Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-01-08
THE BOARD FENCE.

HIS arms, us ne cnaSeu dozen Sneep
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-
tatesT 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 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 audlstrife.
Ahdof 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 81
ways with the same result.
81 say it belongs to you to keep it in
repair; that's as plain as a pike staff, {"
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 to
have built fence around their entire
estates, but what was that compared
with the satisfaction of having their own
wayP
At last, one day, Miss Letitia Gill, a
woman much respected in the village,
and of some weight as landowner and
taxpayer, sent for Mr.. Babcock to come
md see her on business; a summons
which he made haste to obey, as how
could it be otherwise where lady was
concerned?
Miss Lititia sat at her window sewing
a SIAM, but she dropped her work and
took off her spectacles when Mr.. Bah
cock made his appearance.
$50 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, 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 h,
lives on the place; maybe he wouldn'
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 lon;
meadow to dinner-they're moving tn
meadow to-day, and an uncommonl
good yield there is-when he came u
to dinner, he found that stray COWS ha,
broken into the vegetable garden"
He did, heyp"
"You can fancy the riot made. de
clare, Isaac was almost ready to us
profane language. l am not sure tina
he didn't; and, after all, / couldn't fee
TO reproach him very severely, for tn
pains he has taken with that garden
something amazing; working in it, MI
Babcock, early and late, wedding, an
digging, and watering, and now to Sc
it all torn and trampled so that 20
wouldn't know which was beets an
which was cucumbers. It's enough
raise anybody's temper"
at is 3d." said Mr.. Babcock.
"And that isn't all, for by the look
of things they must have been rampas
ing in the orchard and clover-fields bC
fore they got into the garden. Justyo
come and see;" and putting on her SUI
bonnet, Miss Letitia showed Mr.. Bal
cock over the damaged precincts.
"You don't happen to know who's
dnllndlS ulu Juo lulSCuleis SdlU w
Babcock.
"Well, | didn't observe them in pa
ticular myself, but Isaac said there W;
one with peculiar white mark, SOM
thing like cross, on its haunch."
"Why, that's Small's old brindle,
cried Mr.. Babcock. 81 know the MAJ
as well as l know the nose on my fac
She had balls on her horns, didn
she?n
Eyes, so Isaac said"
"And a kind of hump on her back
"a perfect dromedary," said Mi
Letitia, 81 noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows, no dou
of it at ALL" said Mr.. Babcock, rubin
his hands. "No sheep with ther
heyP'' t.
"Wen. now l think of it there we
sheep-they ran away as soon as thu
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly, there we
sheep,r said Miss Letitia.
9fknew itAthey always go with Il
cows; and what you want of me-P"
"It's to fix damages said Miss Let
tia. GAS said before, women folks a
no Judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated a momen
and then said:
"Well, | wouldn't take q cent lie
than seventy-fivc dollars, If we're yC
not n cent