Smyrna times., 1858-11-11

Jec's' SO that my library outshone that of n
parson' or indeed any other man in the place
Out found | had no more taste to sit down n
read than had for trimming currant-bushes.-
lime was, after had finished hard dav
iaoor az The shop, when an hour at books was
real solace, and | also believed an occasion {
improvement Then envied those whose Ie
sure allowed them to feast on books perpetual
~; but the mistake | made was in failing I
discriminate between the mental habits aud re
quirements of the professed student and thos
OF the working man.
"In this wretched manner did time at m,
country seat drag heavily along. Visiting wal
a perfect bore, for not feeling the slightest in
terest IN such masculine topics as corn, grubs
ana manure, and caring less for the feminine
ones OF dress and local gossip. didn't know
what to talk about Books set me to sleep, and
not having the society of my tWo boys, who
were Oft at boarding school, became fully sat.
Istied that nothing to do was equal to having
everything to suffer-
"My most delightful place Of resost was
olacksmith's shop. some t&o miles from the
mouse, where occasionally | would handle the
hammer, and clang a little on the anvil, but
wlie making the discovery one dsy that nv
hands were getting grimy again, vas obliged
TO own up the cause of it, and this, to my sor-
row. was succeeded bya positive prohibition on
her part from my taking any further exercise
at the forge. After this, when would same.
times ride past the shop behind my prancng
Morgan horses, the tears would start in nv
eyes at my being debarrsd the sHIy employment
which was in the least adapted to my taste or
capacity.
But, Cousin Aleck, TO shorten ray story,
wife Perceiving that my unha ApHess vas in.
creaslng, at last consented TO Ieove bach to
town, and let me resume my business had
no dIihculty IN renewing an arrangement with
my old partner, hence here you zee me hard at
work. and happier than the President. an
perfectly able, in pecuniary point of view, to
live without work, but have learned to NV |
satisfaction two important trntns: FIRST, that
we never enjoy ourselves so we'll as when We
are usefully employed and second, that there
are so we'll fitted as that to shch Ss have been
Ong accustomed, and which has hence become
10 US, as it were, a second nature"
was much pleased with the goal sense OF
g my wife's cousin,' as esinced IN the small
section of his autobiography which he had
given me, and very soon sfler he he'd finish ed
Il. We reached his dwelling. II BIO shop ems
1ngy, there was no ding iness here. Eyety-
hing vas in perfect order, nd slthoSsh the
Iocksmlth's wife was sOmc o hat Aplsh in her
and that my friend was proud Of
his house, and proud Of his vife, aad pr,.al OF
MS two sons who had come from boa ding school
10 spend the vacation.
| found that these lads were suite intsH.
gent, and that they weve both intsaSe for the I
learned professions. While one et them enter
ained me with some music on psrlor organ,
he worthy smith begged me to excuse him for
| few moments, after which he e-sPpeared in
perfectly clean linen and suit Of dainty black.
We supped at table spreld with the utmost
and IN the evening, some company
emiBg in, conversation and mu.lc filled up the
,assing hour /; | was deeply Interested. and con.
luded that ''my wife's cousin" the blacksmith
md bell-hsnger, was wise nlan, and that un-
willingly be had discovers, The true philuso.
hers stone. Daily work wss as Necessary to
lin as his daily bread, and the toll of the shop
nly served to enhance the pleasure aud recre-
tions of refined and happy hsme. On taking
ny leave, | realized that had been taught a
aIuable lesson: Employment is the heslthfu
OF of life, and he that would seek happiness in
state of perpetual re2ose, betrays profound
ignorance of the beneficial laws which govern
lis being Commercial ADJ.