The Lamar register., 1903-06-03

ping. In the crannieS or the curD green
fungi grew, and the water from the
open well was sweet!
To the spot came the villagers: men
in the prime and men In the scar. the
adolescent youth the shy girl with
hair in braids town her back. And
there came eve. nothers holding COO
Ing babes at L ir breasts. tempting
them from the milk Of parental lovo
to the leaking, longhandled dipper
that overfiowed with the nectar OF the
gods as the gods loved 1t. pure. unde-
filed.
By and by, in the evolution OF
things, the shy maidens and the bux-
ON youths who met about the well
were wed, and they in turn brought
their babes to sip the cooling draughts
from out that chalice. The hamlet
grew to the, dignity of town. while
the moss on the bucket spread and the
stones about the crib wore smoother
from the press of many feet. Then
the city fathers, in solemn conclave.
met and voted piously to close de-
bate and place where stood the rotting
curb a closed well with wooden
pump.
And it came about that the village
wiseacres no longer settled grave mat
ters of state while leaning 'gainst the
, curb. No longer the buckets dripped
and dripped; the moss was gone, and
new generations met about the place.
Boys became men, girls mothers,
mothers grandmothers-and then the
long cortege wound its sinuous way to
the riverside. where the Black Camel
of Death had knelt many time and
often, where the birds caroled hushed
yet melodious love songs, where on
bright days came sad-faced mourn
ers laden with blossoms, and where.
now ard then. there crept in softly
some strong man to weep alone be-
side the broken scd
Yet from the well came water! Not
so sweet. perhaps. but good, clear, re-
| freshing liquid of which the town
folks runk their fill.
And the Cycle of Time turned in its
course: the hand of progress touched
the town and great. majestic build
ings sprang up as in a night.
And the town council. larger grown,
deadlocked and swayed, swayed and
deadlocked again. The stolid men. in
whose hair were the frosts of time.
maintained their allegiance to the
town pump. but the warning party won
and soon the streets were all awry.
while waterworks were planted.
A simple twist of the wrist turned
the faucet, and those who were once
prone to walk to the town pump for
water, knew 1t no more. Day by day
it stood. a grim sentinel of olden days,
its handle broken and Its mechanism
rusted with disuse,
And there came upon the thriving
Young city a scourge, while the pa
pers admonished to Boil the water!"
Many times that season was the
Black Camel seen to kneel at the cem-
etery gates, and sorrowing hearts
gazed with quickened memory at the
old town pump, mute and battered.
The walls of the well grew weaker
day by day and collapsed at last, fall
ing into the stagnant water with
cavernous chug. A rich man bought
the site and built home thereon,
about which rose a strong stone fence.
Within he dwelt, sordid and m
loved.
Man is like well. God made him
pure with an open heart from which
kindness and succor rise like the drip
ping, moss-covered bucket in the we'll.
| There is the freshness of health and
the buoyancy that comes from sue
coring Others About this well of
brotherly love gather all those who
are weak and heavy laden seeking
the nectar of sympathy and the quaff
OF sustenance.
Then comes the sordid world that
removes the mossed bucket of philan-
thropy and covers from sight the
greatness of a heart unsullied. Shut
out from the sunshine of fraternal
love. the well spring thickens and
grows sluggish with selfishness. The
city council of greed and ayarice does
| its work and what was once a heart
bursting with life and love is dead
forever to the better life. The rich
man builds about and above it, seals
its impulses, forgets its existence.
Keep the well of your heart open
that its freshness and good cheer may
quench the thirst of those who parch
for sympathy and hope.
An edltor IN iowa gave IN 10 tHe
assessor list of moneys and credits
to the amount of $725,000, and told
him to enter it for taxation. The as
SCISSOR is doing as well as could be
expected.
An excited punster says Thomas
Upton is still thinking about the
American cup, and adds: Thou art
so near and yacht SO far" An ak will
be taken on subscription at this office.
| The beautiful Miss de Lussan has
been proposed to twenty-five times and
says she is getting used to it. Young
men who need practice will be given
her address on application.
A Colorado paper intimates that
George Ade has run out of subjects
for his Fables in Slang" and adds.
I'VE hope for the best?" Question!
| Tho man who aSkad tho drupoict