The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-09-03
The Dividing
Fence ]
By JULIA TRUITT BISHOP
Copyright. 1901. by Daily Story Pub. Col


when the two old men, Joshua Long and
Abner Wilmington, had been the best
friends in the world. Their two oddly
shaped farms Joined at one place for q
distance of so yards, and when they had
grown prosperous enough to build new
houses, some 20 years back, they had
built them near this dividing line, and
had moved the barns and other out
building to correspond. They were
rather lonely old men, except for their
friendship for one another. Abner had
never married, and for years his house
had been kept by q widowed sister, whose
children were all married and gone.
Joshua's wife was growing old; and ten
years before the great quarrel she had
died, leaving him to the companionship
Of Sim, the hired man, who was silent
and grim and did not make a very en-
livening companion.
What on earth they wanted to quarrel
for" said Alonzo Reed, one of the neigh
bors further down the road, when dis
cussing the feud with any chance conner,
us more'n can see. What difference
did it make about that little bit O. fence,
any way?"
Perhaps Abner and Joshua themselves
could not have told Through all these
years, now, they had consulted one an
other about seed time and harvest, and it
had always ended in Abner coming over
to Joshua's side of the question. For
years they had met in the evenings and
compared notes on politics and the
weather, with the result that Joshua had
always converted Abner to his way of
thinking. Why, then, should Abner
have flown up" as Joshua expressed it.
over little thing?
II am goin' to turn this field mex to
you into paster," Joshua had said on
that momentous occasion. It'll need a
better fence than what it's got now
an while I'm laying it I'll jes' lay it four
foot further your way. Ye know, al
ways have told We that ye was too greedy
when We built that fence"
So he had, and they had TESTED over it
many time; slapping one another's
stopped shouldert and threatening to
'have the law" on each other, with jovial
country laughter. But now, Abner's face
redeemed under the wrinkles.
IF We move that fence a inch onto my
line we've got me to fight" he said
sharply.
This was the beginning In Week the
quarrel had developed to such state
that they did not speak if they met in the
road. Joshua had the rails forthe new
fence hauled and laid in neat piles along
the line; but when Sim and the other
man hired for the occasion went out to
begin work Abner was there with an old
shotgun, which, he took care to inform
them, had been loaded with birdshot in
his fathers day, and which he was con-
fident would shoot as we'll as any gun
that could be found. Under these cireum-
stances the hired men refused to work;
and Joshua was compelled to withdraw
his forces until night, when the fence
was completed four feet further toward
Abner's house. The next night it was
taken down and replaced on its old
ground. Joshua rebuilt it and sat up and
watched it; but one may not sit up for
ever, and the first night it was unpro-
tected it was moved again. Matters grew
worse and worse; and the two old friends
became the bitterest enemies. For a
matter of six months the fence skipped
merrily back and forth across the four
feet Of space; and the neighborhood
could talk Of nothing else.
At last the night watching began to tell
on Joshua, and he was shut up in his
room, prey to rheumatism, for an en-
tire week. Sim reported progress to him
every day. Greatly to his establishment
the fence had remained in its place all
that time. At last Sim brought him the
explanation. Abner wat laid up with a
"kind O stroke" 1t might be some time
before he could get round again, the doc
tor said; and they had sent for grand
daughter of Abner's sister to come and
stay with the two old people.
"That must be Bessie, the one he's
been keeping at school," said Joshua,
with a tender hand stroking his knee
''Well, I'm goin' to Ben's, up in the city,
Sim, to git treated for this rheumatics,
an I want you to watch that fence, Same
as If was here. fthey move that fence,
an you git up in the mornin' an see it's
been tempered with, you put it back be-
fore you set down to breakfas', mind
tell ye. wisht didn't have to go. Like
as not the place'll go to rack an ruin soon
as turn my back. But you look after
that fence, now, Sim"
In like manner, the old man in the
other house beyond the orchard was CIV
ing directions with a tongue that STAN
mered little still from the effects of the
"stroke."
"Look after that fence, now, Bessie"
said Abner, as well as he could. "He's
got it onto my land right now-cuttin'
off four feet, the whole way-an' you see
that Jim an Nels get it back before mid
night. I amt goin' to be run over, no
longer"
'I'll take care Of the fence, Uncle
Abner-don'tyo you worry" said the pretty
girl, smiling into the dim eyes. Then
she went out to survey her charge, the
dividing fence. From afar she saw
Joshua climb into the wagon and drive
away on his journey to the city.
The rheumatism was of longer dura-
ton than Joshua had expected, and the
weeks heightened into months, while he
fingered in the city, part of the time un-
able to rise from his bed. When he did
begin to improve at last, it was a long
time before he could travel; and so
spring was abroad in the land when he
alighted again at the little village sta