4. Alas! and is domestic strife, 5. But, if infirmities that fall 6. The love that cheers life's latest stage, THE SHEPHERD AND PHILOSOPHER.-GAY. 1. REMOTE from cities lived a swain, 2. 3. A deep philosopher (whose rules "Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toil And hast thou fathomed Tully's mind? The shepard modestly replied: "I ne'er the paths of learning tried; 4. 5. The little knowledge I have gained, The daily labors of the bee From nature too I took my rule, In conversation overbear. for wise, Can Nor would I with felonious flight, By stealth invade my neighbor's right. 6. Rapacious animals we hate : Kites, hawks, and wolves deserve their fate. Do not we just abhorrence find Against the toad and serpent kind? 7. "Thy fame is just," the sage replies; PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 66 "What 1. I ONCE had a neighbor, who, though a very clever man, came to me and said, "Squire White, I want you to come and get your geese away." Why," said I, "what are my geese doing?" They pick my pigs ears when they are eating, and drive them away, and I will not have it." can I do?" said I. "You must yoke them." "That I have not time to do now," said I; "I do not see but they must run." "If you do not take care of them, I shall,” said the clever shoemaker in anger. "What do you say, Squire but I will pay you for all damages." "Well," said he "you will find that a hard thing, I guess." White ?" "I cannot take care of them now, 2. So off he went, and I heard a terrible squalling among the geese. The next news from the geese was, that three of them were missing. My children went and found them terribly! mangled and dead, and thrown into the bushes. "Now," said I, "all keep still, and let me punish him." In a few days, the shoemaker's hogs broke into my corn. I saw them, but let them remain a long time. At last I drove them all out, and picked up the corn which they had torn down, and fed them with it in the road. 3. By this time the shoemaker came in great haste after them. "Have you seen anything of my hogs?" said he. "Yes, sir, you will find them yonder, eating some corn, which they tore down in my field." In your field ?" "Yes, sir,” said I, "hogs love corn, you know-they were made to eat." "How much mischief have they done?" "Oh, not much," said I. Well, off he went to look, and estimated the damage to be equal to a bushel and a half of corn. "Oh, no,” said I, "It can't be." 66 "Yes," said the shoemaker, "and I will pay you every cent of the damage." "No," replied I," you shall pay me nothing. My geese have you." been a great trouble to 4. The shoemaker blushed, and went home. The next winter when we came to settle, the shoemaker determined to pay me for my corn. "No," said I, “I shall take nothing." After some talk we parted; but in a day or two, I met him on the road, and fell into conversation in the most friendly manner. But when I started on he seemed loth to move, and I paused. For a moment both of us were silent. 5. At last he said, "I have something laboring on my mind." "Well, what is it?" "Those geese. I killed three of your geese, and shall never rest until you know how I feel. I am sorry. And the tears came into his eyes. "Oh, well," said I, never mind, I suppose my geese were provoking." I never took anything of him for it; but when my cattle broke into his field after this, he seemed glad—because he could show how patient he could be. "Now," said the narrator, "conquer yourself, and you can conquer with kindness where you can conquer in no other way." 66 16 |