The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-30
TIN PRICES WELL.

TIN PRICES WELL.
For twenty-three years OF his mar
ried life Tim Price had lived on the
bank of Elk River. Asteep path led
from his doorstep to the water, sixty
feet below. Up this path his wife
and daughters had carried all the
water needed in these years, save
when charitable clouds poured their
contents upon the clapboards of his
cabin roof and bark cutters carried
the eave-drippings to hurriedly placed
wash tubs.
Twenty three years of toll for his
women, and Tim Price had not dug a
well!
Tim" asked one day, when a
fair daughter, supple, rosy, breathing
hard, brought two buckets of water
from the river, why don't you dig
we'll 7"
1--WE been thinkin' about it, Colo
mel. I'm goin' to some day, when
the boys are home to help" answered
Tim, in a drawling tone.
Thinking about it !" exclaimed
his sharp-featured, care.worn wife,
cuddling a baby by the open 6reside.
"Thinking about it That's what
you We been doing ever since we were
married"
Now, don't git mad on, Jimmy.
I'm goin' to dig one some time.
Mrs. Price gave the burning logs a
shove with her foot. "Give me a
dipperful, Sadie" she said. my
throat is as dry as seed gourd.
A week later / asked, why don t
you dig a well, Tim?"
Tim moved restlessly in his chair.
No flush could make his red face red
der. 1t was difficult to tell where
Tins face left off and his red hair
and whiskers began. 1--WE been
thiukin' about it. I'm goin' to when
the boys are at home to help" There
was tinge of asperity in his tone.
Ibid you ever hear the fable of
The Lark and the Reapers?'"
NO" he replied. grufay.
"Well, I will repeat it to you :
Once lark had a nest of young in a
grain-feld. While she was seeking
food for them the farmer leaned over
the fence and said, This grain is ripe.
/ must cali my neighbors to help me
cut it, The Young larks were terri.
bly, frightened. When their mother
returned they told her of the cause of
their scare. Never mind" she said,
sootningly. Nothing will happen.
1.-THE next day the farmer came
with his son, and said, My son, the
grain is ripe. We must call our
neighbors to help us cut it,
Again the young ones, frightened,
told their mother. Be content, chill
dren,' she said. You will not be
disturbed
"On the third day the farmer ex.
claimed, as he looked at his grain,
MY sou. the grain is dead ripe. Our
neighbors are busy with their own
crops. We must get to work at once,
and reap it ourselves
Now, said the mother, our time
has come. There is danger. We
must fly at once. -
Tim saw the moral and squirmed.
"Those tales of yours are like my
wife's teeth; they amt real," was
all the remark he made.
Days afterward, under the provo
cation of water buckets, / asked
"Tim, did you ever hear the fable oi
The Lark and the Reapers p"
Tim remained silent, but looked
toward his rife, then significantly al
me.
Whenever l had an opportunity
made Tins life miserable by the oft
repeated query, Tin, did you evei
hear the fable of The Lark and the
Reapers? I received answers ir
all sorts and degrees of anger.
Tim avoided me. discovered thai
he ordered the water to be carried al
night, and round the cabin, insteac
of through it to the kitchen. HI
growled at his daughters if they came
into our presence with mud on theil
shoes or breathing faster than usual
If I caught him he headed me of
quickly with some carefully studied
comment: Then young larks wa
a skeery set. Their mother ough
to have picked 'em and then spanked
'em;' or, 1.-THE old woman larl
ought to have stayed about home ant
heard for herself, and not let he
young ones get scared ;" or, IAN,
fool knows when grains fit for cut
tin. reckon the lark knowed, too;'
or, ''It was fool Of lark that mad
her nest in cuttin' grain. She nigh
have knowed they'd diskiver it,
But his main hold was in, Lark
don't talk. anytime. anyway, no time
never" Not an allusion did he eve
make to the moral but he wince'
under it, and looked upon me as
restless, persistent enemy.
A spring Sunday came. The bircl
buds were bursting and toning tn
harsh gray of the branches with mel
low green. Bass were leaping in tn
eddy and red-horse were threshinl
the shoal with their tails, as the
struggled against its swiftness. Sadi
was dipping her buckets in the river
Tim Price and his family sat on th
bank, heads one way, like swallow
on rock.
"Tim," I said, ssook at Sadie
Did you eyer hear the fable Of 'Th