Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-10-31
Stlttt Storp.
From the Springfield Republican. J
HULDAH'S w ELL.

tale" that tell You. Other women that
have - dig wells or do some SIMILAR jobs
outside the ordinary line OF woman's
work, will be sure To he interested in my
experience AMI perhaps those who are
weighed .lown with household cares, or
tried with clinging children, hearing
"wlll take heart again" and thank God
The guide man ''seos TO things out doors.
Men need not read this article They
ate experienced in digging wells and
such thins,, and will hnd neither amusr-
ment nor instruction in my story. but cr-
cry woman who undertakes task tor
which, nom circumstances. she i wholly
untitled will find here a story and a
moral. Lest such become Interested ia
the story and take no note ut ,lrc moral,
ct mistake il, will state it ut the outset.
II got 'CiA 10 accomplish anything jcgill
G1,d then Keep al II. "Ccd q yr,mir
pu> yYi coUte.' Il would have seemed
about as easy ior me 10 set about huiStng
Mount Washington A> To begin my we'll,
but once having begun. a Kind ol ne
ceS>ity TO continue. >purrcd me up and
made Il easier to 80 On; though must
allow that the first step was not the only
hard one
came from the city to my country
home in June. It matters not whether |
work in the Treasury office. write books.
keep school or paint pictures. IL is sufli-
cicnt that | AIN =, busy worker in the city
a large part OF the year. spending the
summer at a dear little cottage. for The
ownership of which ! have the privilege
ol paying just rs large tax a. my neigh.
bOr over the way. whose house is larger
aud land double mine, the difference be-
Iug that mine il pleasant home while
bis is only house and garden. am
mistress ot this home and there is no
master Not yet rs old ~ my grand
mother. the dear old lady who often stays
with me week nj a time. in the sum-
mer, II may be taken for granted that |
have arrived at years OF discretion and
that it is right and proper tor me to man.
age my own affairs.
This year the unparalleled drouth
withered the beauty OF my trees, flowers
and grass; the vegetable garden Was a
failure; and finally. as the climax OF
evils. the we'll gave out. There was no
water TO make coffee or wash hands, un-
less we brought il from The village pump.
II you think it's not much to bring pail
OF water from the village pump, uy it
under an August sun day after day, and
dozen times day Now my well-a
most excellent well from October to June,
has a way of failing Us in the summer,
especially it a hot, dry season makes
water worse than ordinary necessity.
This summer resolved to attend 10 that
well, and hare attended TO il. There is
plenty OF water there now. but
Between the acting of dreadful thing
And the first motive, all the interim,
is double, double. toll and trouble"
First studied wells from Artois back
TO Abraham. After cogitations of my
own and consultations with others, de
cided to take Up the old well and dig 4
deeper. instead of making a new one in
another place. We tried the curious and
interesting experiment of finding indica.
tions of water by means of crotched
stick ] cannot explain that experiment.
Whether il be due TO electric currents or
some mysterious attraction or unknown
force, am unable TO say; whether the
turning of the stick in the hands. always
marked the existence OF water at that
place, | cannot tell but | 10 know that
such stick will unaccountably tun in
the hands, at certain places. tried the
experiment repeatedly, finding myself
one OF the mediums through which the
influence acts, and was inclined to enjoy
my privileged power till some one sug
gested that it showed was an excellent
conductor OF electricity anil was very
liable 10 be struck by lightning The &c.
ton OF the crooked stick very decidedly y
indicated the presence of water in the
vicinity of the old well. but must con.
less that considerations of convenience
and economy, rather than implicit faith
in the magical stick. decided me 10 "ake
up the old we'll. use that expression
fearlessly now. but when neighbor Sam
son first advised me to take up the well,
had 40 idea how such II thing was pos
sibe. / looked anxiously at the solid
stone work around the mouth Of the well,
peered into the depths, down the moss
covered stones OF the inside walls 10 the