CRACKING THE COMMANDMENTS.
By G. W. A.
The following article aptly illustrates the cases of those who, in order to dodge plain duties and gratify tastes not always the most safe, walk in the sparks of their own kindling. Paul the aged said, “Abstain from all appearance of evil,” but there have ever been those who will venture just as far over into the Devil’s ranks as they can without hazarding the certain loss of their souls. We give the incident below, not for the humor it contains, but for the principle it illustrates. LAST summer, when I was in the country, I knew an Irishman named Patrick. Patrick heard, one Sunday morning, that his neighbor, Barney O’Flynn, had a fine cow to sell. He was afraid if he waited until Monday that some one else might buy the cow, and as he wanted it very much, he went down that Sunday morning, when the following conversation occurred: “Mr. Barney,” said Pat, “sure I’ve bin towld that you are afther sellin’ the cow.” “An’ a mighty fine cow the cratur is,” said Barney. “Me boy,” continued Pat, “if it wasn’t Sunday, sure, an’ agin the directions of the rale church, I should be for axin’ the price of the cratur.” “An’ if it wasn’t Sunday, as you most properly observe,” said Barney, “I should say the price of the baste was forty dollars, sure.” “Well, Barney, if it wasn’t Sunday, I should say that I’d pay yez thirty-five dollars an’ take her.” “I faith, I should say, if it wasn’t Sunday, you might have her; an’ that I’d wait till Tuesday mornin’ for yez to come an’ take her away, an’ I wouldn’t sell her to any other sowl.” The two then parted to go to church; but on Monday morning Patrick came to Barney’s farm with the thirty-five dollars, and took away the cow; and both of them flattered themselves that they had not broken any commandment.—S. S. Times.