98 ADVENTURES IN IDEALISM 



The judge before whom the case came for trial 

 found no cause for action in the farmer's complaint. 

 With but slight consideration he dismissed the case, 

 stating that there was not then nor ever had been any 

 moral nor legal ground for action. 



The farmers were apparently astounded at the 

 prompt adverse decision. For a whole year the Com- 

 mittee and my husband had been unable to induce the 

 farmers to sense that which the court, in its official 

 capacity, had caused them to realize in half an hour. 

 When my husband left the courtroom, he found the 

 farmers gathered in an indeterminate group, appar- 

 ently too astonished to decide what to do next. It 

 occurred to him that, having had so many things to 

 do in Woodbine, he might have overlooked some just 

 cause for dissatisfaction. 



So, with this thought in mind, he approached them. 

 He ignored all past insults, all former animosity, and 

 passing over what very few men would have done, 

 invited them to his home with these words: 



'The law has decided against you, but bring me 

 your old leases, and we will see if we cannot, in a 

 mutual spirit of kindliness, do better than you alone 

 could do in a state of anger." 



That night the farmers gathered at the house, and 

 great was their amazement to find that the man whom 

 they had tormented,, whose home they had threatened 

 to mob and burn, was as ready to concede their just 

 claims, as of old. My husband had prevailed upon 



