Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-09-17
General Literature.
H.f.N,DI' TO HIVE ~ THE
HOUSE.

Mrs. Harriet Beecher stowe in an article
on "The Handy Man." in the Hearth and
Home, says:-
handy man is so practsed in the regu-
lation of the little utilities of the house he
inhabits, that by slight touch here and
there-a screw turned here and a screw
loosened there, and nail driven in time
he keeps all working smoothly, and averts
those domestic catastrophies and break
downs of which Punch makes so much
capital in his pictures.
The handy man knows how to use every
sort of tool that keeps his house in order
They are all neatly arranged, in his own
private drawer, sacred from the meddling
of children and the borrowing of the care
less. Is pane of glass shivered on a cold
day, the unhandy man first stuffs it with
bundle, or pastes it over with newspaper,
and then rushes to GLACIERS, who of course
is not at home, or who says he will come
and mend il Immediately, and doesn't come
meanwhile the wind blowing in gives the
baby the Group, and the mother severe
cold.
The Handy man, on the contrary, has his
diamond, his measuring rule, his putty, all
in readiness at moments notice, and the
replacing of the pane of glass is an affair of
quarter of an hour, before he goes to his
office or store
There sprinpss leak in tho joint of q hot
water pipe. The handy man has his SOL
dering tools and kettle, and it is stopped in
a moment, while the unhandy man is run
ming up town after plumber.
The handy man has no small bills to pay
to any kind of mechanic, for he stops every
leak in its commencement, and replaces ev-
| cry screw the moment it is loose.
A piece Of veneering starts on the side
! board door. The handy man has an invis-
ible brad of precisely the size to drive in
this placc-it is done in moment. The
unhandy man sees the crack widening day
by day, in imbecie despair. Finally, the
moulding falls off, and leaves a long un-
slightly seam.
There is one loose screw in one of the
hinges of the wardroom door-the door will
not shut, the difficulty increases day by day,
until the whole hinge is loose, and finally
the door hanging by its whole weight ON
the lower hinge, and assisted by the un-
| ONf
gether, with such wreck and crush as
make it necessary to send the wardrobe to
the cabinet maker, or bring the cabinet
maker to the wardrobe. What journeys
and consultations of the hapless, unhandy
mani
In like manner, there is leak somewhere
in the roof of the house, and every time thai
it rains, through this leak, in some myste
rious manner, the water drops down thro
the ceilings of the room. The unhandy
man is exhorted by his wife that this ough
to be attended to. He promises to atteno
to it and forgets it-he never thinks of i
until it begins to rain, and the water begini
to drop. and pals and tubs are in requisit,
to catch the superfluous moisture. Then
agonized and penitent, he flies to the hous'
of the carpenter, who promises to come, ant
forgets il likewise; and so on through sue
cessive showers and fioodings, till final.
there comes an avalanche of plasterng
which ruins the carpet and furniture under
neath and makes the question of mendinl
the roof no longer doubtful. Repairs O
some s9oo havo now to be DONE on accoun
of leak which the handy man would hay
stopped in two hours.
The handy man not only can do all thes
things which properly belong to mems dc
partment, but in case of sickness or othe
causes that disable the female part of hi
household, he can distinguish them in thei
peculiar department. He can cook nicely
no can make bread, and bake it so as ther,
after to be enabled to instruct the cook i
many points which have escaped IIibernia
observation. Ho can set a table and cI
bread with deft nicely that has been SUI
posed peculiar to female hands alone.
- We have insisted so far on handiness
men. AS general thing, there is moro
this property in women than in men. b,
there is very great want of cultivation
this faculty among women.
Tho ordinary class of servants whom v
receive into our houses are unhandy 10
degree that amounts to fine art. They n
really ingenious in finding unexpectt
wrong ways of doing thing. Placed
, we have described, in houses full of delica
and critical contrivances which require on
thoughtfulness and nice handling to Ike,
IS them In good working order, they are, son
q of them, quito remarkable in their capaci
for getting things out of order.
f. But in the same manner that it is desir
mt Bile that man should understand and
able to occasionally do the work of a wol
an, and as he can do it without bocomil
y, unmanly, so woman can learn to understal
and to do many things which pertain to Il
b" work of men, without becoming unwor
anly.
A woman who lives in the country, (
example, may sometimes be able to save
T. lifo by knowing how to harness or drive