The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1905-09-07

E4=2 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 =
well!
Tim" 1 asked one day. when fair
daughter supple, rosy. breathing hard
brought two buckets of water from
the river, why don't you dig a weIl?"
I've been thinkin' about it, Colonel.
I'm goin' to some day. when the boys
arc home to help" answered Tim. in q
drawing tone.
Thinking about itr' exclaimed his
sharp care-worn wife. cud-
ding Il baby by the open fircside.
Thinking abOut it, That's what
you've been doing ever since we were
married"
Now, don't sit n mad OH, jimmy. I'm
goin to dig one some time"
Mrs. Price gave the burning logs a
shove with her foot. "Give me a dip
perful, Sadie" she said. "NIy throat
is as dry as a seed gould"
A week later 1 asked. "Why don't
you dig a we'll. 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 whis-
kerS began. i've been thinkin' about
1t. I'm goin' TO when the boys are
at home to help" There was a tinge
of aSperity in his tone.
Did you ever hear the fable of 'The
Lark and the Reapers p"
mo-" he replied, grumy.
well, l will repeat it to You: Once
lark had nest of young in n grain
field. 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 We're 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.
'Thosc 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, 1 asked, ...Tim,
did you ever hear the fable of The
Lark and the Reapers p"
Tim remained silent. but looked TO-
ward his rifle. then significantly at me.
Whenever l had opportunity, 1 made
Tins life miserable by oft-repeated
query, Tim, did you ever hear the
fable of The Lark aud the Reapers q"
/ received answers in all sorts and de-
grees of anger.
Tim avoided me. I discovered that
he ordereI the water to he carried at
night, and round the cabin. instead Of
through ii 10 the kitchen. He growled
at his daughters &c ihey came into our
presence with mud on their shoes or
breathing faster than usual II
caught him lie headed me off quickly
with some carefully stud "a camHent
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