Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-09-18
HARMONY
CORNERS
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press


store. postotiice and blacksmith
shop. Moses Schin ran the store,
Jacob Schiff the postohice and Peter
Schiff the blacksmith shop. Then there
was Phlletus Schiff. Aaron Schiir. Adm
iron S,lliff. GOodheart Schir. Thurs
day Scliin. Godfear Schitr and Elijah
Schiff. all farmers. within radius OF
two miles. Each Schiff WAS related 10
ull the other Schiffs by blood or mar
riage. Ii was IA settlement of Schifs
alone aud had been FOX nifty years.
No strangers were allowed 10 butt In.
Old Moses. who ran the store with
the help OF ii son. was the patriarch or
the flock. He was adviser. Judge and
Jury In all matters There had never
been case for the lawyers In that
community IL there was a disagree
ment II was taken TO Moses. He said
do this or do that. and ii was done.
People Said that Harmony Corners
was II living. breathing example OF the
morality and unseltshness OF human
nature
After all that half century or peace.
industry aud good Will GOdfear Schin
was the one TO produce discord. IL
was another proof that there's nothing
In maine. 1t was seldom that any
thing called n Schifr away from home,
but on an occasion Godfear had TO
make a journey TO Pittsburg, eighty
miles away. Ii WAS 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 II over. fed the COWS and
departed
Godfear reached the Smoky City
right end up. much 10 his astonish-
ment. He saw houses and stores and
factories He saw sewing machine
in show window. and us he stood
looking at 1t barker pulled him in
and the merits OF the machine were
explained. He thought well OF II.
There were seven children in his fami-
~ and much sewing 20 do. Not
Schiff had Il labor saving machine or
any sort not even a 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
long breath aud decided TO take the
chances and ordered the thing sent on
10 him.
The SchIffs never dealt with ped
oilers 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 in a judi
ciai capacity for week and then de-
cided that it must he given mp. IL
was witchcraft: II was an innovation:
IL would break up the long prevailing
harmony of Harmony Corners. God
fear bucked. The invention had been
tested. and 1t would do more sewing
in a day than bis wife could do by
hand in week. There was no odor
of birthstone about II. Ii ate no hay
or oats. and occupied but 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
around the country. and the immedi-
ate result was TO bring swarm or
sewing machine agents down on the
Scbir tribe. They had sewing ma
braid. embroider patch. sew on but
ton. rock the baby. churn the butter.
feed the hens. sort over potatoes. build
the Gre and all that. and they came
and talked and talked. HheB the tin
peddlers and parior organ men came
Moses Schifr saw the cloud no bigger
than a mans hand. and he called u
gathering Of his clan. lie was heeied
with statistics TO prove how greatly
those inventions of Satan had increas-
ed the wickedDesS of the world. Thou.
sands Of murders. burgiaries. horse
thefts. elopements and so on could be
directly traced to them. Did they
want 10 find themselves on the GAL
lows? Did they want TO know that
their children were In state prisons
In fact. did they sigh TO meet Satan
face to face and be caught up ana sent
down to the bot place by rapid transit2
II they bought parior organs and
sewing machines. what next: Why.
brass bedsteads. cbinaware. 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 bis
eyes he besought and wrestIed. but a
number Of the Schiffs had cot started
on the downward road and wouldn't
hold up. IL was only four days after
the meeting that one Of them bought
an egg beater and the click Of the
spoon against the bowl would be beard
in his family no more. Then came a
dollar alarm clock. and this was fol
lowed By a set Of cane seated chairs.
l. l.