A Lost Opportunity

"Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" . . . .
"So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye
from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their
trespasses."--ST. MATTHEW xviii., 21-35.



In a certain village there lived a peasant by the name of Ivan
Scherbakoff. He was prosperous, strong, and vigorous, and was considered
the hardest worker in the whole village. He had three sons, who
supported themselves by their own labor. The eldest was married, the
second about to be married, and the youngest took care of the horses and
occasionally attended to the plowing.

The peasant's wife, Ivanovna, was intelligent and industrious, while her
daughter-in-law was a simple, quiet soul, but a hard worker.

There was only one idle person in the household, and that was Ivan's
father, a very old man who for seven years had suffered from asthma, and
who spent the greater part of his time lying on the brick oven.

Ivan had plenty of everything--three horses, with one colt, a cow
with calf, and fifteen sheep. The women made the men's clothes, and in
addition to performing all the necessary household labor, also worked in
the field; while the men's industry was confined altogether to the farm.

What was left of the previous year's supply of provisions was ample for
their needs, and they sold a quantity of oats sufficient to pay their
taxes and other expenses.

Thus life went smoothly for Ivan.

The peasant's next-door neighbor was a son of Gordey Ivanoff, called
"Gavryl the Lame." It once happened that Ivan had a quarrel with him;
but while old man Gordey was yet alive, and Ivan's father was the head
of the household, the two peasants lived as good neighbors should.
If the women of one house required the use of a sieve or pail, they
borrowed it from the inmates of the other house. The same condition of
affairs existed between the men. They lived more like one family, the
one dividing his possessions with the other, and perfect harmony reigned
between the two families.

If a stray calf or cow invaded the garden of one of the farmers, the
other willingly drove it away, saying: "Be careful, neighbor, that your
stock does not again stray into my garden; we should put a fence up."
In the same way they had no secrets from each other. The doors of their
houses and barns had neither bolts nor locks, so sure were they of
each other's honesty. Not a shadow of suspicion darkened their daily
intercourse.

Thus lived the old people.

In time the younger members of the two households started farming. It
soon became apparent that