Norwich bulletin., 1913-07-25

Harmony Corners consisted of a store, postoffice and blacksmith shop. Moses Schiff ran the store.
 Jacob Schiff the postoffice, and Peter l Schim the blacksmith shop. | Then there was Philetus Schiff, 1 Aaron Schiff, Adiniron Schiff, Good 1 heart Thursday Schiff Godfear Sehif and Elijah Schiff, all farmers, within
 radius of two miles. Each Schiff 1 was related to all the other Sehiffs, l by blood or marriage
 1 It was a settlement of Schiffs alone, 1 and had been for 50 years. Fathers had died and their sons taken their !! places, but no strangers were allowed.
 Old Moses. who ran the store With 1 the help or son. was the patriarch of the flock. He was adviser, judge l and jury in all matters. There had never been case for the lawyers in that community. If there was dis agreement it was taken to Moses. He 1 said do this or do that, and 1t was done.
 People said that Harmony Corners was a living, breathing example of the morality and unselfishness of human nature.
 After all that half century of peace, industry and goodwill Godfear Schiff was the one to produce discord. It was another proof that there's nothing in a name.
 It was seldom that anything called d SCAlI away rom nome, put OH all occasion Godfear had to make a jour ney to Pittsburgh, 80 miles away. 1t was a serious event. It 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 had 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 shop window and as he stood looking at it a barker pulled him in and the merits of the machine were explained
 He thought well of it. There were seven children in his family, and much sewing to do. Not Schiff had a abOr-saVing machine of any sort not even a corn sheller or an apple parer. As their grandfathers had liv ed so were they living. Godfear was in town three days.
 He called to inspect that sewing machine six different times. At last he drew a long breath and decided to take the chances and ordered the thing sent on to him,
 The Schiffs never dealt with pedlars nor agents. Sewing machine men had driven past their farms a hundred times, knowing it was useless to call. The very same machine could have been bought at Godfear's own gate any day in the week.
 When it came home there was ex- citement There was a gathering of male and female Schiffs Some thought well of the invention and some shon3- their heads. It might be a good thing. and it might be a scheme of satan's.
 The matter was carried to old Moses. He had never seen one close at hand before, but he had heard or read story of a girl who got 8 sew ing machine to help her to support a widowed mother, and within 90 days, commercially speaking, it caused her to run away with and marry a drunk ard.
 Moses sat on that machine in a jul dicial capacity for a week and then decided that it must be given up. It was witchcraft; it was an innovation; it would break up the long prevailing harmony of Harmony Corners.
 GOdfear bucked The invention had been tested, and it would do more