The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-09-28
TIM PRICES WELL.
By Charles McI1vaine.
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OR twenty-threeyearsof his

HW X Ullll uNeu on Tue Ddnh OIL Eli
n=N Isss M!s River. A steep path led
EA 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
ci6pboards 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 q
we'll
Tim" asked one day, when fair
daughter, supple, rosy, breathing hard
brought two buckets of water from
the river, why don't you dig a well?'
1--WE been thinkin' about it, Colonel.
I'm soin' to some day. when the boys
are home to help" answered Tim, n a
drawing tone.
Thinking about it," exclaimed his
sharp-featured, care-worn wife, cud.
ding baby by the open freside.
thinking about it, That's what
you've been doing ever since we were
na-ried.'
Now, don't git 4 mad on. jimmy. I'm
goin' to dig one some time"
Mrs. Price gave the burning logs 4
shove with her foot. Give me dip
perfu!, Sadie" she said. MY throat
is rs dry as a seed gourd."
4 week later l asked, why don't
you dig 4 we'll, Tim:"
Tim moved reStleSSly in his chair.
No flush could make his red face red
der. 1t was difficult to tell where Tim $
face left off and his red hair and whis-
kers began. I've been thinkin' about
it. I'm goin' to when the boys are
at home to hep There was tinge
of %Sperity in his tone.
Did you ever hear the fable of The
Lark and the Reapers:'
NO" he replied. gruffiy.
Wei, l will repeat it to You: Once
a lark had 4 nest Of young in grain
1tid. While she was seeking food for
them the farmer leaned over the fence
and said, This grain is ripe. I must
-c call my neighbors to help me cut it,
The young larkS were terribly fright
=sued. 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.'
ION the third day the farmer ex-
claimed, as he looked at his grain, My
SOD, the grain is dead ripe. Our neigh
bors are busy with their own crops.
We must get to work at once, and reap
1t ourselves
"'Now, said the mother. our time
has come. There is danger. We must
ey Mt once
Tim saw the moral and squirmed
''These 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%"
AI
ward his rifle. then significantly at me
Whenever l had opportunity, made
Tins life miserable by Oft-repeated
uery, Tim, did you ever hear the
fable of The Lark and the Reapers%' y
received answers i'll all sorts and dc,
grees Of anger.
Tim aYo!ded me. l discovered that
he ordered the water to be carried al
night, and round the cabin. instead OF
through it to the kitchen. He growled
at his daughters if they came into our
presence with mud on their shoes OF
breathing faster than usual. II
caught him he headed me off quickly
with some carefully studied comment
Fhem young larks was a skeery set
Their mother ought to have picked EN-
and then spanked EN-" or. The old
woman lark ought to have stayed abou
home and heard fer herself, and no,
Jet her young ones get scared" or
ANY fool knows when grains fit fol
cuttin'. | reckon the lark knowed
too;"4 or. 1T was fool of lark tha
made lien nest in cuttin' grain. Sht
might haV knowed they'd diskiver it.
But his main hold was in. "Larks don
talk, anytime. anyway, no time, never.
Not an allusioD did he ever make t.
the moral; but he WINGED under it. an,
cooked upon me as restless, persisren
enemy.
A spring Sunday came. The bjrcl
buds were bursting and touing III
harsh gray cf the branches with mel
low green. Bass We're leaping in tn
eddy and red-norse were threshing til