The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-22
THE BOARD FENCE.

"SHoo, shoe, get home, you plaguey
critters!" cried Mr.. Babcock, waving
his arms, as he chased q dozen sheep
and lambs through gap in the fence.
1t was wooden fence, and when he
had succeeded in driving the animals to
the other side of it, he lifted it from the
reclining position and propped it up
with stakes. This was an operation he
found himself obliged to repeat many
times in the course of the season, and
not only of that season but of several
previous seasons.
Yet Mr.. Babcock was neither slack
nor thriftless; in fact, he rather prided
himself on the ordinary appearance OF
his farm, and not without reason.
How then shall we account for his
negligence in this particular instanceP
The truth was that this fence formed
the boundary line between his estate
and that of Mr.. Small, and three gen.
erations of men who owned these es-
tates had been unable to decide to
whom it belonged to rebuild and keep it
in repair. If the owners had CHANGED
to be men of peaceful dispositions they
would have compromised the matter
and avoided a quarrel; but if, on 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 would
have been source of unending bicker-
ings and strife.
And of this class were the present own
ers. Again and again had they consulted
their respective lawyers on the subject,
and dragged from their hiding-places
musty old deeds and records, but al.
ways with the same result.
81 say it belongs to you to keep it in
repair; that's as plain as pike-staff,' u
Mr.. Babcock would say.
"And l say it belongs to you-any
fool might see that" Mr.. Small would
reply; and then high words would fol-
low, and they would part in anger, more
determined and obstinate than ever.
The lawyers fees and the loss by
damages from each others cattle, had
already amounted to sum sufficient tc
have built fence around their entire
estates, but what was that compared
with the satisfaction of having their owl
way?
At last, one day, Miss Letitia Gill, 9
woman much respected in the village
and of some weight as landowner and
taxpayer, sent for Mr.. Babcock to come
and see her on business; summons
which he made haste to obey, as how
could it be otherwise where lady was
concernedP
Miss Lititia sat at her window sewing
seam, but she dropped her work and
took off her spectacles when Mr.. Bah
cock made his appearance.
1" So you got my message: thank yor
for coming, I'm sure. Sit down, do.
suppose my man Isaac told you wanted
to consult you on business-a matter O
equity, l may say. 1t can't be expected
that we women folks should be the bes
judges about such things, you know
there's Isaac, to be sure, but then hi
lives on the place; maybe he wouldn't
be exactly impartial in his judgmen
about our affairs.'
"Jes' so," said Mr.. Babcock.
"Well, the state of the case is this
When Isaac came up from the Ions
meadow to dinner-they're moving tn,
meadow to-day, and an uncommonlv
good yield there is-when he came III
to dinner, he found that stray COWS hat
broken into the vegetable garden"
"He did, heyp"
"You can fancy the riot made. de
clare, Isaac was almost ready to us,
profane language. am not sure tina
he didn't; and, after all, l couldn't fee
to reproach him very severely, for tn
pains he has taken with that garden i
something amazing; working in it, Mr.
Babcock, early and late, wedding, ant
digging, and watering, and now to Sc,
it all torn and trampled so that yo,
wouldn't know which was beets AM
which was cucumbers. It's enough t,
raise anybodY's temper"
cit is so," said Mr.. Babcock.
Sand that isn't all, for by the look
of things they must have been rampag
ing in the orchard and clover-felds be
fore they got into the garden. Just 20,
come and see;" and putting on her sun
bonnet, Miss Letitia showed Mr.. Bah
cock over the damaged precincts.
"You don't happen to know who's
animals did the mischief" said MI
Babcock.
swell, didn't observe them in PAL
ticular myself, but Isaac said there wa
one with peculiar white mark, some
thing like cross, on its haunch -
"Why, that's Small's old brindle,
cried Mr.. Babcock. "l know the mar
as well as l know the nose on my face
She had balls on her horns, didn
sheP"
"Yes, so Isaac said"
Sand kind of hump on her back
ga perfect dromedary," said Mis-
Letitia, 81 noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows, no dout
of it at ALL" said Mr.. Babcock, rubin