Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-06-03

| In her fair. bssful home,
With that bright band, the an gel choir,
Around the dazzling throne.
| How dear the thought, and sweet tho hope,
| That you may meet her. there,
| Where cares are Ger, and life is past,
| And In her triumph share! LOUISA.
[Under all N. p WILLIS literary affec.
tation and dandyism, there lies vein of
strong common sense, that crops out oc-
casionally in quite refreshing style. The
following paragraphs from recent number
Of the Home journal is in point.-ED
CuRoN.]
Out. Doors at Idlewild.
In the making of shelf-road around
one of the precipices Of Idlewild-(some-
thing like the way to a hanging-bird's
nest when We began, but, at present, the
winding and easy access to the cottage
from the Newburg side)-we have had a
larger amount Of ,caN-taying than has en-
tered into my previous outdoor experience; ;
and have taken lesson in it, Of which
perhaps, l can say an instructive word or
so. My friend the builder will not take
the alarm, hope. would not rashly
invade his art and mystery. refer, not
to mason-work proper-such as is done
with trowel and hammer, plumbline and
spirit-level-but to such laying up Of loose
stones by the hand as is done for common
day-wages, though usually by the smarter
class Of laboring men.
My study of the matter was by the way
of understanding the preferences Of two
of my "hands' who seemed equally in
dustrious-one wishing to work by the
day, however, and the other to be paid by
the rood. As they were both old at the
business, I thought it must be rather
difference of natural character than of skill
or proft-in either case, a difference worth
understanding-and, as the weather was
Of the kind that throws US upon ourselves
for amusement, put on ms mittens, and,
as the farmers say, took hold" with my
men.
Our way, that morning, lay through
group of large hemlocks; and, by the in
exorablc level of carriage-road grading,
the noblest tree was undermined on the
lower side. To soothe the old monarch
build a wall that would hold up the fresh
earth once more around the exposed roots
i took for my first experiment at stone
laying. 1t may not deepen the shade of
the old tree, perhaps, to have done this
myself; but shall enjoy it more from
having made sure of my welcome to it
One is better judge Of most work by
having had some little apprentice ship at
it, and, by what I found difficult or easy
in my own handling Of the material, I
soon began to see the difference between
my friends By-the.day and By-thejob.
By-the-day worked much the hardest. He
lifted two or three stones before he got
hold of the right one, held this one between
his knees while he decided where he would
lay it, and twisted it round two or three
times after he had got it in place. Blythe
job was little longer looking at the fresh
cart-load before making his selection, but
the taking the stone up, and setting it in
its place, was usually but one movement;
or, he gave it a turn in the air with his
upward lift, brought the proper face Of it
to the front with one effort of mind and
hand, and, once dropped into the line Of
the wall, that stone was done with. If it
was not fit, (though it generally was) he
had given it its proportion of look and lift,
and the next one must remedy the defect
prop or overlay it. He built as good
wall, on the whole, as the other man,
seemed to be taking it very easy in COM
parisou to the others hard work, and got
on triAc faster. The difference, I saw,
consisted in thoroughly deciding on every
movement before it was made, making it
promptly, and wasting no time in re con-
siderincs. i'll had been casual observer,
should have thought By-the-day was the
more industrious and better man. Blythe
job would be my preference, after thus
seeing them closer.
And-talking of working men-1 was
amused, few days since, with contrast
as to treatment Of obstacles, between two
who were working for the same wages
wcrth describing, because it illustratesl