THE TWO SACKS

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 37, 13 September 1890, Page 18

THE TWO SACKS

There is an ancient legend that tells of an obi man who was in the habit of travelling from place to place with a sack hanging behind his back and another in front of him. In the one behind him he tossed all the kind deeds of his friends where they were quite hiddenfiom view, and he soon forgot all about them. In the one hanging around his neck under his chin, he dropped all the sins which the people he knew committed ; ami these he was in the habit of turning over and looking at as he walked along day b.y day. One day, to his surprise, he met a man wearing, just like himself, a sack in front, and one behind. He went up to him and began feeling his sack. ‘ What have you got here, my friend ?’ he asked, giving the sack in front a good poke. ‘ Stop ; don’t do that !' cried the other : ‘you spoil my good things.’ ‘ What things?’ asked number one. * by, my good deeds,’ answered number two. ‘ I keep them all in front of me, where I can always see them and take them out and air them. See, here is the half-ciown I put in the plate last Sunday ; and the shawl I gave to the beggar girl ; and the mittens I gave to the crippled boy ; and the penny I gave to the organ grinder, and here is even the benevolent smile I bestowed on’the crossingsweeper at my door ; and—’ ‘And what’s in the sack behind you,’ asked the first traveller, who thought his companion’s good deeds would never come to an end. ‘ Tut, tut,’said number two ; ‘ there is nothing I caie to look at in there ! That sack holds what I call my little mistakes.’ ‘ It seems to me that your sack of mistakes is fuller than the other,’ said number one. Number two frowned. He had never thought of that, though he had put what he called his ‘ mistakes ’ out of his sight, every one else could see them still. An angry reply was on his lips, when happily, a third—also carrying two sacks as they were, overtook, them. The first two men at once pounced on the stranger. ‘ What cargo do you carry in your sack ?’ ciied one. ‘ Let’s see your goods,’ said the other. ‘ With all my heart,’ quoth the stranger, ‘ for I have a goodly assortment, and 1 like to show them. This sack,’ said he, pointing to the one in front of him, ‘ is full of the good deeds of others.’ ‘Your sack looks nearly touching the ground. It must he a pretty heavy weight to carry,’ obseives number one. ‘There you are mistaken,’ replied the stranger; ‘the weight is only such as sails arc to a ship, or wings to an eagle. It helps me onward.’ ‘ Well, your sack behind can be of little good to you,’

said number two, for it appears to be empty, ami I see it has a great hole in the bottom of it.’ * I did it on purpose,’ said the stranger, for all the evil I hear of people, I put in there, and it falls through and is lost. So yon see I have no weight to drag me down backward.’