Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-04-12
IN TEE BARK.

I wouldn't have been Robinson Crugoe,
not for five hundred year and no slack.
It's all very wei being your own foreman
and master. and So on, but then such a life
to nv mind s like a well tagged deal board
lust made ready for flooring. You've been
over it, and touched it well down with your
iack-plane, and.it fnishedtoff with your try
ine-plane, and there it is,-or ought to be,
If it ain't,-scamped just like bit O satin,
every knot just like smooth brown eye,
and every bit O. grain standing out as If
polished but then turn it over, and it's all
as rough, and shaggy, and splintery as can
be. It's all very well being master and
gauger, but then you has to be journeyman
and laborer into the bargain. But that
amt il so much, for wouldn't give q clout
nail, let alone tuppence, for Teller as can't
turn his hand to anything in push; it's
the lonesomeness 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 at home, and five little
ones III the nest, [ amt very lonesome
there How they do open their precious
young beaks, and what sight O.
stuff it does take afore you can persuade
'em to shut again But l amt grumbling
about that, mind, and [ hope | never shall.
However, as | said afOre, | don't like being
alone, for it puts me in mind Of VERY
lonely time; but l do like having mate
come in for an hours chat, and join me over
a pipe and a pint of half-and-half in quiet
sociable manner, same as you have tonight,
Dick Smith.
That's good trying plane O. yours,-the
one you had in the shop -day,-but never
did SCI, and dent suppose ever shall see.
such q tool as one | 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 ias ever you saw; while as to
the iron, there was never better bar o.
stuff came out O. Sheffield. Just show it
the lie stand now and then, and knock it
up to the right set, and then-whish
whish the shavings would seem to run off
a 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 man to be parting with his
tools; and when you see fellow doing of
it, he's either one as isn't worth his salt, or
else he's very hard drove.
Now | 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, L 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
warn't hundred miles from Gray's Inn
Lane; and, after being out six weeks, was
took on, and got my order to be off with a
lot more down into Surrey, where there was
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 Holborn 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 was doing Of
1" Hooray, mother" / says, "took on! }"
and then | stops short; for though | would
not let her think / knew she had been hav-
ing good cry, it all at once struck me that
/ should be setting her OIL again; for I'd
engaged 60 go down into the country for a
month certain, and | should have to leave
her behind,-so | stops short.
so father! " she says, ~ am thankful !;
for [ don't know what could have gone
next"
We had, somehow, then got into The way
O calm ourselves q" 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 a many of our
things had gone about that time for what
with no work, aud long spell or two o
sickness, we had to make good many visits
TO a certain relative, as I'm sure every hon
est, Woodworking man hates the very
name of.
And now amt speaking fair, for | said
we had to make good many visits but 1t
warn't lre, for I'm blest ii / wasn't such a
coward myself that | darent go, but
stopped sneaking at home, and let the wife
go instead, which wornt at all manly, says
you; no more it wornt.
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 go myself, and wrap
ping my old favorite plane up in a red
Handkerchief, l 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 l was going into the
country, and about how soon the foreman
would let me draw something on account, if
] didn't shoot right past the shop.
"Don't turn back yet," | says to myself,
Hor people will think there's Something
wrong - SO l walks right on, and gets into
Harrington Market, and makes bit of a
twist, and comes back again, meaning not
to miss it this time.
There ii was,-three golden balls hung
out, and window full of everything one
could find a name for; workingmen's tools
and watches, silk handkerchers and silver
spoons, flutes and fiddles without any
strings, pistols and telescopes, one 10
make = hole in you, and t'other to look at it
with,-glass decanters and tooth drawers,
pincers, rings, and chains, and earrings,
and musical boxes, and composing sticks
but there wasn't neither smoothing, nor q
rebate, nor moulding, nor jack, nor q
trying lane in the whole window; and |
cut by as hard as ever l could and, "Tom
Scott" l says, you're a fool You've
come to the wrong shop"
All at once l pulled up, and pretends to
Re looking in at the fishing-taekle shop, and
stood there a-talking, as it were, to an old
stuffed Jack that was a-staring at me with
his yellow eyes, and his mouth wide oper
and full of hooky teeth, that would let any
thing go in, but precious little come out
again; and then, somehow or another, i
seemed to me as that great stuffed jack, OF
pike, or whatever you call it, was a sortel
Imitation o that precious relation as | came
out on purpose to see.
"Ah % says /, "and we poor chaps IS th'
gudgeon as he lives on. And precious
gudgeon you are, Tom Scottish feet high
fourteen stone weight, and humbugginl
yourself, and pretending all sorts o gam
mon. because you amt got enough stuff il
You to 90 in like man to pawn that plane