Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. II.djvu/348

Rh “Rich in spiritual culture, this little band started for the far West. Their inward homes were blooming gardens; they made their outward in a wilderness. 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 unvarying kindness. They went further—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 of you. 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, therefore the best expediency.’

“When the rascals heard this, they considered it a marvellous good joke, and said and did many provoking things, which seemed to them witty. Bars were taken down in the night, and cows let into 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 their milk.’

“If this was fun, they who planned the joke had 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. Brute 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