The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-09-14
From Gleasan's Pic,s,isl.
THE BORROW ED TOOLS.
A SNATCH FOR FARMERS.
nj AUSTIN c. sraDlrx.


Samuel Thompson and Nathaniel
Holmes were both Of them farmers. and
they were also near neighbours. Their
land was situated on beautiful ridge,
and was strong and productive. In The
natural capacity OF the soil. there was
mol cents worth Of difference in the
two farms; but yet they bore a very
disslmllar aspect after they had been
worked Tor number OF years. Mr..
'Thompson's buildings locked neat and
tidy. His door yard was clean, his
windows We're whole, his barns snug
and warm. his orchard locked thrifty,
and the trees were carefully dressed
and pruned. Now Mr.. Holmes had no
more Of family to support fhan had
his neighbor, but yet bis house and out
buildings, and the rural aspect his farm
was very different. A few rags were
to be seen in spots where there should
have been panes OF glass /; various
things were kicking about the yard,
that should have been in other places /;
there were large cracks in his barns,
through which the rain and snow some
times beat; his apple trees were scab:
bed with old bark, aud the tops were
dis6gurcd by scraggy dead limbs. Mr..
Holmes worked hard--harder il any
thing, than did Mr.. Thompson but yet
his matters were all at loose ends, and
he often wondered how it was that his
neighbor pushed things along 50 smooth.
", aud kept everything IN such excel.
lent order.
"Ah, Thompson" said Holmes, one
day, early in thsspring, as he came up
to the door Of the former, have you
got an inch augeri"
Certainly returned Thompson,
Il can't get along on farm without
one
81 wish you would lend it to me for
a little while. | haze delayed sowing
my grain Tor two days, because my har.
row is broken, aud | had no tools with
which to mend it,"
81 will lend it to YOU with pleasure
said Thompson. And then, as a sud.
den thought seemed to strike him, he
added:
"They tell me, Mr.. Holmes, that you
lost one OF your cows Yesterday"
"Yes," returned MIR. Holmes, with
an uneasy look, "one Of the best cows
| had"
"But how did it happens"
"She broke her leg"
"Broke her legs How, prayi"
"Why, you see the floor IN my tie.
up had got rather worn and sllaky, and
night before last she got one Of he, leg,
through i and snapped the bone Of
like pipe stem--so | had to kill her. =
"Ah, Mr.. Holmes, those are things
We farmers ought to guard against.
very little labor at the right time woul
have saved all that"
Il know it," said Holmes, with
downcast Look !; "and should have fix
ed the floor long ago, il | had had tn,
tools. But its no use in CRYING now
Nnat > dome cant be helped.
This was always source Of grea
consolation to Mr.. Holmes. When
thing was done, he tried to feel satis6e,
with the reflection that it could not b,
undone. though he seldom laid up tn,
experience for future use.
Mr.. Thompson turned towards tn,
shed door and led the way into nea
light chamber, and Holmes followed
Here was a stout bench, all fixed TO
handy use, aud upon 1t was iull Sc
ot planes, saws, gauges, mallets, ham
mers, etc, while IN small rack agains
the PARTITION, were arranged set .
chlsels, gimblets, files and screw -driv
ers; and overhead hung half dozeI
different sized augers. In short Their
was everything here that a man coult
, possibly need IN building and repairin,
about the house.
Mr.. Thompson took down an incl
auger and handed il to his heighbor
aud as he did so he remarked;