M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-10-21

mechanical CRIME all thoroughly
scrubbed ont of my hands-tinger
nails cleaned out and rounded-so as
to make it appear that | had never
done manual labor.
"Then we must get behind a couple
Of Morgan ponies which | had pur-
chased, and make fashionable calls in
the daytime on those who had called
on us; and wife wanted me to soften
down my voice and to be particular
about my grammar and the ubjects |
talked on; but sometimes forgetting
myself l would revel in the proud
memory of the locks and keys | had
handled in happier days and com
mence history of my exploits in
that line, when wife would look as
though she was going to sink through
the floor In fact she wished to keep
a perpetual lock on my lips, $50 far as
our antecodents were concerned } with
the key in her pocker. But sighed
for the shop, and time hung so heavi-
ly on my hands that an hour spent in
stupid listlessness about tho house
seemed longer to mo than a day did,
when had orders ahead for locks,
and was driving hard to get thom fin
ished at given time. My youngest
brother, who is a college bred man
and a lawyer, sent me, at my request,
a fine collection of books on all mag
Unable subjects, so that my library
outshone that Of the parson or indeed
any other man in the place; but |
found | had no more taste to sit down
and read than I had for trimming cur
rant bushes. Time was, after had
finished q hard days labor at the shop
when an hour at books was a real So
lace, and | also believed an occasion
Of improvement. Then | envied those
whose leisure allowed them to feast on
books perpetually; but the mistake |
made was in failing to discriminate
between mental habits and require
ments of the professed student and
those OF the working man.
In this wretched condition did time
at my country seat drag heavily along,
Visiting was a perfect bore, for not
feeling the slightest interest in such
masculine topics as corn, grubs and
manure, and caring less for the fem
mime ones Of dress and local gossip,
did not know what to talk about
Books set me to sleep, and not having
the society ofmy two boys, who were
off at boarding school, l became fully
satisfied that "nothing to do" was
equal to having everything to suffer.
"My most delightful place of resort
was blacksmith'S shop some two
miles from the house, where occasion
ally would handle the hammer, and
clang a little on the anvil, but wife
making the discovery one day that
my hands were getting grimy again,
was obliged to own up to the cause
of it, and this to my sorrow was sue
ceeded by positive prohibition on
her part from my taking any further
exercise at the forge. After this,
when would sometimes ride past the
shop behind my prancing Morgan hor-
ses, the tears would start in my eyes
at my being debarred the only EN-.
ployment which was in the least
adapted to my taste or capacity.
"But, cousin Aleck, to shorten my
story, wife perceiving my unhappi-
ness was increasing, at last consented
to move back to town, and let me re-
sumo my business. | had no diff
Guilty in renewing an arrangement
with my old partner, and hence here
you see me hard at work, and happier
than President. | am perfectly able,
in q pecuuiary point of view, to live
without work, but have learned to
my satisfaction two important truths;
First, that we never enjoy ourselves
so we'll as when we are usefully EN-.
ployed; and, second, that there is nu
occupation on the whole, for which
, we are so we'll fitted as that to which
we have been long accustomed, and
which has hence become to US, as i
, were, a second nature"
l was much pleased with the goot
, sense of "my wife's cousin" as evincec
), IN the small section Of his autobiog
, raphy which he had given me, anC
, very soon after be had finished it, w
, reached his dwelling. If his shol
was dingy, there was no dingines
: here. The edifce was built on tn
Philadelphia style, having a larg
dining room back of the two parlor
|, and a noble kitchen in the rear of tn
3 dining room. The whole floor, a
3 we'll as the airy and pleasant be
, rooms above stairs, were prObabl
E adorned with a better description
I furniture than was owned by the Gov
f eruor of Pennsylvania. Everythin
was in perfect order, and although tn
. locksmith's wife was somewhat VI
q ish in her notions, / soon perceive
she Voc. capital housekeeper, an