Bucolic.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 2

Bucolic.

A countryman walked into the office of a lawyer one day and began Ms ' application — 11 Sir,'l havß come to gefc your advice in a case that, is giving me much trouble." "Welli what's the matter?" . \ " Suppose, now," said the client, " that a man had a spring of -water on his land, and his neighbour living below' should build a dam across, the creek through both farms, and it was to back the water up into the other man's- spring, what, ought to be done ?" " Sue him, sir, sue him by all means," said, the lawyer, who always became ! excited in proportion to the aggravation of his clients. " You can recover heavy damages, sir, and the law will make him pay well for it. Just give me the case, and I'll bring the money from hira l ." : ' ," Bu.t,,stop," cried the terrified applicant for legal advice; "it's I that have built the dam, and it's neighbour Jones that owns the spring, and he threatens to sue 'me." ' ' - [ l The keen, lawyer hesitated a moment before he tacked his ship and went on : "'Ah ! well) sir, you f=ay you built a dam across that creek. What sort of a dam was it, sir?" "It was a mill-dam." "A mill-dam for grinding grain, was it?" " Yea, it was just that." " And it is a good, neighbourhood mill, is it ?" - , *' So it is, sir, and you may well say so." "And 'all your neighbours bring their grain to be ground; do they ?"- * ' " Yes, sir, all but Jones." "Then, it is, a great public convenience, is it -not?" " "To 'be sure' it is. I would not have built it but, for. that. > It is so far superior to any other mill, sir." . % • _ "'Aijd, now," said the old lawyer^ " you tell me that man Jones is complaining just ! because the water from the daniliaDpens to put back into his little spring, and be is now threatening to 1 sue you. Well, all I havfc to sayis, let hinvsue, : and he'll riie the day as sure as ray name is Barhes." I