"There's lots of water in that well," he continued, "and if there's
that much now in this drought, you will surely have ever so much more
when the weather isn't so dry. I have measured the water, and I know."
I could not understand him. It seemed to me that he was talking
wildly. He filled his pipe and lighted it and sat upon the wall.
"Now," said he, after he had taken a few puffs, "I'll tell you where
the trouble's been with your well. People are always in too big a
hurry in this world about all sorts of things as well as wells. I am a
well-digger and I know all about them. We know if there is any water
in the ground it will always find its way to the deepest hole there is,
and we dig a well so as to give it a deep hole to go to in the place
where we want it. But you can't expect the water to come to that hole
just the very day it's finished. Of course you will get some, because
it's right there in the neighborhood, but there is always a lot more
that will come if you give it time. It's got to make little channels
and passages for itself, and of course it takes time to do that. It's
like settling up a new country. Only a few pioneers come at first, and
you have to wait for the population to flow in. This being a dry
season, and the water in the ground a little sluggish on that account,
it was a good while finding out where your well was. If I had happened
along when you was talking about a well, I think I should have said to
you that I knew a proverb which would about fit your case, and that is:
`Let well enough alone.'"
I felt like taking this good man by the hand, but I did not. I only
told him to go ahead and do everything that was proper.
The next morning, as I was going to the well, I saw Phineas Colwell
coming down the lane and Mrs. Betty Perch coming up it. I did not wish
them to question me, so I stepped behind some bushes. When they met
they stopped.
"Upon my word!" exclaimed Mrs. Betty, "if he isn't going to work again
on that everlasting well! If he's got so much money he don't know what
to do with it, I could tell him that there's people in this world, and
not far away either, who would be the better for some of it. It's a
sin and a shame and an abomination. Do you believe, Mr. Colwell, that
there is the least chance in the world of his ever getting water enough
out of that well to shave himself with?"
"Mrs. Perch," said Phineas, "it ain't no use talking about that well.
It ain't no use, and it never can be no use, because it's in the wrong
place. If he ever pumps water out of that well into his house I'll
do--"
"What will you do?" asked Mr. Barnet, who just then appeared from the
recesses of the engine-house.
"I'll do anything on this earth that you choose to name," said Phineas.
"I am safe, whatever it is."
"Well, then," said Mr. Barnet, knocking the ashes from his pipe
preparatory to filling it again, "will you marry Mrs. Perch?"
Phineas laughed. "Yes," he said. "I promised I would do anything, and
I'll promise that."
"A slim chance for me," said Mrs. Betty, "even if I'd have you." And
she marched on with her nose in the air.
When Mr. Barnet got fairly to work with his derrick, his men, and his
buckets, he found that there was a good deal more to do than he had
expected. The well-drivers had injured the original well by breaking
some of the tiles which lined it, and these had to be taken out and
others put in, and in the course of this work other improvements
suggested themselves and were made. Several times operations were
delayed by sickness in the family of Mr. Barnet, and also in the
families of his workmen, but still the work went on in a very fair
manner, although much more slowly than had been supposed by any one.
But in the course of time--I will not say how much time--the work was
finished, the engine was in its place, and it pumped water into my
house, and every day since then it has pumped all the water we need,
pure, cold, and delicious.
Knowing the promise Phineas Colwell had made, and feeling desirous of
having everything which concerned my well settled and finished, I went
to look for him to remind him of his duty toward Mrs. Perch, but I
could not find that naval and military mechanical agriculturist. He
had gone away to take a job or a contract,--I could not discover
which,--and he has not since appeared in our neighborhood. Mrs. Perch
is very severe on me about this.
"There's plenty of bad things come out of that well," she said, "but I
never thought anything bad enough would come out of it to make Mr.
Colwell go away and leave me to keep on being a widow with all them
orphans."