Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1884 — A Good Opportunity. [ARTICLE]

A Good Opportunity.

The deacon had been threatening to repair that well-curb, for the last thirteen years, but something had always occurred to prevent. He was not, therefore, greatly surprised one day when the boards gave way as he was hauling up the bucket, and he fonnd himself going for the bottom. He bumped around a spell, dodged the bucket as it followed after, and finally brought up in good shape with his feet under him, and the water up to his chin. The well was forty feet deep, and the house five rods away; but nevertheless, the deacon called his wife by name about 6,000 times before he got tired of playing on that string, and began abusing her relatives clear back for seven generations. He had dropped this and was threatening to mortgage the farm and run away with the Widow Taylor, when his wife appeared at the well and called out: “Deacon, are you down there?” “Of course I am, and have been for the last three hours!” he yelled. “Well I thought so, but I was busy and couldn’t look. Say, deacon, being as you are down there, you’d better stir around and look for that table-spoon which slipped out of my hand the day Joel Skinner’s barn got afire!”