“A wrong done to one man is a wrong to society . . .” S

ome years ago when we moved into our present house here on Fodderstack Road in Flint Hill, I wanted something to set on the little knoll next to our driveway entrance. I wanted something that said the folks who live here are connected to the earth. My bride and I are not farmers but we are not far removed from the time our forebearers made their living working the soil.

I settled on an old push plow. It is the type of plow my dad used to use to lay off the rows before we planted the garden. I have used a couple different methods to hold the plow in place. I first drove a short stake into the ground and secured the plow to that. That didn’t last too long as the stake rotted off. What I have now is a piece of heavy rebar driven into the ground and secured to the plow that sits proudly on the little knoll above the protruding rock.

I will never forget when I first put the plow in place. A fellow stopped his truck and commenced talking to me. He asked if I was going to leave that plow there. I said, yeah, that was my intention. He opined as how he thought I should be concerned that someone would “put their hand on it.”

I told him I hadn’t thought much about that and that I mostly trusted people. But, I said if somebody wanted it bad enough to steal it, and they could get it in their car or truck before I could get the old 12 gauge loaded, I guess they would just have to take it on home with them.

I never thought much more about that incident and as far as I know no one has tried to “put their hand” on that little push plow. The same cannot be said for a small black cast iron ornament that my wife and I had set next to the stream that runs across the corner of our front yard.

It was only about 12 or 14 inches high and it looked a little like a miniature Tom Sawyer, sitting there on the bank with his straw hat on and a fishing pole in his hand. When I first put it up, my friend Ken Gilpin used to kid me and ask if that little fellow ever caught any fish of any size. I used to just laugh and say, no, but he gets one big enough now and then for his supper.

Last week I was down there picking up limbs and sticks and I noticed that the little man was gone. I thought it might be possible that he fell over in the mud and muck and got covered up. I went up to the house and asked the lady if she had taken it in. She said, no, it probably just tumbled over in the water.

I got my best potato hook and went back down to the creek. The ornament was too big to have been washed through the culvert, so I started digging in the mud. It was not there. I kept getting madder every time I dug up another rock. The little cast iron lawn ornament was gone. It makes me wonder what kind of human being could be so hard up to steal a lawn ornament. Actually, whoever took it is a pretty lucky fellow. If I had seen him doing that, it probably would have been a bad day for both of us.

I often write in this space about how fortunate I am to live here, how people help one another and we all seem to get along to a pretty fair degree. I don’t know quite what to think. I keep wanting to deny it to myself; I have been back twice with the potato hook and pitchfork, but to no avail.

If that little statue ever turns up after a hard rain or an earthquake or something similar, I will let you know, and try to make amends all around. In the meantime, I am reminded of some words that were written about Joaquin Murieta, the “celebrated California bandit,” by John Rollin Ridge that “there is nothing so dangerous in its consequences as injustice to individuals….that a wrong done to one man is a wrong to society and to the world.”

I guess I had better keep a close watch on my little push plow. Addendum: This past Saturday our church held its Relay 4 Life breakfast at the fire hall here in Flint Hill. We had a wonderful turn out and every penny went to the American Cancer Society. I just wanted everyone who volunteered to help and all those people who showed up to have breakfast with us to know how much we appreciated their help and wonderful support. Thank you one and all.