THE WILD-DUCK SHOOTER.
Hundreds of tales are founded on such incidents, but, in real life, they are not common. Poetical justice is not the kind of justice that generally comes about in the order of God's providence. We ought not to expect such; and woful, indeed, must be the disappointment of those who do kind actions in the hope of receiving it.
The old woman in the other cottage may open her door every night of her future life to some forlorn beggar, but it is all but certain that she will never open it to a nobleman in disguise! Therefore, let neither man, woman, nor child found false hopes upon this story; for, let them entertain as many beggars as they will, they need not expect that they have gold pencilcases in their pockets—unless they stole them.
These stories are, as I said, very common, and their moral is sufficiently obvious; it is, 'Do good, and you shall have your reward.' I would not quarrel with the maxim, but I should like to see it differently applied. I think it arises from a feeling which has done harm rather than good. We are, indeed, quite at liberty to use the Scriptural maxim, 'He that watereth shall be watered also himself,' but then, we should give the term 'watereth' its Scriptural sense—an extended and beautiful sense.
The act of chanty is often highly valued, while the motive, which alone can make it acceptable, is overlooked and forgotten; it is not hope that should prompt it, but gratitude. Not many, even of the Lord's people, can always say in simplicity, 'I did it for the sake of Him that had not where to lay His head.'
