Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-04-12

pence and spoil a jack. knife worth a
shilling; and that ism economy no
more than a corn-cob is fddle-stick.
You waste fodder and grain enough
every year to pay for a bigger barn
to say nothing of the Inconvenience
"Well, Stark, said he, grinning and
scratching his head; I've made up my
mind to have bigger barn, even if
have to steal one.
''That won't be the first thing you
have stole neither says |.
He fared up at that. 'Stole?' says
he. What did / ever steal?'
"Well, for one thing, the rails the
freshet last spring drifted off from
Taloott's land On to yours, and you
grabbed; what was that but steal
ing?
''That was luck. He couldn't swear
to his rails. By the way, they'll just
come in play now
'They've come in play already
says |. They've gone on to all the
old fences over the farm, and | could
use a thousand more without making
much show
''That's cause you're so dumbed
extravagent with rails as YOU are
with everything else. Afew loads can
be spared from the fences here and
there, as we'll as not. Harness up the
team boys, and get together enough
to make about ten rods of zigzag, two
rails high.
"Two railSp says Dave, who had
a healthy contempt for the old mans
narrow, contracted way Of doing
things. What's the good of such a
fence as that?'
'1t'lI be- said l, like the single
bar in music. When our old sing
ing master asked his class once what
a single bar was, Bill Watkins spoke
up and said, It's a bar that horses and
cattle jump over, and pigs and sheep
run under What do you expect to
keep out with two rails ?
"The lar, boys, the law,' says Jed.
wort. 4 know what I'm about; I'll
make a fence the law can't run under
or jump over; and don'tcare a cuss
for the cattle and pigs; you get the
rails, and I'll rip some boards off n
the pig-pen to make stakes
"Boards amt good for nothin' fol
stakes, says Dave, Besides none ca,
not be spared from the pig-pen,
'I'll have boards enough in a da,
or two for forty pig-pens,' says Jed
wort. Bring along the rails ant
dump 'em out into the road for tn
present, and say nothing to nobody
I'VE got the rails, and he made hi
stakes; and right away after Dime
he called US out, Come boys, say
he, now we'll astonish the natives
The wagon stood in the road wit
the last jag of rails still on it. JcC
, wort piled on his stakes, and thre1
on his crow-bar and ax, while we wer
hitching up the team
/ "Now, drive or, Stark, says he.
.'Yesi but where shall drive to
ITO the old mectin house, say
Jedwort, trudging on ahead.
? The old meeting house stood on a
/ open common On the northeast cornt
t of his farm. A couple of cross roaC
! bounded it on two sides; and it W.
Y bounded on the other two by Je
e wort's overgrown stone wall. 1t WI
Y a square, old fashioned building, tn;
e had belfry, but no bell in it, al
l. with q high, square pulpit, and hig
O straight-backed pews inside. 1t w
# now some time since meetings h;
Il been held there; the old society th
used to meet there having separate
- one division of it building fashion
- - BILE chapel in the North Village, al
IL the other a fine new church at t
\ Centre.
1T Now, the popularity about the Q
,e church property was, that nobody h
O. any legal title to it. A log mecti
Y house had been built there when t
as country was first settled and land W
Da of no account. In the course of ii
he that was torn down, and a good fra
Mt ed house put up in its place. As
ch belonged to the whole community,
rs title, either to the house or land '
,o- ever recorded; and it wasn't until
I'd ter the society dissolved that the qu
he ton came up as to how the prope
was disposed of. While the old G
,rt cons were carefully thinking it o'
. Jedwort was on hand to settle it
nd putting in his claim.
SIX "Now, boys says he, 'ye see W
NO I'm up to.
ere Eyes says |, provoked as | &C
Tx. be at the mean trick, 'and | kne'
was some such mean trick all alt
YET You never show any enterprise
his you call it, unless it is to get the S
md of neighbor. Then you are v
r a awake; then you are busy as the
il in a gale of wind
had 'But what are you mp to, pa?'
- Dan, who didn't see the trick yet
me The old man says, I'm goil
me- fence the rest part of my farm.
s'W hat rest part?'
ave This part that was never fen
an the old meetin' house common
''But, pa, says Dave, disguste
or | | was, you've no claim on that
yhty "WalI, if | hain't, I'll make cl
lard give me the crowbar. Now, b
i I'd the corner, nigh as | can squint;' I
dn't he stuck the bar into the grour
the Make fence to here from the
Keep both Sides
best 'sSho, pa, says Dan, looking b
want dered 'ye amt goin' to fence i
f