South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1890-11-07

stopped and let down . link of tn,
fenoe to allow bis borses TO drinl
there As he always made point o.
doing upon every occasion when III,
enemy VAS not Ia sight. To hav;
done this in the presence of Jasor
would have been most unuise. FOL
the latter would have sued his neigh,
Dor for trespass, and though he could
not probably have recovered more
than 'one cent Damages Ebeu had /,
wholesome distrust Of the law, and was
in no wise minded to give his sub
stance into the hands of lawyers.
Close by the spring, but just within
the boundary OF the Parsons land, in
40 elbow Of the rail. fence, stood 9
tine elm.tree OF q truly remarkable
size for its age 40 Eben said, with
honest pride, for he had planted the
tree in his boyhood, and he was no,
yet forty three.
Eben had allowed the horses 10
drink, add Ia I slaked his own thirst
at the spring which he felt to be right.
ly bis own, and had mounted his horse
again, leaving the fence down, by
way o: mute assertion of his rights,
before be noticed that around The
beautiful elm tree just above its roots
was q broad white band, where an
axe applied by pactised hand had
removed the bark. completely grid
ling the tree. Hence the wrathful
astonished qucs lon. addressed appa-
ren.ly to the horses. for no other ami
mate thing was in sight, who's done
this 2
Not much need was there for In.
quiry. Who could have done SO
ueau thing but Jason Buckley z
And good ,humored Eben. now as
angry as any man welt could be. az.
tonished his horses by the whip and
a style Of language they had never
heard from hun before.
II was mol discovered precisely who
had done the cowardly deed, but Ja-
son Buckley's oldest son had beer
seen with an axe in hand very nea,
the sp'inI. which was still shaded by
the magnificent elm. so beautiful ir
It's full green LEAKAGE, though doome'
| 10 last but this short summer through
as we sometimes see fair and stated,
womsn. a aciOIs and lovely in the
beauty which. her physicians know
has but few months more OF life.
Hard enough hal been theI eelin :,
between the two families before. bo,
from this July evening Guild be ds-
ted the beginning Of lawsuits, which
/, Instituted or continued on one pre-.
text or apother. fsttened the village
pettifoggers for several years, and
6a .e fair 10 endure as long "a The
two families should be able, by hare
and incessant toll. TO make none,
enough to pay for the Costly Iuxur,
Of legal lights.
So trivial was tie usual nature o
these lawsuits that the announcement
that there's another o'them Parsons
Buckley temper sui 9 t the Town
bal r.day' hardly scfiiced to attrac
the lOungers from the group aroun,
tha atore stove or on the post. offic
steps, but the feeling that these per
stslent lawsuits indicated and Guilt.
waited had grown to be 80 bitter tia
II would hardly have Surprised an,
one In the township TO have heard o.
personal encounters and bloodshed.
But both families we're of OLD New
England stock, wiki an Inborn rever.
ence for the laws of the common.
wealthy and so took their spites AM
revenges 10 legal ways which may b,
just as hateful and wicked, but ar,
nianifestIy less brutal than the sor
Tof malice which wreaks Itself 10 mar
deTous blows.
30 the laWsuiis had continued, anC
the properly Of the two families hac
about equally suffered, while thei
mutual snimosities bad seemingly Ia.
ken the natural loveabIeness out O
their natures. even going far TO de,
face the manly beauty of the once 8,
cJmely herds of the two families.
Their children-all boys-weut q
the same school; all attended, ID,
same simple village entertainments
they were Of the same political par.
ty; and even were-to the great
sorrow OF the most devoui brethren
members of tue same church. Ye
were the two families never known [,
exchange d greeting or a word OF an
kind, though II was surmised tina
Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. Parsons wo1l,
have been glad TO be 'neighborly> hat
they folio we'd their own desires. TIL,
men Of tbe two families could no
bring themselves TO treat courteousl,
tsose OF whom they believed so III
AND though their Old fashioned train.
Ing had force enough 10 make Gbou
remember the courtesy due to ibei
teachers, or hosts or 10 The church
they attended,. honce their long IN,
broken silence, fuli Of undying ami
mostly.
Tben came the time when ell Owe
the Northern States flowed the grand
tidal wave OF national feeling, which
carried ell hearts With one mighty
Impulse Of lofty patriotism.
kben Parsons, still handsome and
strong though hair and beard wsI,
snowy white came with thethgee stall
Wsrt young sOos TO join ule ranks oi
the three months men. Jason Back
lev, still sturdy and fne.looking IN
bis grim old age, cane With bis three
broad-shonldered boys. In the same
regiment, even in the company, they
went through their three mon,hs'