Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-09-03

most handy. At the end of the first
year, l4fi,und myself the owner OF
thirteen dollars worth Of Tools. and ii
ali comes from the money that | might
have otherwise drank up. ! felt
stronger aud hearlier than ! did be,
fore, and | f4ltSmtch happier, for ]
knew that was laying the foundation
for future good. Time passed on,
aud my twenty-five cents II week kept
coming in. 1t was now q saw then o
hammer, then another plane, then u
new auger; then bit.stock and bits,
until, in eleven years, | have not only
collected an excellent variety oftools,
but l have drawn directly from my
grog fund nearly a hundred dollars i'll
cash besides; but tho value of my
tools cannot be estimated in money.
rs have already shown YOU. They
are not only source of great profit,
but they ure also source of all in-
calculable degree of comfort. A
small gap in a mans business affairs
may seem trifling thing at first, but
it is like a little hole in the bank that
confines the high waters of a lake,
The almost Insignificant stream will
be sure to grow frightfully larger, and
unless soon stopped up, the pure wa.
ters of the lake will, ere long, loose
themselves intEe neighboring streams.
| believe, my friend, that in giving up
my grog, 1 have not sacrificed ono
single comfort. Now, don'tyou think
you would feel as well without i, I
Compare ,the products of your grog
money with the products of Tine."
Mr.. Holmes made no answer, but
he poked deep down into the shaving
with his foot, as though he expected
to find an idea there. nv
Thompson he said, L wish you
had explained this to me years ago.
i was afraid it might offend yon,
for to touch upon asnall's private af-
fairs is, at best u delicate matter
i know it-but Nathan Holmes is
not the man to be offended with his
friend for kind sadmonition and in-
struction.' 4 .-sS.f
/, WELL, said Thompson, withIailook
of,ex,leme qualification, tits not too
late now to commence. aud if ever
You You have an an opportunity to take ad.
vantage Of the market, and if fifty dol
lars or sowoald lie Of any use to you
1 willlcpdi tito you with pleasure.
Mr.. Holmes thanked his friend with
mostened eyes, and shortly afterwards
went home. The next day he went
to the village, but instead Of bringing
home his little brown jug, he brought
home an iauger. and lie really felt
proud when he found himself twork
with one Of his own tools. ' soy
Tho winter passed away. and when
Spring came Holmes fund himself
the owner of six dollars worth oftools
and all from money that would have
been worse than wasted, had he not
bought them. But this thing opera
led in many ways for good. Now
that he had the ability TO fix up his
buildings without borrowing tools, he
began to take adegree Of pride in
thom that he had neverfelt before
He builtracks and stands for his far
ming utensils, reset his windows, fix
ed up his bee-hives and rooted them
over, tigh,ened his barn, and, during
the rainy days, no found himself with
plenty Of useful and profitable work
TO do. His cl,ildrennever wear worth.
less shoes now, nor his cows break
through the barn floor, but he is a
happy, thriving, contented farmer.-
His COWS givo as much milk, his bees
make as much honey, his trees yield
as many and as good apples, his cham lam
bers hold as much grain, and he gets
as much money for his wool as does
his neighbor Thompson; and all this
is because he stopped his grog and
bought his own tools, and left off de:
pending on his neigbbors for whathe
ought to do himself.