

fiM 





•h. -I.IKK If. 10. 



MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS. 



For where two or three are pathcred toj,'ether in 

 my name, there am I in the mi 1st of them.— Matt. 



18:20. 



SUPPOSE, friend.s, tluit even llie juve- 

 niles liave lieaiv^d this little te.xt just 

 above what I am writing?, ovei- and over 

 again, especially if they ever went to a 

 prayer-nieetinj? where only a few were 

 present. The above text, or the substance 

 of it, would come somewhere in the lirst 

 prayer. V/ell, now% it is a grand little text ; 

 but'it is tlie live verses that go before it that 

 I shall have to do with now. The lirst of 

 these five verses reads like this : 



Moreover it thy brotiier shall trespass against 

 thee, fro and tell him his fault between thee and 

 liini alone: it he shall hear tiiee thou hast g:aincd 

 thy brother. 



Perhaps you would like to know what 

 brought this to mind. AVell, it was like this: 

 One of my neighbors, whom I will call JSIr. 

 A, came to me, saying he could not get 

 along with neighbor H, any way possible ; 

 that it was no use trying any more. 



" My dear friend,"' said I, '' you know you 

 had trouble with neighbor (', not very long 

 ago, and thought you could not getalong 

 with hiui ])ossib]y. Xow, whenever I get to 

 fCL'liug thai way (and I often do, 1 own up). 

 I always l)i'gin to feel a little nneasy for 

 fear the trouble is with mi/sclf nud not with 

 my neighbors.-' 



" iSlr. Hoot, I have thouglit of that, and I 

 suppose I am ugly enough myself ; but 1 

 have got all over my trouble with neighbt)r 

 C, and I can get along with almost anybody 

 now, except neighbor I].-' 



" But, my dear friend, do you remember 

 that you and neighbor 13 are both members 

 of the same church— botii followers of Christ 

 —or. at least, profess to beV 



'• Yes. I know all that; but I have tried 

 and tried, and 1 don't believe it is of any use 

 to try any more." 



" VV'ell, if that is the case, there is a plain 

 in the Bible. Have you tried that 



remedy 

 plan?''* 



Xo, 1 have not tried that plan. The 

 fact is, I am too ugly myself. I km)w what 

 is the best way. and the right way ; but it 

 is not in me. 1 have not the gift of saying 

 what ought to be said, in the way in wMiich 

 I know a Christian ought to " do these 

 things." 



I thought a minute, and linally said. 

 " Would you like that I should speak to 

 neighbor B about these matters?" 



" res, }slv. Root. I really wish you would. 

 Tliere is not any use for me to talk any 

 more.'' 



'' Come to think of it," said I, " I rather 

 think the better way wovild be for me to talk 

 with you both together." 



This plan did not suit him so well, but lie 

 linally assented, and conscience commenced 

 her work, as I knew pretty well she would ; 

 for I knew that Ihis neighbor, whom 1 have 

 called A, for illustration. was trying, and try- 

 ing pretty hariLfor one of liis temperament, 

 toloUow Christ. lie has his own notions, 

 and very strong likes and dislikes, and quite 

 a temper to keep the upper hand of, with all 

 the rest. In the course of an hour or two I 

 was not surprised to see him come around 

 with a pleasanter look upon his face ; and 



