets every
thing he wishes for.