"Pulsifer looked confounded; he did not know how to take me. At last he stammered out, 'Now, 'Squire, are you in earnest ?' 'Certainly I am,' I answered; 'it is better for me to feed your sheep in my pasture on grass, than to feed them here on grain; and I see the fence can't keep them out.'

"After a moment's silence, 'The sheep shan't trouble you any more,' exclaimed Pulsifer. 'I will fetter them all. But I'll let you know that, when any man talks of shooting, I can shoot too; and when they are kind and neighbourly, I can be kind too.' The sheep never again trespassed on my lot. And, my friends," he would continue, addressing the audience, "remember that when you talk of injuring your neighbours, they will talk of injuring you. When nations threaten to fight, other nations will be ready too. Love will beget love; a wish to be at peace will keep you in peace. You can overcome evil with good. There is no other way."

Another pleasant example will suffice to show the reward which the generous heart receives in returning good for evil :

"A Christian farmer in Jersey had a neighbour of such a malevolent character as made him a plague and terror to those with whom he became offended.

"One day he found the hogs of this good neighbour in his corn-field. He drove them out, and came to their owner in a storm of passion, making a great bluster

about the damage done to his crop. 'If I ever see them in my corn again,' said he, 'I'll kill them—that I will.'

"The good man kept calm as a summer's evening, and said nothing but what was kind and good-natured in reply.

"Farmer Ward, after he had spent all his fury, went off very much vexed to see that none of it took effect.

"The good man shut up his swine at once; but, impatient for their favourite and new-found food, they soon made their escape, and got into the same cornfield again without the knowledge of their owner.

"Mr. Ward discovered them, and at once attacked them, slaughtering three or four of them before they could make their retreat. Then, to aggravate his neighbour's feelings to the utmost, he put the dead bodies on a cart, and drew them over to his house. He threw them down before the door, saying, with sarcastic bitterness, 'Your hogs got into my corn again, and I thought I would bring them home!'

"The owner of the swine kept perfectly cool, giving no look or word of resentment at the injury done to him. He might have gone to law with Mr. Ward, and perhaps made him smart severely for destroying his property and insulting him as he did. But he thought it

best to keep out of the law.

"The next year he himself had a corn-field situated

in a similar way beside the road. Now, it so happened that neighbour Ward had some unruly swine running in the street, which got into the good man's corn-field, and committed a depredation similar to that which his had done in Mr. Ward's field the year before. He went and told him what mischief his vagrant swine had done, and requested him to shut them up. But he paid no attention to the request.

"Soon after, the farmer discovered them in the same field again, and he hit on a good-natured and witty expedient of being revenged on his neighbour. Instead of killing them and carrying them home dead, he caught them, tied their legs carefully, and drew them with his team to their owner's door. Neighbour,' said he, 'I found your hogs in my corn again, and I thought I would bring them home!'

"Never was a man more completely confounded ! He saw the wide difference between his neighbour's conduct and his own. It was too much. He told his neighbour that he was very sorry, and that he would pay all damages the hogs had done. He offered to pay him, too, for the hogs he had killed the year before! 'No,' replied the other, 'I shall make no account of the damages your hogs have done ; and I shall take nothing for what you did to mine. I let that pass.'

"Mr. Ward was completely overcome.

He was ever

after as kind and forbearing to his Christian neighbour

as he had been mischievous and cruel before."

i

We shall only add one more anecdote. It occurred among a band of settlers who went to establish themselves in the great wilderness of the backwoods of America. They were a party of nearly forty emigrants, who were united together by higher principles than mere gain, being, like the old Pilgrim Fathers of New England, a little colony of Christian wayfarers, who sought a home in the wilderness. The account of their experience in their new settlement was related to Mrs. Child by one of the colonists; and is thus told by her:

"Rich in divine knowledge, this little band started for the far west. They were industrious and frugal, and all things prospered under their hands. But soon wolves came near the fold, in the shape of reckless unprincipled adventurers; believers in force and cunning, who acted according to their creed. The colony of practical Christians spoke of their depredations in terms of gentlest remonstrance, and repaid them with kindness. They went farther-they openly announced, 'You may do us what evil you choose; we will return nothing but good.' Lawyers came into the neighbourhood, and offered their services to settle disputes. They answered, 'We have no need. As neighbours, we receive you in the most friendly spirit; but for us, your occupation has ceased to exist.' 'What will you do, if rascals burn your barns, and steal your harvests?' 'We will return good for evil. We believe this is the highest truth, and therefore the best expediency.'

"When the rascals heard this, they considered it a marvellous good joke, and said and did many provoking things, which to them seemed witty. Bars were taken down in the night, and cows let into the cornfields. The Christians repaired the damage as well as they could, put the cows in the barn, and at twilight drove them gently home; saying, 'Neighbour, your cows have been in my field. I have fed them well during the day, but I would not keep them all night, lest the children should suffer for want of their milk.'

"If this was fun, those who planned the joke found no heart to laugh at it. By degrees a visible change came over these troublesome neighbours. They ceased to cut off horses' tails, and break the legs of poultry. Rude boys would say to a younger brother, 'Don't throw that stone, Bill! When I killed the chicken last week, didn't they send it to mother, because they thought chicken-broth would be good for poor Mary? I should think you'd be ashamed to throw stones at their chickens.' Thus was evil overcome with good; till not one was found to do them wilful injury.

"Years passed on, and saw them thriving in worldly substance beyond their neighbours, yet beloved by all. From them the lawyer and the constable obtained no fees. The sheriff stammered and apologized when he took their hard-earned goods in payment for the war tax. They mildly replied, ""Tis a bad trade, friend. Examine it in the light of conscience and see if it be