The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-06-12
THE BOARD FENCE.
BY RUTH CHESTERFIELD.

BY RUTH CHESTERFIELD.
''Shoo, shoe Get home. you plaguy
critters " cried Mr.. Babcock, waving his
arms as he chased dozen sheep and lambs
through a gap in the fence. Ii was a
wooden fence, and when he had succeeded
in driving the ANIMALS the other side of il,
he lifted Ii from It's reclining position and
propped it az with stakes. This was an
operation he had found himself Obliged to
repeat many times in the course OF the sea-
son. and not only of that season, but of
several previous seasons. Yet Mr.. Bah
cock was neither slack nor thriftless; in
fact, he rather prided himself on the order
Iy appearance of his farm, and not without
reason. How then shall we account for
his negligence i'm this particular instance |!
The truth was that this fence formed the
boundary line between his estate and that
of MIR. Small; and three generations of
men who owned these estates had been
unable to decide to whom ii belonged TO
rebuild and keep il in repair. Ii the own
ers had CHANGED to be men of peaceabe
dispositions, they had compromised the
matter and avoided aquarrel; but lion the
contrary. they belonged to that much
larger class who would sooner sacrifice
their own comfort and convenience than
their so-called rights. this fence had been
source OF unending chickering's and strife.
And Of this class were the present owners.
Again AID rgain they had consulted their
respective lawyers on the subject, and
dragged from their hidng-placesm ustv old
deeds and records, but always with the
same result.
- say it belongs TO you to keep 1t in re-
pair that s as plain as pike-staff," Mr..
Babcock would say.
~ nd sav In halnpUs IN .,o,,-anv fool
might see that" Mr.. Small would reply.
and then high words would follow, and
they would part in anger, more deter
mined and obstinate than ever. The law
yers' fees and the loss by damages from
each others cattle had already amounted
to sum sufficient to have built fence
round their entire estates, but what was
that compared to the satisfaction OF having
their own way!
There were not wanting in the neigh
bOrboOd peace-makers who would gladly
have settled the affair by arbitration but
to this neither of the belligercnts ~ould
listen for moment. AT last one day,
Miss Letitia Gill. woman much respected
in the village, and of some weight "a a
landowner and Taxpayer. sent for MIR.
Babcock to come and see her on business
a summons which he made haste TO obey,
lady was conccrnedg Miss Letitia sat at
her window sewing up a seam, but she
dropped her work and took off her specta-
Giles when Mr.. Babcock made his appear
ance.
so you got my message; thank you
for coming, I'm sure. Sit down, do. /
suppose my man Isaac told you | wanted
to consult you on matter of business
matter OF equity, may say. Ii can't be ex-
pected that we women folks should be the
best judges about such things. you know;
there's Isaac, to be sure, but then he lives
on the place. and NAV be he wouldn't be
exactly impartial in his judgment about
our affairs"
"Jes' So" said Mr.. Babcock.
"Well, the state of the case Is this
When Isaac came up from the long mead
Ow to dinner-they're moving the
meadow to-day, and an uncommonly
good yield there is-when he came up To
dinner he found that certain stray cows
had broken into the vegetable garden
He did. heyr'
"lou can fancy the riot they made. |
declare Isaac was almost ready to use pro-
fame language. I'm not sure that he
didn't say deuce, and I'm certain he did
say darn : and after all, couldn't feel to
rcproach him very severely, for the pains
hehas taken with that garden Is something
amazing; working IN it, Mr. Babcock.
early and bate. wedding. and digging, and
watering; and now to see il all torn and
trampled sd that you wouldn't know
which was beets and which was cucum-
hers: it's enough to rouse anybody's tenn
per-
IL is So" said Mr.. Babcock.
'And that ISN'T all, for by the looks OF
things they must have been rampaging "A
full honr In the orchard and clover-field
before they got into the garden. just YOU
come and sees" and putting on her sun
bonnet, Miss Lctitia showed Mr. Babcock
over the damaged precinct.
You don't happen to know whose ami
mails did the mischef?" said Mr.. Babcock.
well, didn't observe them H. particu-
lar myself, but Isaac said there was one
with a peculiar white mark, something
like cross, on her haunch."
why. that's Small's old Brindle." cried
MIR. Babcock. II know the mark as
well n know the nose on my face. She
had balls on her horns. didn't shcy''
Yes. so Isaac said"
And h dof hump on her backy'
perfect dromeiary." said Miss Lee
titia. Il noticed that myself"
They were Small's cows--no doubt
about IL ut ALL" said Mr.. Babcock. rub
bling his hands. mo sheep with them.
hnv ~