The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-04-11

wouldn't have been Robinson Crusoe,
not for five hundred year and no slack.
It's all VERY we'll being your own foreman
and master, and so on, but then such q life
to my mind s like we'll Tagged deal board
just made ready for flooring. You've been
over it, and touched it well down with your
jack plane, nnd::it finishediof with your try
ing-planc, and there it is,-or ought to be,
if il amt ,-scamped just like bit O. satin,
every knot just like n smooth brown eye,
and every bit O grain standing out rs it
polished; but then turn 1t over, and it's oil
as rough, and shaggy, and splintery as can
be. It's oil VERY well being master and
gaugcr, but then you has to be journcyman
and laborcr into the bargain. But that
amt it SO much, for wouldn't give clout
nail, let alone tuppence, for Teller as can't
turn his hand to anything in push; it's
the lonesomencss Of the thing.
expect it's not liking to be alone made
me get married; and | must say that now
there's an old bird ut home, and five little
ones in the nest, amt VERY lonesome
there. How they do open their precious
young bcaks, and what q sight O.
stuff it does take nfore you can persuade
'em to shut again! But | amt grumbling
about that, mind, and hope never shall.
However, rs said afore, don't like being
alone, for il puts me in mind of q very
lonely time; but do like having mate
come in for an hours chat, and join me over
pipe and pint Of half and half in quiet
sociabc manner, same as you have to night,
Dick Smith.
That's a good trying-plane O. yours,-the
one you had in the shop to -day,-but never
did see, and dent suppose ever shall see.
such tool as one l lost about four years
ago,-leastways didn't lose it, for sold it;
but it was loss, for all that. Fine, sound
bit o beech AS ever you saw; while as TO
the iron, there was never better bar o
stutf came out o Sheffield. just show it
the lie stand now ana then, and knock it
up 10 the right set, and then-whish
whish the shavings would seem to run off
board as fine. and thin, and soft as-as
well, as shavings, you know.
! sold that plane for two shillings, and
the next week I'd have given five to get it
back, but was gone again, and I've never
set eyes on it since. You see, nothing looks
worse than for a man to be parting with his
tools and when you see fellow doing of
ii, he's either one as isn't worth his salt, or
else he's very hard drove.
Now I suppose | do make my salt, most
lings, or else / shouldn't have been two
years in this shop; but about the time told
you Of, was going to part with one O. my
tools, so you may suppose that was hard
drove. 1t don't matter where it was, but it
warnt q hundred miles from Gray's Inn
Lane; and, after being out six weeks, was
took on, and got my order 10 be off with
lot more down into Surrey, where there was
a cottage army, as they calls it a-building
slips off out o the yard, ready to bust
with the good news, and | was at the bot
tom O. the lane and across llolborn in
no time; and in less than that was down
our court where we lodged, and up two pair
O stairs, and into the room before my wife
had time to hide what she doing of.
Hooray, MOTHER" says, "took on! !"
and then stops short for though l would
not lcr her think knew she had been hav-
ing good cry, it all at once struck me that
] should be setting her off again; for Id
engaged to go down into the country for
month certain, and | should have to leave
her bchind,-so stops short.
80 father" she says, 81 am thankful;
for ! don't know what could have gone
next"
We had, somehow, then got into the way
O. calm ourselves Mother" and
"Father :" and so she said she didn't know
what could have gone next; and I'm sure
couldn't have told her, for many of our
things had gone about that time; for what
with no work, and long spell or two o
sickness, we had to make good many visits
to a certain relative, rs I'm sure every hon
est, Woodworking man hates the VERY
name of.
And now amt speaking fair, for said
IRE had to make good many visits; but 1t
warn't zee, for I'm blest if ] wasn't such
Al, hut
stopped sneaking at home, and let the wife
go instead, which worn't at all manly, says
you; no moro it worn't.
Howsomever, when she said that, knew
that something must go; and felt SO light
hearted with the idea O. that work that |
made up my mind to 60 myself, and wrap
ping my old favorite plane up in red
handkerchief, / slips out into Fetter Lane,
where our uncle lived. OFF | goes, full
swing, as If it Was all right, and with my
mind made up to run right in, pawn the
plane, and then let the missus have the
money, and make shift till | could send her
some more; and then what with thinking
about having to tell her was going into the
country, and about how soon tho foreman
would let me draw something on account, if
didn't shoot right past the shop.
"Don't turn back yet" says to myself,
cor people will think there's something
wrong So walks right on, and gets into
Harrington Market, and makes a bit of n
twist. and comes back again, meaning not
to miss it this time.
There it was,-three golden balls hung
out, and window full of everything one
could find name for; workingmen's tools
andlwatches, silk handkerchers and silver
spoons, flutes and fddles without any
strings, pistols and Telescopes one to.
make hole in you. and t'othcr to look at II
with,-glass dccantcrs and tooth drawers,
pincers, rings, and chains, and earrings,
and musical boxes, and composing sticks;
but there wasn't neither smoothing, nor d
rebate, nor moulding, nor jack, nor
trying plane in the whole window and !
cut by as hard as ever could ), and, :. Tom
Scott" l says, "you're fool! You've
come to the wrong shop!"
All at once pulled up, and prctends to
DO looking in at the fshing-tackle shop, and
stood there attacking, MS it were, to an old
stuffed Jack that was a-staring at me with
his. yellow eyes, and his mouth wide open
and full Of hooky teeth, that would let any
thing 60 in, but precious little come out
again and then, somehow or another, it
seemed to me as that great stuffed jack, or
pike, or whatever you call it, was q sorter
imitation o. that precious relation as came
out on purpose to see.
''Ah I, says I, and we poor chaps is tho
gudgeon as he lives on. And precious
gudgeon you are, Tom Scott six feet high,
fourteen stone weight and humhl 0inR