The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-02-22

w Ao'S PASnSN 9" AibsAS NAAN
at the school house, and now you must
try to pick up little at the Grange Farm.
The first lesson that l shall give you to
learn, is this-a little at time and 60 on.
Almost all great things are done on this
principle. The rain from the skies comes
down in little drops, and the snow comes
down in little fakes; and yet both of them
by going on, cover the face of the ground"
Look here" said Farmer Blake, stop
ping at bush, on which spider was
weaving his web, "see how the little crea
ture is employed. First he fastens one
line, and then another, without wasting
his time between, and it will not be very
long, I am thinking, before he catches
his Hy.-The weaving spider is following
the rule-a little at time, and 60 on"
What Farmer Blake said, appeared SO
very clear to me, that wondered the
same thing had not occurred before. But
the farmer seemed determined to impress
his first lesson deeply in my mind.
On turning round corner, we came
suddenly npon woodman, who was fell
ing an elm tree, and the dry chips few
around him, as be dealt his lusty stroke
with his axe. Oh thought l, the farmer
will be at me again now, about his first
lesson but no not word did he speak.
l saw, however, that his. eye was now
and then fixed upon me- Though the
woodman did not appear to get on very
fast, yet, by repeated strokes, be had
made great gasb, more than half through
the trunk of the tree and not long after,
down came the elm with a loud crash.
Farmer Blake walked on in silence,
and I was silent too; when, suddenly, he
said to me "WelI, my lad, what are you
thinking of!" 81 was thinking, sir" said
l, ''that the woodman has brought down
the tree by doing little at time, and
going on" "Just as l expected" he re-
piled "and now l see that you have learn
ed my first lesson"
When left to myself, ] thought over
every word that Farmer Blake had spok-
en-, and felt sure, not only that he was
the wisest man knew, but also that I
could not do better thing than attend
to his remarks. In the course of that day
| could hardly look around without see
ing some object which brought before ME
Farmer Blake's first lesson. A bricklay-
er was building a wall near cottage a
shepherd with bis crook, was ascending
high hill; and two men were filing q cart
with gravel. By laying brick at time,
and going on, the bricklayer would build
the wall by taking a step at time, and
going on, the shepherd would get to the
top of the hill, and by throwing in spade
full at time, and going on, the cart
would be filled.
Many have I known who were not sat-
isfed with doing little at time, they
must needs do great deal and haste to
be rich but they fell into snares, and
their riches did them no good. And some
have known who were very Jealous in
holy things, but they did not go on
Oh, it is an excellent thing to feel that
we are dependent upon our Heavenly
Father, for all we have, even our daily
bread. felt myself much wiser than l
was before.
lived many years at the Grange, and
have great reason to be thankful for the
many useful lessons that the honest farm
er taught me but not single day, of all
these years, is better remebered by me,
than the first day that entered on the
farm, and not single lesson is more
deeply impressed on my mind than the
very first that he taught me.
l know that Farmer Blake, in teaching
me his first lesson, intended to apply it
especially to farming but have learn
ed to apply it to other things. Thou
sands would have been benefited, had
they understood and practiced the lesson
with bumility-a little at time and
60 on.