The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-01-22
The BOARD FENCE.

"SHOO, shoe. get nome, you PlaSuey ..
cItters!' cried Mr.. Babcock, waving u
lis arms. as he chased a dozen sheep =,
and lambs through gap in the fence. .
Il was a wooden fence, and when ne \
h,d succeeded in driving the animals to
the other side Of it, he lifted it from the :,
reclining position and propped it up
xah 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 thriitless; 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 instance?
The truth was that this fence formed
the boundary line between his estate
and that of Mr.. Small, and three gen.
.ers,ious of men who owned these es-
tstes 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
arger 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.
IL say it belongs to you to keep it in
repair; that's as plain as q pike'staff, "
Mr.. Babcock would say.
"And l say it belongs to you-any
fool might see that" Nj. Small would
reply; and then high words would fol-
low, and they would part in anger, more
q determined and obstinate than ever.
The lawyers fees and the loss by
damages from each others cattle, ha0
already amounted to q sum sufficient tt
have built q fence around their entire
estates, but what was that compared
With the satisfaction of having their owl
Wy! -. NY,
At last, one day, Miss Letitia Gill,
woman much respected in the village
end of some weight as a landowner ant
taxpsyer, sent for Mr.: Babcock to com
Ndee her on business; q summon
which he made haste to obey, as hoy
could it be otherwise where lady wa
concerned?
Miss Lititia sat at her window SEWN
: seam, but she dropped her work an
took off her spectacles when MIR. Bal
cock made his appearance.
$50 you got my message: thank 20
for coming, I'm sure Sit down, do.
suppose my man Isaac told you 1wante
to consult you on business-a matter
equity, may say. Itcan't be expectt
that we women folks should be the be
judges about such things, you know
there's Isaac, to be sure, but then
lives on the place; maybe he wouldu
Be exactly impartial in his judgme
about our affairs"
"Jes' So" said Mr.. Babcock.
swell, the state of the case is thi
When Isaac came up from the 10
meadow to dinner-they're moving
meadow to-day, and an uncommon
good yield there is-when he came
to dinner, he found that stray cows h
broken into the vegetable garden"
"He did, hey?" :
"You can fancy the riot made. 1
clare, Isaac was almost ready to i
Protane language. l am not sure t
b didn't; and, after all, l couldn't
breproach him very severely, for
pains be has taken with that garde1
something amazing; working in it,
Babcock, early and late, wedding, I
digging, and watering, and now to
all torn and trampled SO that
wouldn't know which was beets
which was cucumbers. It's enoug
nse anybody's temper.
ut is so," said MIR. Babcock.
"And that isn't all, for by the Il
Of things they must have been RAM
ing in the orchard and clover-tields
iOre they got into the garden. Just
come and :" and putting on her
bonnet, Miss Letitia showed Mr..
cock over the damaged precincts.
You don't happen to know "
animals did the mischief" said
Babcock,
We'll, didn't observe them in
acular myself, but Isaac said there
one with peculiar white mark, s.
.talng like cross, on its haunch. :"
"Why, that's Small's old brine
cried Mi. Babcock. II know the
9 we'll q I know the nose on my
She had balls on her horns, d
sae?"
Yes, 80 Isaac said"
And kind of hump on her ba
q perfect dromedary," said
lettla, 81 noticed that myself"
They were Small's cows, no .
elt at an, )" said Mr.. Babcock, rul
sM hands. "No sheep with
Well, now I think of it there
0 they ran away as soon az
~ Isaac. Yes, certainly, there
eep," said Miss Letitia.
knew it-they always 60 wit
! as; and what you want of me-
: We to fix damages" said Miss
"As I said before, women fol
Judges about such matters"
~. Babcock meditated mo
~ then said:
Well, I wouldn't take ce
N "a seventy five dollars, it ! We
not cent?