tenance strongly marking his abhorrence of fuch a thought, thus replies: "No, my friend, two acres of land "should never have fet me and my "neighbour Paul at variance. Forty 66 years have we lived near each other, "and, thank God, it has been forty 66 years of peace and friendship. Paul .. appears to me now like a brother ; "and the affection that I have for him, 66 gives me a double enjoyment of what "I have, because of the pleasure I find "in communicating of it to him. If I "take a hive, he is fure to receive a 66 plate of the choiceft comb. If I kill "a fat mutton, the beft quarter is fent "to him. His company heightens my 66 joys, his counsel and affistance leffen "the weight of my forrows. Toge"ther we enjoy the good things of "this life, and together we often con"verse about the happiness of that bet"ter life to come. Now, fhall I mar "all this sweet heavenly peace, and plunge myself into hellish hatred and ftrife, by quarrelling with my good "friend Paul on account of two acres of "ground? No, no, no'; fooner than fee "that hated day, let these eyes be closed "for ever; and let my grey hairs go down with joy to the grave! Take "two acres of land from Paul? O how "gladly would I give him a thousand!" BUT fuppofing, Father Ralph, that instead of the gentle Paul, it had been your destiny to dwell in the neighbourhood of the churlish Mr. Gruff, how would you have relished his orders to relinquifh two acres of your land? "WHY, I would have endeavoured "an accommodation, by propofing a "reference of our matter to fome "of our well informed and impartial "neighbours." BUT, BUT, what if he had replied, that fince by the late variation of the compass, the limits of his tract were fo enlarged as to take in those two acres of yours, he claimed them by virtue of the law, and would have nothing to do with arbitrators? "WHAT Would I have done? Why, "I would have pitied him-from the "bottom of my heart would I have 4 pitied him for fuch a fentiment. "And on taking my leave, would "have addreffed him in fuch words "as thefe:-Neighbour Gruff, the good "for which you feem fo ready to " contend, deferves not to be put in "the fcale againft the numerous evils "of a law-fuit. Let famifhed fea"men quarrel and fight for a mor"fel of bread, or draw lots for each "others lives, but for us who live "in a land fo thickly ftrewed with "the bleffings of heaven, that we need "need but ftretch forth the hand of industry and we fhall gather abun"dance for us to go to law for a flip of ground, were a reproach to 66 66 us, both as men and as christians. "I feel, neighbour Gruff, that love "and peace are the greatest bleffings "of life, and, well knowing that law"fuits are no friend to thofe, but, "on the contrary, their moft mortal "enemies, I wish never to have any thing to do with law-fuits-I mean "on fuch trifling occafions. There"fore, for the fake of God, the lo"ver of peace, and for our mutual good, I cheerfully compliment you "with these two acres for which you "are fo ready to go to law with me. "And I think my heart gives me "comfortable affurance that I fhall "never want them." “BLESSED are the peace makers, for they fhall be called the children of God." LOVE adds greatly to the happiness of man, because it puts us in poffeffion and gives us the enjoyment of every thing that is good and defireable in this life. By it, we may, without greedy avarice, or its cares and drudgeries, fwim in tides of wealth. With out proud ambition or any of its dif ficulties and dangers, we may afcend to the highest feats of honor: without fordid voluptuoufnefs, or its diseases and difguft, we may bask in the lap of true pleasures; without its pride, luxury or floth, or any of its fnares and temptations, we may feast at the table of profperity. We may pluck the richest fruits of science and learning, without the pain of laborious study: and we may taste the sweets of virtue and goodness without their toils. For, are not all these things ours, if we make them fo, by finding much delight and fatisfaction in them? Does not out neighbour's wealth |