WAS HE CRAZY, OR A CRANK?
By M. Jeanie Mallary
"It was a shame to put that schoolhouse right in the midst of Neighbor Maddox's farm." "Perhaps you did not know," was replied, "that he made the county a present of the site, a two-acre grove, and a fine freestone spring of water." "Is the man a crank, or is he crazy?" was asked. "He is neither," was answered, "but in my opinion he has made the biggest mistake of his life." It was fall when school began, and, though it was a busy season on the farm, the boys often went at dinner recess to have a pleasant chat with Farmer Maddox. One day he said: "I had once a queer neighbor, boys, a very queer neighbor, for he didn't like boys at all, yet had three of his own. Now he had some wild goose plum trees near his house, and once some mischievous boys robbed them, when next day whack went his ax, and down came the trees. Then secret visits were paid to his elder bushes for whistles and popguns, and whack went the ax, and down fell the bushes. Afterward, a noble chestnut tree was robbed, and that went too. I didn't know what that queer man would do next, so I went to him and said: 'Neighbor, I am sorry to see you using your ax so freely about here, just because you have been robbed a time or two. There are two sides to every question, my friend, and two sides to every boy, and you must look at both sides before you can come to a fair and square understanding of him.' But my neighbor wouldn't listen, and before the next spring he had gone where he hoped there were no more boys. Now, my children, if there is such a country, I don't want to go to it. I have two boys; they are grown up and gone now, and I can say, in the fear of God, that they never gave their dear mother and me a pang of grief in their lives. I wish I had some more; a dozen wouldn't be too many; and I am going to take you all for mine, shall clasp you to my heart and hold you there, my own dear boys. Now, children, I have plenty of elder bushes, plenty of China trees, so get as many popguns as you want, and whistles too. Come boldly in at the front gate. I keep no dog, and be assured there is always a welcome waiting for you at my house. Behind your schoolhouse I have planted a melon patch just for you. As soon as you think they are ripe, you shall have a wagon to carry them to your different homes. I have plenty of other fruit too, boys. Come and help me enjoy it. Be manly and honest, remembering that as the boy is, so will be the man." A rainy fall set in and farmers were in distress. So suddenly and continuously had the rain fallen that corn and fodder were spoiling on the stalks, and hay was decaying in the meadows. Farmer Maddox' crop was all safely housed, his barn and cribs were full, his fields all bare. "It was those blessed boys did it," he said, his eyes swimming in tears. "I always said that love would beget love, and kindness would receive a reward even in this world, but it was so little I did, and so big a reward I received. God bless the boys is my earnest prayer."—Young Reaper.