what I'd do! I'd serve them as he served my geese
yesterday."

"But that wouldn't bring the geese to life again, Sally."

"I don't care if it wouldn't. It would be paying him in his own coin,
and that's all he deserves."

"You know what the Bible says, Sally, about grievous words, and they
apply with stronger force to grievous actions. No, no, I will return
Neighbour Barton good for evil. That is the best way. He has done wrong,
and I am sure is sorry for it. And as I wish him still to remain sorry
for so unkind and unneighbourly an action, I intend making use of the
best means for keeping him sorry."

"Then you will be revenged on him, anyhow."

"No, Sally--not revenged. I hope I have no such feeling. For I am not
angry with Neighbour Barton, who has done himself a much greater wrong
than he has done me. But I wish him to see clearly how wrong he acted,
that he may do so no more. And then we shall not have any cause to
complain of him, nor he any to be grieved, as I am sure he is, at his
own hasty conduct. But while I am talking here, his hogs are destroying
my corn."

And so saying, Farmer Gray hurried off, towards his cornfield. When he
arrived there, he found four large hogs tearing down the stalks, and
pulling off and eating the ripe ears of corn. They had already destroyed
a good deal. But he drove them out very calmly, and put up the bars
through which they had entered, and then commenced gathering up the
half-eaten ears of corn, and throwing them out into the lane for the
hogs, that had been so suddenly disturbed in the process of obtaining a
liberal meal. As he was thus engaged, Mr. Barton, who had from his own
house seen the farmer turn the hogs out of his cornfield, came hurriedly
up, and said,

"I am very sorry, Mr. Gray, indeed I am, that my hogs have done this! I
will most cheerfully pay you for what they have destroyed."

"Oh, never mind, Friend Barton--never mind. Such things will happen,
occasionally. My geese, you know, annoy you very much, sometimes."

"Don't speak of it, Mr. Gray. They didn't annoy me half as much as
I imagined they did. But how much corn do you think my hogs have
destroyed? One bushel, or two bushels? or how much? Let it be estimated,
and I will pay for it most cheerfully."

"Oh, no. Not for the world, Friend Barton. Such things will happen
sometimes. And, besides, some of my men must have left the bars down, or
your hogs could never have got in. So don't think any more