Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-26

honest people, working hard from early
morning until dark to enable them to
secure a scanty living from their poor
land.
Their house, a small one-storied
building stood upon the side of steep
hill, and the stones lay so thickly
about 1t that scarcely anything could
grow from the ground. At the foot
Of the hill, a quarter of a mile from
the house by the winding path, was
small brook, and the woman was
Obliged to go there for water and to
carry 1t up the hill to the house. This
was q tedious task, and with the other
hard work that fell to her share had
made her gaunt and bent and lean.
Yet she never complained, but meek
ly and faithfully performed her duties,
doing housework, carrying the water
and helping her husband hoe the
scanty crop that grew upon the best
part of their land.
One day as she walked down the
path to the brook, her big shoes scat
tering the pebbles right and left, she
noticed a large beetle lying upon its
back and struggling helplessly to turn.
The woman stopped and set him upon
his feet, and then, as she stopped over
the tiny creature she heard a small
voice say:
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much
for saving me-"
Half frightened at hearing a beetle
speak in her own language, the woman
started back and exclaimed:
La, sakes! Surely you can't talk
like humans!" Then, recovering from
her alarm, she again bent over the
beetle, who answered her:
why shouldn't talk, if have any
thing to say?"
cause you're a bug" replied the
woman.
That Is true; and you saved my life
saved me from my enemies, the SPAR
rows. And this is the second time
YOU have come to my assistance, so
owe you a debt of gratitude. Bugs
value their lives as much as human
beings, and 1 am a more important
creature than you, in your ignorance,
may suppose. But tell me, why do you
come each day to the brooke"
For water" she answered, staring
stupidity down at the talking beetle.
Isn't it hard work." the creature
inquired.
the
HILL" said she.
Then dig a we'll and put pump in
it," replied the beetle.
She shook her head.
MY man tried it once; but there
was no water" she said sadly.
Try 1t again." commanded the bee
tie: "and in return for your kindness
to me 1 will make this promise: If you
do not get water from the we'll you
will get that which is more precious
to you. l must go now. Don't for
get. Dig WELL"
And then, without pausing to say
goodbye, it ran swiftly away and was
lost among the stones.
The woman returned to the house.
much perpleXed by what the beetle had
said, and when her husband came in
from his work she told him the whole
story
The poor man thought for a time, and
then declared:
wife, there may be truth in what
the bug told you. There must be magic
in the world, yet if a beetle can speak
and If there be such thing as magic
we may get water from the we'll. The
pump l bought to use in the we'll which
proved to be dry is now lying in the
barn, and the only expense in follow
ing the talking bugs advice will be
the labor Of digging the hole. Labor
I am used to: so will dig the we'll"
The next day he set about it, and
dug so far down in the ground that he
could hardly reach the top to climb out
again; but not a drop of water was
found.
Perhaps you did not dig deep
enough" his wife said, when he told
her of his failure.
So the following day he made long
ladder which he put into the hole. and
then he dug, and dug, and dug, until
the top of the ladder barely reached
the top of the hole. But still there was
no water.
When the woman next went to the
brook with her pail she saw the beetle
sitting on a stone beside her path So
she stopped and said:
My husband has dug the well; but
there is no water"
Did he put the pump in the well?'
asked the beetle.
No" she answered.
Then, do as l commanded; put in
the pump, and if you do not get water
1 promise you something still more
preciousr
Saying which, the beetle swiftly slid
from the stone and disappeared. The
woman went back to the house and
told her husband what the bug had
said:
Well" replied the simple fellow.
there can be no harm in trying
So he got the pump from the barn
and placed it in the we'll, and then he
took hold of the handle and began to
pump, while his wife stood by to watch
what would happen.
No water came, but after few mo-
ments a gold piece dropped from the
spout of the pump, and then another,
and another, until several handfuls OF
gold lay in n little heap on the ground
The man stopped pumping then and
ran to help his wife gather the gold
pieces in her apron; but their hands
trembled so through excitement and
JOY that they could scarcely pick up
the sparkling coins.
At last she gathered them close to
her bosom and together they ran to the
house. where they emptied the precious
gold upon the table and counted the
pieces.
They were stamped with the design
of the United States mint and were