The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-13


water, sixty feet below
b this path his wife and daughters
fd carried all the water needed in
8ese years, save when charitable
buds poured their contents upon the
bpboards Of his cabin roof and bark
tiers carried the eave-drippings to
brriedly plac wash tubs.
Twenty-three years of toll for his
bmen, and Tim Price had not dug O
eH.
'Tim," asked one day, when a fair
fughter, supple, rosy, breathing hard
Fought two buckets Of water from
e river, "why don't you dig a we'll?
Five been thinkin' about it, Colonel
n goin' to some day, when the boys
e home to help" answered Tim, in a
|awling tone.
Thinking about it," exclaimed his
arp-featured, care-worn wife, cud.
ing a baby by the open fireside.
Thinking about it! That's what
Su've been doing ever since we were
brried."
Now, don't git mad on. Jimmy. I'm
in to dig one some time
Mrs. Price gave the burning logs a
owe with her foot. "Give me a dip.
rful, Sadie" she said. "AIy throat
as dry as seed gourd.'
A week later I asked, "Why don't
u dig well, Tim?"
Tim moved restlessly in his chair.
flush could make his red face red
+. twas difficult to tell where Tins
te left off and his red hair and whis-
rs began. '"I've been thinkin' about
i I'm goin' to when the boys are
home to help" There was q tinge
asperity in his tone.
Did you ever hear the fable OF The
rk and the Reapers?
no." he replied, gruf1y.
well, I will repeat it to you: Once
ark had a nest Of young in a grain
Id. While she was seeking food for
Fm the farmer leaned over the fence
d said, This grain is ripe. I must
my neighbors to help me cut it,
e young larks were terribly fright
ed. When their mother returned
= Fy told her Of the cause of their
Ere. Never mind she said, sooth-
Ely. Nothing will happen
The next day the farmer came with
son. and said, My son, the grain is
e. We must call our neighbors to
p us cut it,
Again the young ones. frightened,
d their mother. BE content, chill
en,' she said. You will not be dis
bed
On the third day the farmer ex-
lined, as he looked at his grain, My
;, the grain is dead ripe. Our neigh
IS are busy with their own crops.
must get to work at once, and reap
ourselves
Now, said the mother. our time
come. There is danger. We must
at once"
- i'm saw the moral and squirmed.
hose tales Of yours are like my
e's teeth; they amt real" was all
remark he made.
pays afterward, under the provoca.
4 OF water buckets, 7 asked, "Tim,
you eyer hear the fable of The
rk and the Reapers?"
i'm remained silent, but looked to-
rd his rife, then significantly at me.
Whenever I had opportunity, I made
n's life miserable by oft-repeated
Fry, "'Tim, did you ever hear the
lie of The Lark and the Reapers?' -
= eceived answers in all sorts and de-
= es Of anger.
i'm avoided me. I discovered that
ordered the water to be carried al
Int, and round the cabin, instead of
ough it to the kitchen. He growled
bis daughters if they came into our
sence with mud OH their shoes OF
athlng faster than usual. If
ght him he headed me of quickly
b some carefully studied comment
hem young larks was a skeery set
Pir mother ought to have picked 'en
then spanked 'em;" or, "The ole
man lark ought to have stayed abou
ne and heard fer herself, and no
her young ones get scared;" or
by fool knows when grains fit fol
tin. I reckon the lark knowed
)" or, 1T was q fool of lark tha
de her nest in cuttin' grain. Sh,
Bht have knowed they'd diskiver it.
his main hold was in, "Larks dom
. anytime, any way, no time, never.
an allusion did he ever make t,
moral; but he WINGED under it, anS
ked upon me as 4 restless, persisten
my.
spring Sunday came. The bjrcl
BIS were bursting and toning til
Fsh gray of the branches with mel
- green. Bass We're leaping in tn
By and red-horsc were threshing til
bal with their tails, rs they struggle,