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

tlerg was q STOUT UeIlCli, uii iAcu b'
handy use, and upon it was n full Sc
Of planes, saws, guages, inallcts, ham
mcrs, &c. while in a rack against the
partition, were arranged a set of CHS
els, gimblets. files and screw.drirers
and overhead hung half dozen diff
crcnt sized augers. In short, there
was everything hero that man could
possibly need in building and repair
ing about the house. l
Mr.. Thompson tnok down an inch
anger and handed it To his neighbor,
and IS he did so he remarked:
Il have not seen your son Thomas
for two or three days. Is he sick T.
'Wcll, not exactly sick, but he's
got very bad foot. He cant step
Oh it.
'Ah, how did that happcnl'
Ho trod on an old rusty nail in the
barn floor, and it went into his foot
some ways" t.
'Whew! that's bad,' uttered
Thompson, with shudder. IL nev.
er allow my boys to go around much
barcfooted. ! have found that pricks
and bruises generally cost more than
sLoc-leaiher, aside from the comfort
and looks. r.r..n. uee
'Oh, Thomas wasn't barcfooted,
but you see there was hole in. the
bottom of his shoe. | meant to have
carried it to the village and had it
mcnded, but forgot it,
'Ah, friend Holmes, save all such
difficulties as that. l always keep a
little leather by me, and when there
is little patching or tapping to be
done, can fix it up in few minutes.
All these things can be 'lonc during
tho rainy days, when migh,be lying
idle ,'.,. n
WELL mut,crcd Holmes, 81 sup:
pose | could cohble a shoe well e.
nough, if | only had the tools [; but it
takes quite collection ofimplemcn,s
to- fill ScoBler's bench. However,
what's done cant be helped, Igaess
Tom will be out in day or two.
But must hurry of, now, to"fix my
harrow s', 'f.i ''''7 q 2
1t took Mr.. Holmes nearly oil day
to mend his harrow, so that he had
to postpone the narrowing Of his land
till the next morning, and when at
length he go, his grainin,o the ground,
i, was Just five days behind his neigh
Dor Thompson. His son was conf.
ned to the house over a week, and du-
ring that time he had to hire an extra
hand, which cost him about four dol
lars, besides the doctors bill he had
to pay. When it came ihaying time
he had to buy new rakcs, because the
old ones had gone to rack aud ruin.
Perhaps they had startedwith the loss
of few teeth, orthe breaking Of n
bow, or perhaps even the head might
have been broken, and thus, Instead
of saving new handle &C., and ma,
king the other parts that were need.
ed, for the want of proper. tools, he
WIS obliged to buy,new rakes entire.
So in all the departments of his bust,
ness, he was constantly meeting with
obstacles that retarded his progress,
and all for the want of a few simple
tools. rn ...I .aIlr. IL el..a .a..-.
Ono rainy day in the fall, after the
harvesting was completed, Mr., Thomp.
son was in his tool chamber, making
some apple boxes, when his ncighbor
Holmes appeared.
Thompson said the latter, after
he had watched the movements of
his neighbor's fore-plane few mo,
monts, how much did that ox.slod OF
yours COST l have got to have me
one this winter"
'Oh, that cost me nothing, | made
it myself. during some of those rainy
days we had before harvesting. got
out the timber when | hauled out my
wood last winter, SO that the job be-
came quite easy III
well, neighbor Thompson said
Holmes, after some little time spent
in hard study. i don't see how you
get along so. Your farm don't pro-
duce any more than mine does, and
I'm sure you don't work so hard as l
do. Your wife don't make any bet
ter butter nor cheese than mine does,
your sheep don't bear any better wool
than mine, your bees don't make bet
ter honey; you raise more fruit than
do, to be sure
But I have no more trees said
Thompson.
No; but then your frui. is of a
better quality, and finds a more ready
market t..r
Certainly; because have grated
in tho best varieties. My trees were
the same as yours were twelve years
ago and with regard to other matters,
think, if you look about the two
places, you will find, in many respects,
mine is tho most productive. My
cows give more milk than yours dc