The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-11-12
HARMONY
CORNERS
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press

SnOp. Moses Scn1u ran the store,
Jacob Schi6 the postodice and Peter
Schin the blacksmit shop. Then there
was Philetus Schiff. Aaron Schif1, Adm
iron Schif. Goodheart Schifr. Thurs
day Schin. Godfear Schl6 and Elijah
Schif1. all farmers. within q radius Of
two miles. Each Schiff was related to
all the other Schiffs by blood or mar
alone and had been for fifty years.
No strangers were allowed to butt In.
Old Moses. who ran the store with
the help of son. was the patriarch Of
the flock. He was adviser. Judge and
jury In all matters. There had never
been a case for the lawyers in that
community If there was a disagree
ment it was taken to Moses. He said
do this or do that, and it was done.
People said that Harmony Corners
was living, breathing example Of the
morality and unselfshness Of human
nature.
After all that half century Of peace,
industry and good will Godfear Schiff
was the one to produce discord. It
was another proof that there's nothing
In a name. 1t was seldom that any
thing called Schiff away from home.
but on an occasion Godfear had to
make journey to Pittsburg. eighty
miles away. 1t was a serious event
1t called for serious talk and many
prayers. He might return alive, but
the chances were very much against
it. His will had been made for years,
and he read It over, fed the cows and
departed.
Godfear reached the Smoky City
right end up. much to his astonish-
ment. He saw houses and stores and
factories. He saw a sewing machine
In a show window. and as he stood
and the merits of the machine were
explained. He thought we'll Of 1t.
There were seven children in his fami-
~ and much sewing to do Not q
Schiff had a labor saving machine Of
any sort. not even corn shelter or an
apple parer. As their grandfathers
had lived so were they living. God
fear was in town three days. He call
ed to inspect that sewing machine six
different times. At last he drew q
long breath and decided to take the
chances and ordered the thing sent on
to him. ;.
The Schins never dealt with ped
dlers nor agents. The very same ma
chine could have been bought at God
fears own gate any day In the week.
Moses sat on that machine I'm a Judi
cial capacity for a week and then de-
ctded that it must be given up. 1t
was wttchcraft: 1t was an innovation;
It would break up the long prevailing
harmony Of Harmony Corners. God
fear bucked. The invention had been
tested. and it would do more sewing
In a day than his wife could do by
hand III q week. There was no odor
of birthstone about it. It ate no hay
or oats. and occupied but. a small
space. Some Of the other Schiffs. and
particularly the wives. backed him up.
OF course. the news that Godfear
Schiff had broken OUT was passed
ate result was to bring a swarm of
sewing machine agents down on the
Schiff tribe. They had sewing ma
chimes that would tuck. hem, ruf1le,
braid, embroider. patch. sew on but
ton. rock the baby. churn the butter.
feed the hens. sort over potatoes. build
the fire and all that. and they came
and talked and talked. Then the tin
peddlers and parlor organ men came.
Moses Schin saw the cloud no bigger
than mans hand. and he called a
gathering of his clan. He was heeled
with statistics to prove how greatly
those inventions Of Satan had increas-
ed the wickedness Of the world. Thou
sands Of murders. burglaries. horse
thefts, elopements and 50 on could be
directly traced to them. Did they
want to find themselves on the gal
lows? Did they want to know that
In fact, did they sigh to meet Satan
face to face and be caught up and sent
down to the hot place by rapid transit?
If they bought parlor organs and
sewing machines. what next? Why,
brass bedsteads. china ware, furs. new
hats, corn shelters. carpets and stuffed
chairs would be sure to follow. and
then farewell to the harmony Of Har-
mony Corners. With tears in his
eyes he besought and wrestled. but a
number Of the Schins had got started
on the downward road and wouldn't
hold up. 1t was only four days after
the meeting that one Of them bought
an egg beaten and the click Of the
spoon against the bowl would be heard
in his family no more. Then came
dollar alarm clock. and this was fol-
lowed by a set Of cane seated chairs
Satan had got his grip.
In one year from that visit Of God
fears to Pittsburg the leaven was
working overtime. The Schiffs were
at odds: they were bringing lawsuits
against each other; they were putting
down ingram carpets in their parlors:
they were buying patent churns; the
nsn no longer went to church bare
footed and in their shirt sleeves. Old
Moses called another gathering and
threatened and bulldozed. but the cy-
clone had got started and the only
way out for him was to commit sui
eide. Two years later half Of Har-
mony Corners was owned by others
than Schiffs. and the harmony OF half
century was harmony no more. And