Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-07-02
THE KINDLY DEEDS SOCIETY

By James NJ. Hubbard.
There were two families in the town
who had quarreled violently a few years
before this time, and the feeling be-
tween them was as bitter now as it was
when the quarrel started None of the
neighbors could do anything to bring
them together and heal the old wound.
Even the minister felt himself power
less. though one of the families was
regular attendant at meeting. The
other gave up coming for the reason that
they would not even sit in meeting with
the persons who they said, had treated
them so shamefully. 1t was pretty
serious thing and hampered the town
matters. For if one of the two men sup
ported motion at the town meeting
for some improvement, the other was
sure to object to it. simply because he
wouldn t let anything 60 through that
the other man wanted, and the debate
became so bitter that the matter was
generally dropped. Naturally the
children shared in it, because their par
ents let them know what they thought
of each other, so they all kept apart as
much as they could One of the boys
Ernest by name, was not much liked by
any Of his schoolmates for he seemed to
take up his fathers quarrel. 1t looked
asif he wanted to show in every posi-
bic way his dislike for Herbert, boy
of his own age and the son of the man
who he believed treated his father 50
badly. though he was a member of the
church and was generally esteemed,
which was not true of his father One
afternoon when the schoo-chldren had
finished game of croquet in the play
ground and were leaving for home,
Ernest sat down under tree very
white in the face Evidently something
was the matter with him. One boy
after another looked at him and then
ran off. Herbert had been busy putting
up the croquet balls and malets and
coming back to the playground saw
Ernest lying under the tree. whats
the matter with Ernest?' said he to a
boy who was passing by. Dick, l should
say, had not been playing that after
noon, for he d have looked out for them
if he had been. "Oh! he says he's sick.
But he'll be all right again. wouldn't
mind. " And the boy went off. Herbert,
or BERTHE as everyone called him,
started for home, but he hadn't gone
far when it seemed to come over him,
what if Ernest really was sick and needed
somebody to look after him. The play
ground was off from the road so nobody
would pass by and see him and he might
lie there all night, and who knows what
might happen then. And it occurred to
him that he hadn't done a kindly deed
for quite awhile, so he turned back
wishing that it was anybody else but
Ernest, whom he never could like and
who was always treating him badly
when he had the chance. Going up to
Ernest, he asked, whats the natter"
The boy opened his eyes and, recogniz-
ing BERTHE, shut them again and said
nothing. He was very pale and BERTHE
saw that he was really quite sick
Selling his arm he said, Come, get up.
You can't stay here for its getting
dark Ernest struggled to his feet,
but fell instantly back to the ground,
grooming. What could BERTHE do? He
looked all round, but no one was in
sight. Suddenly an idea struck him and
leaning down he said to Ernest, Lie
still and I'll be back in few minutes. -