Year: 1877

RAP AT THE RIGHT DOOR.-"He has
insulted me beyond all endurance, and
l will rap him for it"


Snow, my friend, inst consider. I
suppose you would not kill him out
right, which you might do were You
to give him a rap of violence. And it
is plain, from your present state of
mind, that you would not give him a
good-humored blow; for that, like
patting a dog, would make him good
natured perhaps. Now, on your own
showing, the man has some canine
qualities. His abuse of you is your
testimony of this. You are offended
and injured, you say, by the display
already made of these qualities. But
you will bring more of them to view
by the course of your purpose. Rap
that surly dog. You will SIS; an ugly
growl, perhaps more, for your pains.
You may get something of the kind if
you rap that man.


"'But | wish to call his attention
to his abuse ofme.


"And so you think a wound in his
flesh is the best mode of appealing to
his moral sensibilities. l think if you
rap him he will think more of his skin
than he will of his sin. Yon will draw
his attention to his heshy susceptible
ties, and away from his guilt. And
you will interest him in some way in
repaying in kind your invasion of his
flesh. just think, too, you have seen
already that that man has very bad
heart. 1t is a very furnace Of evil
principles. You have been burnt al
ready by a spark. In pity to your
self, then, pray you let the volcano
sleep if it will, Your revenge will on
ly awaken it to fresh fury. A burnt
out vinedresser, on the side Of Etna,
is poorly employed in opening a new
avenue to the fire.


'''But | have no design of striking
him. What | mean by giving him n
rap is just to tell him what a mean
and contemplate character he possess


"Well this is better than to smite
him; as it may be said, it is better q
man should be bitten by an adder, than
stung by a scorpion. But l still think
you rap at the ecrOng door. The right
one is conscience. will tel you how
to knock at that door, and 3hen how
much you will accomplish by it.
| 81. Take no notice of the mans
absence. Show him a placid counte-
nance; a serene, quiet, peaceful, un-
complaining spirit. You will smite
him by so doing. He will feel it. The
peacefulness Of your spirit, as seen in
the contrast with the tumultuous pas
sions Of his own bosom, win pierce
him. There is keen and cutting re-
buke to the injuries in the quiet pa
tience of the injured.


"2. But you can knock still louder.
Let benevolent pity for your reyiler
prompt you to every act Of kindness
in your power. Do him good, even
ut the expense Of self-denial. Show
him an exact contrast Of his treatment
of you, Compel him to see there is a
palpable difference of character, and
in whose favor the difference is. lie
cannot long stand this. | do believe
there is a heart this side Of perdition
which can long abide such an appeal
unmovcd. If thine enemy hunger,
feed him; if he thirst, give him drink ;
for in so doing thou shalt heap Goals OF
fire on his head Now, if you are hot
for vengeance, just think of these
burning GOALS! And if yeu can be
satisfied only with a plentiful recon-
pense, you can heap them and ifyou
must reach a vital part, yod can heap
them on his head.