The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-07-13
From Glesson's Pictorial. ]
THE BORROWED TOOLS,
A Sketch for Farmers,
pr ArsTIN c. BVEDIcK,

beautiful ridge, and was strong and pro-
dneIiye. In the natural capacity Of the soil,
there was not cents worth of difference
in the tSo farms; but yet they bo q very
disslnlihsr aspect after they had been work
ed for number of years. Mr., Thompson's
buildings looked neat and tidy. ills door
yard was clean, his windows were whole,
his barns snVs aud warm, his orchard look
ri thrifty, and the trees were carefully
dressed and pruned. Now Mr., Holmes
had no more Of a family to support than
lid his neighbor, but yet his house and out
buildings, and the rural aspect Of his farm
were very different. A few rags were tc be
teen 10 spots where there should have been
panes Of glass; various things were kicking
about the yard that should have been IN
ether places; there were large cracks in his
barns. through which the rain and snow
sometimes beat; his apple trees were scab-
bed wish old bark, aud the tops were dis
igured by scraggy dead limbs. Mr..
Holmes worked hard---harder 1t anything,
than did Mr., Thompson; but vet his mat
ters were always at loose ends, and he often
wondered how it was that his aeighhor push
ed things along So smoothly, and kept ey-
erything in such excellent order.
"Ah Thompson, said Holmes, one day,
In early sprin5 i, as he came up 10 the door
vi the former, "haye you got an inch aG-
ger!'
"Certaiply," returned Thompson; 81
can't get along on !. farm without one
II wish you would lend it TO me for
little while, haze delayed sowing my
grain for two days, because my harrow is
broken. aud had 40 tools with which to
mead it.
Il will lend it to you with pleasure" "
said Thompson. And then, rs Il sudden
thought seemed to strike him, he added:
They tell me, Mr.. Homes, that you
lost one of your cows yesterday"
"Yes," returned Holmes, with an uneasy
book, Zone of the best cows had
"But how did it happen??"
"She broke her leg"
"Broke herleg? How, pray?"
Why you see the floor in my tip-up hac
got rather worn and shaky, and night be-
fore last sac got one OF her legs through it
and snapped the bone off like a pipe stem
80 had to kill her"
"Ah, Mr. Holmes. those re things we
farmers ought to guard against. \ very
little labor at the proper time would have
saved all that
81 know 1t" said Holmes, with down
east look; "and | should have Fixed the
loor long ago, if | had only had the tools.
But it's no use in crying now. What's
done can't be helped"
fHhis, n,ac co,trra of Crpnut po1 co-
lation to Mr.. Holmes. When thing was
done, he tried to feel satisfied with the
reflection that itcould not be undone, though
he seldom laid zap the experience for future
use. Mr. Thompson turned towards the
shed door and led the way up into neat,
light chamber, and Holmes followed
Here was a stout bench, all fixed for handy
use, and upon it was a full set ot planes,
saws, augers, malets, hammers, &gc., while
in a small rack against the partition, were
arranged q set Of chisels, glmble;s, files and
screw drivers; and overhead hung half
dozen different sized au5ers. In short
there was everything here that man could
possibly need in building and repairing
about The house,
Mr.. Thompson took down an inch auger
and handed it to his neighbor, and as he
did SO he remarked;
II have not seen your son Thomas about
for two or three days. Is he sick?
"Well, not exactly sick, but he's got
very bad foot He cant step on It"
.'Ah, how did that happen?"
"He trod On an old rusty nail in the
barn floor aad it went into his foot some
ways"
"Whewl that's bad" uttered Thompson
with shudder, Il never allow my boys to
be around much barefooted. ] have found
that prfcks and bruises generally cost more
than shoe.leather, aside from the comfort
and lools."
20, Thomas wasn't barefooted but you
see there was whole in the bottom of his
shoe. ! meant to have carried it to the
village and had it mended, bat forgot it,
"Ah, friend Holmes, save al such diff
fculties as that. | always keep little
leather by me, and when there is little
patching or tapping to be done, can fix it up
in few minute. All these things can be
done during the rainy days, when ! might
be lying idle"
"Well," muttered Holmes, al suppose
could cobbIe shoe we'll enough, if | only !
bad the tools, but it takes quite collection
Of indictments t. tilI a coboer's BENCH I
However, what's done can't be helped. I
guess Tom will he out in a day or two
But MUST hurry off, now, to dx my har-
row"
Ii took MIR. Holmes nearly all day to
menl his harrow, SO that he had to post
pone the narrowing of his land I'LL the next
morning. and when at length he got his
grain iPto the ground, il was just five days
behind his nelghbor Thompson. His son
was.confned to the house over a week, and
during that time he had to hire an extra hand,
which cost him about four dollars, besides
the doctors bill he had TO pay. When IL
came haying time he had to buy aew rakes,
because The old ones had gone to rack and
ruin. Perhaps they had started with the
loss Of a few teeth, or the breaking Of a bow, |
or perhaps even the head might have been
broken, and ihus, in stead Of saving good
AaGde. &c., and making the other parts
that we're needed. for the want OF proper |
tools, lie was Obliged to buy new rates en-
tire. So ia all the departm tmeuts Of his bu
sineas, he was constantly meeting With OBJ
ssacles that retarded his progress, and all
for tile want Of q few simple tools.
Ona rainy day in the fall, alter the har