Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-09-09

K@S-SGS hlNeI' "A steep pain leu
EE-S4 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 -drippings to
hurrledly placed wash tubs.
Twenty-three years of toll for his
women, and Tim Price had not dug n
well!
"Tim," l asked one day, when a fair
daughter, supple, rosy, breathing hard,
brought two buckets Of water from
the river, "why don't you dig a well?"
i've been thinkin' about it, Colonel.
I'm goin' to some day, when the boys
are home to help" answered Tim, in
drawing tone.
thinking about itp' exclaimed his
sharp-featured, care-worn wife. cud-
ding a baby by the open fireside.
thinking about it! That's what
you've 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
shove with her foot. "Give me a dip
perful, Sadie" she saiA "My throat
is as dry as a seed gourd."
A week later asked, "Why don't
you dig a well, Tlm?"
Tim moved restlessly in his chair.
No flush could make his red face red
Ter. 1t was difficult to tell where Tins
face left off and his red hair and whls.
kers began. "Ive been thinkin' about
1t. I'm goin' to when the boys are
at home to help" There was a tinge
&c "5pv=rIrJ ms UUIIr.
"Did you ever hear the fable of The
Lark and the Reapers?"
mo" he replied, gruffIy.
well, will repeat it to you: Once
a lark had nest of young in grain
field. While she was seeking food for
them the farmer leaned over the fence
and said, This grain is ripe. 1 must
call my nelghbors to help me cut it,
The young larks were terribly fright
ened. When their mother returned
they told her of the cause of their
scare. Never mind she said, sooth-
ingly. Nothing will happen
"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 dis
turbed'
"On the third day the farmer ex-
claimed, as he looked at his grain, MY
son, the grain is dead ripe. Our neigh
bors 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 provoca-
ton of water buckets, / asked, "Tim,
did you ever hear the fable Of The
Lark and the ReapersY"
Tim remained silent, but looked to-
ward his rife, then significantly at me.
Whenever l had opportunity, made
Tins life miserable by oft-repeated
query, "Tim, did you ever hear the
fable of The Lark and the ReapersY
l received answers in all sorts and de-
grees of anger.
Tim avoided me. discovered that
he ordered the water to be carried at
night, and round the cabin, instead of
through 1t TO the kitchen. He growled
at his daughters if they came into our
presence with mud on their shoes or
breathing faster than usual. II 1
caught him he headed me off quickly
with some carefully studied comment:
Them young larks was a skeery set.
Their mother ought TO have picked EN-
and then spanked 'em;" or '"The old
woman lark ought to have stayed about
home and heard fer herself, and not
let her young ones get scared" or,
ANY fool knows when grains 6t for
cuttln'. 1 reckon the lark knowed.
too;' or, at was fool of q lark that
made her nest in cuttin grain. She
might have knowed they'd diskiver it,"
But his main hold was in, "Larks don't
talk, anytime, anyway, no time, never"
Not an alluslon did he ever make to
the moral; but he WINGED under IT. and
looked upon me as a restless, persistent
enemy.
A spring Sunday came. The birch
buds We're bursting and toning the
harsh gray Of the branches with mel
low green. Bass were leaping in the
eddy and red-horse were threshing the
shoal with their tails, rs they struggled
against its swiftness. Sadie was dip
ping her buckets in the river. Tim
Price and his family sat on the bank,
heads one way, like swallows on
rock.
Tim" l said, "look at Sadie. Did
you ever hear the fable Of The Lark
and the ReapersY"
Tim Ieaped to his feet He shook
with rage He looked murderous. He
stopped and picked up a stone. His
wife grasped him by his throwing arm.
He ierked away from her.
Colonel" he fumed "lf you ever ax
laaA