Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-03-26
MISC E L L A N Y.
From Miss sedgwick's Memoir Of Joseph Curtis ]
JOHN LEAKE
AND THE PAIL OF WATER. -.

John Lcake lived in the neighborhood of Mr.
Curtiss Connecticut home. Order was not
Leakes first law, and not his last. Though he
was good natured, easy tempered, obliging
man, there was no one whom his neighbors SO
much dreaded seeing approach their homes.-
"Ihere comes Leake to borrow something, they
would say, and hoe, hammer or rake were grudg-
ingly lent, for they were certain that Leake
would lose or forget the article, or at best, re-
turn it minus handle. A story went therounds
that Leake's next neighbor, out of patience, said
to him, "yes take the hoe but you must use it
only in my corn field" Time went on, and
Leake's affairs ran down, as slack mems will,
and he decided to pull up stakes and move to
Vermont, then tract of unsettled and produc-
tive land and called the "New State" Leake's
Connecticut friends gathered arouad the wagon
in which his battered household goods and his
wife and children were packed, and sorry they
were, at the last, to part with him they now
forgot the teasing faults, and felt only that he
was cheerful, kind-hearted fellow.
Rustic tokens of good will were offered at
parting. The best of these was bright new
ak, with a strong helve, on which the giver's
name and Johns were both carved and painted,
and tied together with true lovers knot-an
odd flourish for an ak helve. "Take care OF
this, john" said Uucle Ben, the giver, land it
will be better than gold to youi the new State.
The ak fulfilled its mission it did prove of more
value to Leake than world full of gold.
"No offence, John," said another neighbor,
taking card from his pocket; there is some
thing that, if you tack it up over your Fireplace
and take heed to it, will be sure to make you o
forehanded man in the new State" Leake look.
ed at the writing on the card. 1t was the good
old household rule: "A time for everything and
| -, 81. for ax-or hiro
and everything inits place Leake read it aloud
| and then the good fellow said, chuck
ingly, "Thank'e neighbor; it's pretty smart
rod, hut it shant fall on FOOLS back. I'll take
care Of it !" and he deposited it in the crown o.
his hat, his usual place Of safe-keeping. "Ther'
it goes" said the giver to one of the by-stand
ers; "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
nooning, the very first time John took his hal
off he dropped out Uncle Bens card without
perceiving it. His son, Lyman Leake, did sec
it. Lyman, lad of ten OF eleven, was the very
opposite to his father, made so, probably, by thu
same influence that makes the lght-heelet
daughter of the heavy-heeled MOTHER Som'
parents are examples some, alas are beacons
Lyman picked up the card and probably think
ing, "Father will never miss it, and never, nevel
| tahe care OF IL, nc silppeu IL into hs own ieaIh
er purse, which had also been given to him fol
a parting token.
Lyman was to learn, by hard experience, thu
worth of the words written on that card. A du'
observance Of them through lifetime woult
give large figure in money results, besides {
world in comfort
The little family arrived, after some mishap
Ito be expected) such as loosing their whip
leaving their halter and their water-pail at
brook, etc., at their lodging in vast wilderness
But in two years they got well ahead, in spit
of Leake's Obstructive, and obstructive habits
for he was hard-working fellow Fields wer
cleared and titled around him he had built