Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-04-24
SPIRIT OF THE G

But am at work, making my apple
boxes ; how are you going to get yours p
"Grainson makes them for me, and / am
to give him a barrel Of apples
Which is as good as two dollars. Now If
you hire as good a sled as mine made. It win
cost you at least twelve dollars. You see
how these little thing count up
And all this comes of u having tools
to work WITH returned Jones, whose ewes
were begioning to open.
Yes, neighbour
We'll, if | had tools, I might save a good
many sums in the course Of a year. but |
never have the money to spare for them.
why, these ERE tools of yourn must cost
morn fifty dollnrs.'
just about that
Then Pm mighty afraid shall have to
scrape along with borrowed tools. shall
never have that SUN to spare
you don't understand. Let me explain
the secret. should never have gone with a
fifty dollar bill and bought these things. /
have produced one alta time with my grog
and tobacco money.
"Grog and tobacco money + repeated
Jones, with a look of blank surprise.
Yes said Johnson, with a smile. Now |
am going 20 give you a lecture. / am going
to give you the benefit of my experience
The first year l began on a farm | used to
have spirits by me, and then take a drink 10
keep up my strength, | said to myself. In
the long, warm days, in haying and harves-
ting, the bottle used to be patrOnized liberal
ly. But finally began to see that it was
growing hard for me to resist and so, after
celebrating upon the subject. / came to the
conclusion that rum and tobacco did me no
good, and might do much evil, and 1 would
leave them off, and | did. So | commenced
laying up the money they cost ME. l saw
how much might be saved if l could do the
work myself | had been obliged pay for, and
SO | began buying such tools as 1 thought
would come handy. At the end of the first
year | found l had quite a collection, and
it had all come from the money | might 9th
erwise have drank and smoked up, and
felt healthier and happier than the year be
fore. knew l had laid the foundation 70
future good. Time passed on, and my gro,
and tobacco money kept coming in. It wa
now a hammer, then an another plane,
b~itstock, &c, till l have now an e~xcellen
stock of tools and they are not only
source OF great profit, but solid comfort int
the bargain. | believe, friend Jones, in civ
ing up my grOg and tobacco l have been
great gamer. Now, do you not think 20
would do as well without it.
Johnson said Jones, at length, after
protracted silence. 4 wish you had told H
of this long ago.
4 was afraid it might offend you it is
delicate matter at best
Iknow it, but Edwin Jones is not the ma
to be offended with a neighbor for friend
advice
WELL said johnson, With a look Of extreu
qualification, it's never too late to men
and if you get in a pinch where fifty or
hundred dollars will be of use to you, cor
to me-
Mr.. Jones. thanked his friend with a 81
picious moisture shining in his eye, a
shortly after took his leave. The very ne
time he went to town, instead of r%eflling
brown jug and empty box, he brought ho
a new auger, and a proud and happy n
was he at work with his own tools. Iii
passed away, and he soon found himself I
owner of quite q little lot of implements
This thing operated ia many ways for GO
Now that he had the ability to fix up
buildings without borrowing tools. he bee
to a pride in doing it. He reset his "
dows, r0efed bis bee house, built new
pens, frightened his barn, and in rainy Wea
er was never without a pleasant and prot
BILE employment His COWS do not br
through the barn floor now, and they G
as much milk, his bees make as much hon
his trees yield as good apples, as his mel
Dor Johnson's do and all this is because
stopped his grog and tobacco eXpenditul
bought his tools, and left off depending "a
y his %neighbors and so he is now a hap
thriving and contented farmer.