Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-11-20
From Miss Sedgewick's Memoir Of Joseph Curtis.
JOHN l. EAK.
AN ID II HI PAIL OF w AT + IL

Mr.. Curtis Connecticut home. Oruer wa
not Leake's first law, nor his last Though 4
was a good natured easy-tcmpered, .obllgln
man. there WAS no one whom his nelghDol
so much dreaded seeing approach the hous
"There comes Leak to borrow something,
they would say, and hoe, hammer, or rak'
were grudingly lent, for they were certain thu
Leake would lose OF forget the article, or &
best. return it minus handle. A story wel
the rounds that Leaks next neighbOr, OF
of patience, said to him, Eyes take the hoe
but you must use it only in my corn field.
Time went Oh, and Leaks affairs run dow
as slack mems will, and he decided to pull u
stakes and move to Vermont, then a tract {
unsettled and productive land, and called tn
New State" Leaks Connecticut friend
gathered about the great wagon in which hi
battered household goods and his wife an
children were packed, and sorry they were
at the last, to part with hun; they nov
forgot his teasing faults, andf cit only that h
was a cheerful, kind hearted fellow.
Rustic tokens of goodwill were offered a
parting. The best of these was brigh
new axe, with strong helve, on which tn
giver's name and Johns were both carve'
and painted, and tied together with tru
lovers knot-an odd flourish for an axe helve
Take care of this, john" said Uncle Ben
the giver, land it will be better than gold t
you in the new State" The axe fulfilled it
mission; it did prove of more value to Leak
than world full Of gold.
No offence, john" said another neighbor
taking card from his pocket; ''here is some
thing that if you will tack it over your fir'
place and take heed to it, will be sure to MAKE
you a fore-handed man in the new State. :
Leak looked at the writing on the card. i
vas the good old household rule: "A time
for everything and every thing in its time
place for everything, and everything in it,
place." Leak read it aloud, and then thu
good-natured fellow said chuckling. THANK $
neighoOr it's a pretty smart rod, but II
shan't fall on fools back. I'll take care o
it - said he deposited it in the crown of his
hat his usual place of safe-keeping. ''There
it goes" said the giver to one of the by-stan
ders; that's the last of it. Poor Leake =
You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
| When the movers halted that day for then
incoming, the very first time John took his hat
off he dropped out Uncle Ben's card without
perceiving it. His son, Lyman Leak, did
see it. Lyman, lad of ten or twelve, was
the very opposite of his father, made SO, pro-
| badly, by the same influence that makes the
eight heeled daughter of the heavy-heeled
mother" Some parents arc examples; some,
alas ! are beacons. Lyman picked up the
card, and probably thinking Father will
| never miss it, and never, never take care OF
| it." he slipped it into his own leathern purse
which had also been given him for parting
token.
Lyman was to learn, by hard experience,
the worth of the words written on that card.
A due observance of them through life
time would give a large figure in money re
suits, besides world of comfort.
The little family arrived, after some mis-
haps Ito be expected,) such as losing their
whip, leaving their halters and their water
pail at brook, ETC., at their lodge in vast
wilderness. But in two years they got well
ahsad il sps Of t afab e 1as
fellow. Fields were cleared and titled arOu nd
him he had built small framed house ad-
joining the log hut neighbors had come in at
no great distance, and aviage was growing
up not far from Kim.
In spite Of good advice, he had connected
a wood house and stable with his house.
''Take care, Leak" said a friend to him
in winter up in this cold country is something
all is gone"
"Oh, never fear" said Leak 81 have
had my portion of ill fortune in this world
| pressed on the children that what shiftless
people call ill fortune and bad luck is but the
Inevitable consequence of their own imprud-
ence or carelesSnesS.)
! 1t was during the third winter of the
/ :, hat
at the close of short winters day, the mcr-
nv tinkii.ig of sleigh-bellS was heard, and the
creaking OF the runners on the hard-frozen
snow, and little cutter, "a single sleigh stop
ped at Leaks 1t was expected, the door
opened, and shouts of joy followed, and glad
greetings of "unclc, and aunt, AMI cousins v
Connecticut to make long promised visit
the domestic axiom caught Uncle Ben's eye
1t was nailed to the wall over the mantle
piece, ~ declare!'' he exclaimed "well,
never expected to see that bit of pasteboard
again. | give you a credit mark for preserv
ing that, john "You must preserved the
card but you may give me give the credit
mark to Lyman, brother he one for teach
ing him care" Uncle Ben smiled. eyes,
he said, "yom have taught him, John, but
wrong end foremost - wrong endfore
Most"
The evening passed off delightfully."-. The
unstinted fire of new country burned
brightly. A basket of fine apples from tn,
old "home orchard in Connecticut" was un
packed, and nuts were cracked and eaten
The elders talked about old times. Leak
gave the history of his tolls on his new farm
and his success. He told Che had some RICH
to boast, for he had worked diligently how
much land he had cleared, what crops he hat
raised and concluded, my barn is full !;
have plenty of wheat, and corn, and oats il
the loft over my wood house and pork il
my cellar and my wife has taken care O
the trinkets-butter, and apple-sauce, ant
pickles, and the like" and he ended his boas
of rural riches with saying " guess, Ben
my old neighbors could not twit me now"
Your old neighbors, John always knew
you for an honest, Woodworking man; it wa
only your careless ways your want of order
that troubled us. You know I used to tel
you that if you put ever so much meal in
to bag with hole in it, it would run a
way"
Eyes, yes, l know and just so Lyman
talks now. Among you, put an old head OF
talked, and the youngsters had their pleasure
the visitors telling the wonders of jugglers
and wax work shows, and delights incident t.
their down country advanced civilisation ant
the ''new State children relating adventure
with bears and wildcats, and their own per
sonal concerns with tanning squirrels an
catching rabbits, and, finally the evening clos
ed with game of ''forfeits," in which Ly
man, having been sentenced to the commo
penalty of bowling to the prettiest, kneelin
to the wittiest, and kissing the one he love
best" declared that all these dues were
cousin Sally. His cousin Sally, proteste
and resisted /; the girls all joined her, an
after laughing scramble together, Lyman
oldest sister caught the candle, called ''cousi
Sally to follow her, and they made good the
escape to the bedroom, and holted Lyma
out. Lyman retreated the evening wa
far advanced, and the Leaks and their guest
separated for the night, but not till after Ly
man performed duty that had been pos