p. 467 | JUST SUCH NEIGHBORS

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 21, 1880

JUST SUCH NEIGHBORS.

A MAN stopping at a tavern for rest and refreshments began to talk about his journey. He had come from a neighboring town; he was moving away, and glad enough to get away, too. Such a set of neighbors as he had there, unkind, disobliging, cross and contrary, it was enough to make any one want to leave the place, and he had started, and was to settle in another region, where he could find a different set of inhabitants.

“Well,” said the landlord, “you will find just such neighbors where you are going.”

The next night another man stopped at the inn. He, too, was on a journey—was moving. On inquiry, it was found that he came from the same place from which the former traveler had come. He said he had been obliged to move from where he lived, and he did not mind leaving his home so much as he did leaving his neighbors; they were so kind, considerate, accommodating and generous, that he felt very sorrowful at the thought of leaving them and going among strangers, especially as he could not tell what kind of neighbors he would find.

“Oh, well,” said the landlord, “you will find just such neighbors where you are going.”

Does it not seem possible that men will generally find such neighbors as they are looking for? Some people are always in trouble; others “follow peace with all men.” Who knows but we can have just about such neighbors as we wish for, simply by treating them as we ought to?