American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-10-29

or indeed any other man in the place /;
but found ] had no more taste to sit
dunn and read than had for trimming
current Lsshes. Time was, after i
had finished a hard days labor at the
shop, when hour at beCks was real
solace, and I also believed an occasion
of improvements. Then envied those
whose leisure allowed them to feast on
books perpetually; but the mistake I
made was in failing to discriminate be-
tween the mental habits and require
ments of the professional student, and
those of the working man.
In this wretched manner did time
at my country seat drag heavily along.
Visiting was perfect bore, for not
feeling the slightest iAterest in such
masculine topics as corn, grubs, and
manure, and caring less for the femi-
nine ones of dress and local gossip, I
didn't know what to talk about. Books
set me to sleep, and not having the So
ciety of my two boys, who were off at
boarding school, 1 become fully salts
fed that nothing to do was equal to
having everything to suffer.
"My most delightful place of resort
was a blacksmith's shop, some two
miles from the house, where OCCASION
ally could handle the hammer, and
clang little on the anvil, but wife ma
king the discovery that my hands we're
getting grimy again, / was obliged to
own up the cause of it, and this to my
sorrow, was succeeded by positive
prohibition on her part, from my ta-
king any further exercise at the forge.
After this, when l would sometimes
ride past the shop behind my prancing
Morgan horses, the tears would start
in my eyes at my being debarred the
only employment which was best a.
dapted to my taste or capacity.
But Cousin Aleck, to shorten my
story, wife perceiving that my unhap-
piness was increasing, at last consent
cd to let me resume my business. /
had no difficulty in renewing an ar.
rangement with my old partner, hence
you see me here, hard at work and hap.
pier than the President / am per-
fectly able, in pecuniary point of
view, to live without work; but / have
learned to my satisfaction, two impor-
tant truths: First, that we never en-
JOY ourselves so well as when we are
usefully employed and second there
is no occupation on the whole, for
which we are 80 well fitted as that to
which we have been long accustomed,
and which has hence become to us, as
it were, q second nature"
| was much pleased with the good
sense of "my wifc's cousin" as evinc-
ed in the small section Of his autobi-
ography which he had given me, and
very soon after he had finished it, we
reached his dwelling. If his shop was
dingy, there was no dinginess here. -
Everything was in perfect order, and
although the locksmith's wife was some
what uppish in her notions, soon per-
ccived she was capital housekeeper,
and that my friend was proud of his
house, and proud of his wife, and proud
OF his two sons who had come from
boarding-school to spend the vacation.
found that these lads were quite
intelligent, and that they were both
intended for the learned professions.
While one of them entertained me with
some music on the parlor organ, the
worthy smith begged me to excuse him
for few moments, after which he re.
appeared in perfectly clean linen, and
a suit of dainty black. We supped
at table spread with the utmost pro.
fusion, and in the evening some com
pany coming in, conversation and music
filling up the passing hour, / was deep.
ly interested, and concluded that I" my
wife's cousin, the blacksmith, and bell
hanger, was wise man, and that un
Willingly he had discovered the true
! philosophers stone. Daily work was
as necessary to him as his daily bread,
and the toll Of the shop only served to
enhance the pleasure and rccreations
of refined and happy home. On tax,
ing my leave, Irealized thatI had been
taught a valuable lesson: Employ.
ment is the healthful lot of life, and he
that would seek happiness in state of
perpetual repoSo, betrays profound
| ignorance of the benefcent laws which
govern his being. Commercial Adv.
1 --------------.-e>.---l--
Can't be Both.
! The esquire" tells good one of a
n =. ~