them to an amicable peace, without the sifting of testimony, and
the labors of litigation.

XII.

A LAWSUIT.

At length a crime was committed in Summerfield, which a summary process
could not despatch, and a sense of duty impelled Squire Fabens to
permit it to be tried before him, that the offender might receive his
punishment, and be set forth as an example of warning to all
evil-doers. One afternoon in August, when farmers had finished their
wheat harvest, and were enjoying a few days of relaxation before
seeding their fallows with winter grain, Simon Bogle came all in a hot
hurry to the Justice, for a warrant against Jared Sculpin, and--"Are
you certain," asked Fabens, after hearing his long and incoherent
story, and learning the name of the accused neighbor, "are you certain
that your log-chain was not mislaid, or dropped in some place where the
leaves might have covered it? This is a very serious charge for
neighbor to bring against neighbor. You ought to be very certain that
it was stolen, Mr. Bogle, before you accuse any one."

"Certain!" cried Bogle; "I couldn't be more so, I guess, if I'd seen it
took, with my own eyes, I guess. The neighbors all talk about it too,
I guess. And there's--"

"But there ought to be no guess-work in this case. Are you not
wronging Mr. Sculpin, to charge him with the theft, unless some
competent witness will say he saw him take it, or you can prove the
chain found in his possession is yours, while he fails to show, in
defence, that you did not lend it to him?"

"Lend it to 'im!--Lend it to 'im, eh? Mercy knows, I wouldn't lend 'im
a halter to hang himself, since he blunted my iron wedges, and broomed
up my beetle so! And I guess, you wouldn't talk about lendin', if the
chain had been hooked from you!"

"But I don't like this hurry and passion you manifest. Get rid of this
before you think of bringing a neighbor to justice. We become criminal
ourselves just so far as we harbor passion and vengeance while calling
criminals to account."

"Wal, will ye give me a warrant? tell me that," said Bogle in a huff.
"Tell me, Square, if you'll give me a warrant. Cause I _ken_ go to
Sempronus, I guess, and git one of Square Moss, if ye don't."

"I tell you this, neighbor Bogle," replied Squire Fabens. "This is a
very serious affair you have brought before me. I want time to
consider it, and you must go home and think it all over calmly, and
sleep on it; and then if