title "Baucis and
Philemon." One day two travelers entered a village, but as they drew
near, each housewife slammed her door, while rude boys threw clods at
the wayfarers and let loose their dogs, who snapped and snarled after
the travelers. Passing quite beyond the village the pilgrims came to a
humble cottage. As they approached his door Philemon came forth to
offer refuge, and apologized for the rudeness of his neighbors. The
old man prepared for them seats in the grateful shade and hurried to
bring them fresh water from the cool spring. Baucis also hastened to
bring the loaf, with her one small honeycomb and her pitcher of milk.
When the glasses were filled twice and thrice and still the rich milk
failed not, the old housewife marveled, until she found that in the
bottom of the pitcher there was a fountain from which the rich milk
gushed so long as it was needed. Nor did the honeycomb fail, nor did
the sharp knife make the wheaten loaf to be less. Having told us that
the morning brought disaster to the inhospitable villagers, but brought
assurance from these angels who had been entertained unawares that
Baucis and Philemon should never more want for earthly goods, the
writer of the olden times sets forth for us the principle that good man
and bad alike reap what they sow, since each deed contains a harvest
like unto itself. Indeed, literature and life teem with exhibitions of
this principle. Haman, the rich ruler, builds a gallows for poor
Mordecai, whom he hates, and later on Haman himself is hanged upon his
own scaffold. David sets Uriah in the front of the battle and robs him
of his wife, and when a few years have passed, in turn David is robbed
of his wife, his palace also, and his city.

Walter Scott believes in moral retribution. He tells us of a youth who
deftly split an arrow at the point where it fitted the bow-string, that
when his brother, whom he hated, should bend his bow the arrow might
split and, rebounding, pass through his eye. Now it happened that the
brother returned from the hunt without using his weapon. That night,
alarmed at a commotion without, the youth seized his bow, and, chancing
to strike upon that very arrow, was himself slain by the stratagem that
he had wickedly planned for his brother. George Eliot, too, has
dedicated her greatest volume to the study of this principle. The
orphan child, Tito, is received into the arms of an adopted father, who
lavishes upon him all his