The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-04-25
NOT ALWAYS GOOD
PREACHERS OPINION OF APPEAL
TO "PRiNClPLE."
In His View the Stumbling Block to
Reconciliation Between Grrln3
Brethren le In That Word
Used by Stiffnccked.

The mud was almost hub-deep. Tho
two strong horses drew the single
carriage with reasonable comfort but
one horse might almost have stuck In
tho mud Mr. Blake was driving to
Inspect one of his cheese factories,
and only the fact that tho thing had
TO be done accounted for his driving
out with tho roads In this condition.
He had the road TO himself. however,
and he had the added satisfaction, IL
such It was, OF remembering that IL
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 side OF the road, he
discovered a solitary figure walking,
The pedestrian picked his way With
some care, looking round from time 10
time at the approaching vehicle. AS
soon as he saw that 1t was two
horse carriage with a single passen'
ger, he stopped, selected favorable
approach to the roadway. and began
cleaning the mud off his boots. BY
this time Mr.. Blake recognized tho &c
centric Methodist preacher, Mr.. Pep
per.
Good morning. Brother Pepper!
be called out to him. "How's the
navigauon7"
But Mr.. Pepper did not answer; he
merely stood I'LL 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 l like q good horse
two good horses-when roads are
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 hayo had a
quarrel" said Mr.. Pepper,
well. II you get them reconciled by
two o'clock you can ride back. have
to drive on TO tho farther factory. and
l expect to return about that time"
Mr., Blake drove back past the
Pepper. and es II was ofter two
o'clock, he concluded that the preach
er had finished his task earlier than
he expected and walked home. But as
ho was getting almost out OF ear'shot,
he was halted by loud shouts In o
camp m Getting voise, augmented by
two othors 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 al
once ard 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 Mr.. Blake.
Yes. yes." puffed Mr., Pepper
3craping his boots against the iron
step. They're reconciled. 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 'Principlel Princi
ple!' More men go to hell with that
word on their unforgiving lips than
any other word In the dictionary.
Let two men bo 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
qulbble over some triAe. and say:
It's a matter of principle with mel
When men begin to say: 'Principlel
Prlnclple, Id rather undertake to
reconcile two tlends 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 I thought a dozen
times It was as good as settled. when
one or the other would say 'Princlple,
and the fat wos 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
pearing. and said: There goes my
chance OF ride home. and your day
of grace is going. too Let your prin
ciples go where they came from
they knew whore that was-'and
shake hands and be brothers, And
they did It. and I snid 'Glory'' and
shouted for you to hold on and let
me In. Most Of what mon call prin
ciples at such times are pure stub
bornness"
Mr. Blake told the story many
times In later years. and he was &C
customed TO say that he had come to
believe that Brother Pepper told the
truth.-Youth's Companion.