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Two and a Quarrel

An Essay on Trouble-Makers in General

By Hamilton Mercer

It hath been said by those of olden time, "It takes two to make a quarrel." But does it?

Yes-sometimes.

F is of a cantankerous and

Iquarrelsome nature it frequently is

possible to let him do his quarreling all by his lonely self. And therein lies the truth upon which the above proverb is based.

But proverbs should not be, and were not intended to be, swallowed whole and without salt.

Usually a proverb is in the form of a sweeping statement, for the purpose of directing attention to some general principle,—or, sometimes, to a situation which may arise occasionally only (as in the case of the saying, "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein"). But a proverb should never be carried beyond the idea on which it is based. Men's failure to grasp this fundamental proposition, has given rise to all manner of error.

And human experience demonstrates that truth is done despite if the proverb now under consideration is taken absolutely and in the full breadth of its sweeping terms.

It is not always possible to get away from a quarrelsome man. And aggressiveness is a usual accompaniment of quarrelsomeness, if not an integral part thereof. If you are associated in business, or (God pity you) in the home, with a quarrelsome and aggressive man, your case will be rather exceptional if he does not gouge you until you simply have to fight or else give up your self respect. The quarrel is made by him alone.

Likewise, if a burglar attempts to loot your home, and you resist him, that quarrel is not made by two; it is made by one.

And there would be no quarrel with the burglar if he were permitted to have his own way. Nevertheless he alone is the maker of the quarrel.

Where two people are closely associated-for instance, in business partnership, or in the relation of husband and wife, or of parent and son or daughter-. both of them must be generous and considerate, or there is almost certain to be trouble. Aggressive quarrelsomeness is but the logical fruitage of selfishness.

There are people who stubbornly refuse to meet their just obligations. And there are people who knowingly make bogus demands upon their fellows, and bring pestiferous suits upon false claims.

knaves, are purely one-man quarrels. The quarrels thus engendered by such

Many unthinking people who "speak evil of those things which they know not," are prone to look askance upon a person who has had disagreements, and especially if that person has been the innocent victim of domestic trouble in regard to whose facts they are totally ignorant. And thus some persons will hold themselves aloof from a divorcee, solely because she is a widow by grace of the law, and not because they know anything whatever about the reasons why the law extended to her its grace.

Never make the radical mistake of supposing that the fact that a person has had trouble with others proves him to be of a quarrelsome nature nor to be wrong in any way. It does not always take two to make a quarrel. a quarrel. They quarreled with Christ.

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one.

INCE I first saw Southeastern Alaska in the early nineties, the section has grown into a flourishing Mines, canneries, and other industries have all helped in the development. All along the coast, where once the lonely prospector looked for wealth, have sprung up prosperous little towns. If, in the past, this part of Alaska has produced millions of dollars, so too, the future may hold in store even greater things.

In the pioneer days of Alaska when my father was offered a position at Juneau, as superintendent of a mining company, we were living in Boston, Massachusetts. At that time the importance

of the Alaskan trip meant very little to me, although I remember being quite interested in hearing friends speak of that little-known country, a country of short winter days, and long, glorious summer ones; a country of ice, snow, Indians and gold; a land of adventure and promise to all those willing to exile themselves.

We children spent much time in discussing the possibility of adopting the Eskimo costume, living in ice houses and. of course, constantly fighting the cruel

savages.

The voyage proved to be a very smooth one for April. We were never tired of watching the ever-changing scenery, from

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the low, barren hills of British Columbia, to the rugged, snow-capped mountains of Alaska. At times the channels were wide, and then again they were so narrow that it seemed almost possible to touch the wooded isles on either side.

Every evening the passengers would go on deck to watch the glorious sunsets. The vivid rose, orange and golden tints dyed the snow-covered mountains, and were reflected in the calm water of these fjordlike inlets. Rapidly, these colors would fade into more delicate hues, and then

nearing our journey's end. The steamer Topeka was now in Gastineaux Channel, a most beautiful stretch of water, with snow-capped mountains on either shore. Below the snow line on the mountains, grew luxurient timber and vegetation, the light and dark greens intermingling. Many mountain streams and falls dashed over rocky beds of the steep mountain sides, until they finally became lost in the waters of the channel. At last, from a distance, we could see the smoke from the great Treadwell mines, and still further in the

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ference to walk, were informed by the driver that the tide was up, and we could either ride or wade; we concluded to ride.

We soon arrived at a long, low building, which we were informed was to be our home. Several preceding superintendents had each added a section to the structure, until it had finally become a representative of their respective ideas of fitness and comfort, though defying every law of architecture.

One early morning, shortly after our arrival, my mother and father had gone down town, leaving my brother and me to amuse ourselves as best we could. My two sisters were still sleeping. My brother heard a queer sound at the door, and at once opened it, when to our amazement and joy, in walked two little bears, about a third grown. Immediately we awoke our sisters and showed them our prizes. To see was to possess, and nothing would do until the pets were comfortably establish'ed between the two children in the bed. The bruins at once settled down to a life of ease and seemed to take quite kindly to the liberties we took with them. Mother, upon her return, came directly into the room where we were playing. I can still see the look of horror that passed over her face, as we uncovered and

proudly displayed our pets. She instantly snatched my sisters from the bed and called loudly for my father. He came promptly, for he discerned from mother's tone of voice that something was amiss. After considerable difficulty, he removed the bears, who resented being ejected from their warm and comfortable quarters, and he was rewarded by several scratches bestowed upon him in the vigorous scrap ensuing upon his uncerimonious treatment of our pets. We afterwards learned that the bears were owned by a neighbor, and had escaped from their quarters. It was not at all unusual to meet bears on the street, as they were quite commonly owned as pets by many citizens of the town.

We were forced the first few months in Alaska, to take our meals at the hotels, owing to the difficulty of obtaining servants. There seemed to be no one to serve in this capacity excepting the Indians, who were so unreliable, slow and unbearably untidy, that they were almost impossible. My mother did try a native woman answering to the name of "Florida Water Susie." Close upon her arrival was a spree, in which she disposed of several bottles of vanilla extract and innumerable bottles of Florida Water, as a mild substi

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