The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-20
ONE WELL FOR TWO FAMILIES

IF. E. Huddle, in New York Mercury.l
 One we'll never was large enough to
 furnish water for two or three families. l
 rent my palatial dwelling place from a
 man who owns two houses one on
 either side of that in which live.
 In my back yard there is well, and in
 each of the other back yards cistern is
 located, and when we three families
 moved into eur respective places of abode,
 it was clearly understood and SO nom-
 mated in the bond that all should have
 access to and water from the we'll, and that the central figure in the group (meaning myself ) should be permitted to draw upon the hoarded treasures of either cistern at his own sweet will.
 On Monday of the second week after
 we began to utilize our building, my wife intimated to me that she would appre- ciate having few pails of washing water from one of the cisterns. When my wife intimates anything to me, l always feel the pfomptings of love in my heart and promptly accede to her wishes. did so on this occasion, and went to the cistern to westward of us. l pumped up one pail of water and took it to my wait ing spouse, but when attempted to draw another, the woman who seemed to be running that cistern came out and asked me if did not think it would be more polite-she bore down on "polte pretty hard-to get some water from the other cistern. told her that l was plain, blunt fellow, who did not stand on eti- quette very smuch. and if it made no diff ference to her I'd get the water where my wife dunn pleased. She replied that her cistern was very low, but told her was not bit stuck up or particular about the rank in society of cisterns with which might have 10 associate, and she said something about my not being able to take hint, when replied that could take more hints in minute than she could give me in an hour, and proceeded to transfer the water from the cistern to the wash-tub.
 ] When l returned for third pailful, the crank of the chain-pump was gone, so visited the cistern of my other neighbor, who smiled as if to welcome me, as entered her gate, and remarke' that the weather was quite dry. agreed with her, and was engaged in wetting a pail ful of weather, when she proceeded to say that cistern water would be an object one of those days. said supposed SO, and having emptied my pail came for more.
 "Don't you hate hog P she inquired. admitted that was not very deeply in love with the present tenement of the devil, when she said something about two.legged hogs that could not help re- garding as personal. filled my pail and gracefully strolled to the back door of the kitchen, where my wife stood, and in- formed her of the crisis that hovered over US. Sooner than can tell it, the round end of discarded table-leg was thrust into the spout of the pump at the well, and was invited to saw it of, which | did. When l returned at noon, from my | office, found my family thirsty, and | then l saw for the first time that had re- venge upon all parties concerned, includ- ing myself. It cost me a dollar to get the table-leg hored out of the spout, and | my wife has 10 have some bangs and back hair, and the other women have had to | purchase new dresses, and court-plaster and arnica have to be bought for the ch''c-er every day, and each of my ne Q. DOTS has a pa flock on the wheel of his cistern pump, while pay a negro two dollars day to guaii the we'll with a double-barreled shotgun, and don't speak to the people that live on either side of | us. Oh, no one well for three families | IS very amusing, but it is expensive, too. l