Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-04-24
firssiNeR
JONES M JOHNSON.
ny MARY b. oCsnMAN.

we risk nothing in Ie.publshing this life
alike, instructive and entertaining little story.
Some ofour younger readers may never have
seen it. and many of the older ones might do
well TO re,peruse it and hand it over to some
unfortunate character like poor Jones
William Johnson and Edwin Jones were
both of them farmers, and they were also near
,neighbors. Their farms were beautifully stu
Ated the soil naturally productive. So far
there was not a particle OF difference between
the two places. Yet they wore a very diff
ferent aspect. Johnsen's buildings looked
mice and tidy. His door yard was clean, his
house neatly painted, his windows whole.
His barn and out-buildings were snug and
comfortable, his orchard looked thrifty, and
the trees were carefully dressed. Now, Mr..
Jones had no more OF a family to support
than hjssneighbor, yet the aspects ofhis
house aDdfarm were very different. Old
rubbish was kicking arouad in the yard,
that should have beenin less unsighuy places;
his house looked weather-beaten and neglec-
ted rags were seen in spots where panes
of glass were expected TO be found there
were largeeracks in his barn, through which
the winds Of heaven had free coarse. His
apple trees were disfgured by old bark and
dead limbs in short, everything seemed to
wear a look of dilapidation and neglect. Ed.
win Jones wasa hard working man, yet
everything was at loose ends with him,
and he often caught himself wondering how
tGyas that his neighbor johnson kept along
so smoothly and quiet, yet had everything in
perfect order.
One rainy day in the fall, after harvesting
was over, johnson was at work in his tool
chamber, when his neighbor Jones entered.
Johnson said the latter, after he had
watched his neighbours plane a few moments,
-'how much did that slad.of yours cost2 l
have got to have one this winter.
-sOh, that esst me nothiag ; / made that
mysalE. I gotent the timber last winter;
Hothat, matters disposed Of, and l feel proud
offt too. It's nay first attempt"
"Well. neighbor Johnson, l don't see now
in the world you get along so. Your farm
don't produce any more than mine does, AM
Aoa'Lbelieve you work as hard as | dc
Your wife don't make any more butter thai
mine: yourshOep don't grow any better WOO
You raise more fruit, to be sure"
III have not so many trees as you"
"No, but the fruit is OF a better quality
and finds q ready market"
IYes. because | have taken pains to obtai
the best gratis. Ny trees were the same
yours when We started Ny cows give mo
milk than yours do ia winter, because the
have a warmer barn. raise more pork tn;
you do, because my pens are tight and col
Portable, andso on"
And | suppose you are laying up none,
muttered Jones, with a crestfallen look.
Certainly, Iam-abOut two hundred d
lars a year."
so much ~ exclaimed Jones with alook
surprise /" why ] can't lay up a single Gel
ia fact, | am running behind"
"Let me tell you the secret" said Johns
- - --l--.-k -
Last summer / saw you buy two new raj
and two pitehforks row, how much did ii
all cost your
"Lels see-two dollars and a half"
''well, my fork handle got broke last "
ter, SO did some of my rakes. l brou
them right up here, and when at leisure
fixed them up. There was SO much say
Now, you have nothing at all to do to ds
"No indeed it rains too hard"