The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-17
HAHDIHESS.

Handy 10 Have IN the House.
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, In an or.
tIcle on 1.-THE Handy Man." In Hearth
and Home. says:
A handy man Is SO practIced In tho
regulation OF the little utilities Of the
honse he lnhablts, that by a slight touch
here and thRfe-A screw turned here and
screw loosened there, and q nail drIv.
en- In time-he keeps all working
smoothly, and averLS those domestic
catRstrophies and break downs OF hIch
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 meddllng Of children and the Dor.
rowing OF the careless. Is O pane OF
glass shlvered on q cold day, the I'M.
handy man first Stufs It with q bundle,
or pastes 1t over with newspaper, and
then PUSHES TO GLACIERS, who OF course
Ia not ~ home, or who says he will
come and mend 1t Immediately, and
doesn't oome-meanwhile the wind
blowing In gives the baby the Group,
and the mother q severe cold.
The handy man, on the contrary,
has his diamond, his measuring rule,
his putty, all In readiness at moment y
notice. and the replacing Of u pane OF
glass Is au affair OF u quarter OF au
hour, before he goes TO his Office or
store,
There springs leak In the Joint Of a
hRI a. FNtFN Tkn
his soldering tools and kettle, and 1t is
stopped In moment, while the un.
handy man Is running up town after a
plumber. .. 800 I0. -.~
The handy man has no small bills to
pay to any kind OF mechanic, for he
stops every leak 10 It's commencement,
and replaces every screw the moment
II IL loose. ...# ..s .r..
A piece OF veneering starts on the
sldebOard door. The handy man has
an invisible brad OF precisely the size
to drive In this place-it is done In a
moment. The unhandy man sees tho
crack widening day by day, In imbs.
ellie despair. Finally. tho molding
falls of, and leaves a long unsightly
seam.
There Is one loose screw In one OF the
hinges OF the wardrobe 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 unskilllul hands OF
green Erin, tears of altogether, with
such a wreck and crush Us make 1t
necessary to send the wardrobe 10 the
cabinet maker, or bring the cabinet
maker 10 the wardrobe. What Jour.
neys and consultations of the hapless,
unhaudy man.
In like manner, there is a leak some
where In the roof Of the house, and
every time that 1t rains, through this
leak, In some mysterious manner, the
water drops down through the ceilings
OF the rooms. The unhandy man is
exhorted by his wife that this ought 10
be attended TO. He promises 10 attend
to It. and forgeLs lt-but never thinks OF
1t until 1t begins TO rain, and the water
begins to drop, and pals and tubs are
In requisition to catch the aupertluouA
moisture. Then, agonlzed and peni-
tent, he files to the house carpenter,
who promises 10 come, and iOrgets 1t
likewise; and 10 on through successive
showers and floodings, I'LL finally there
comes an avalanche Of plasterIng, which
ruins the carpet and furniture under
meath, and makes the question Of
mending the roof no longer doubtful,
Repairs OF some 5000 have now 10 be
done, on account OF a leak which the
handy man would have stopped In two
houre. Ns'. Q ~. VI - I.'I!f III
Tho haDdr NAV nj anIn a.. A. ~
these things which properly belong to
mems department., but, In case Of sick.
ness or other causes that disable tho
female part Of his household, he can
distinguish himself In their peculiar
department. He can cook ineligible
can make bread, and bake 1t 80 rs
thereafter 10 be enabled to instruct the
cook In many points which have es.
capped Hlbernian observation. He can
set table and cut bread with a def
nicely that has been supposed peculiar
to female hands alone.
We have insisted so far on handlness
In men. As general thing, there Is
more OF this property In women than In
men, but there IL q very great want Of
cultivation OF this faculty among wo>
men, @
The ordinary class OF servants whom
we receive Into our houses are unhandy
to degree that amounts to fine art.
They are really Injurious In finding
unexpected wrong ways OF doing q
thing, Placed AZ we have described in
houses full Of dellcate and critical con.
trivances which require only thought
fulness and nice handling TO keep them
In good working order, they are, some
ofthem, quite remarkable In their ca
paclty for getting things out OF order. q.
But In the same manner lthatiti de-
sirahle that a man should understand
and beableto occasionally do the work
OF a woman, and as he can do 1t with.
out becoming unmanly, so women can
learn 10 understand and to do many
things which pertain to the work OF
men, without becoming unwomanly.
Awomau who lives In the country,
for example, may sometimes be able 10
save q lie by knowing how to harness
or drive q horse, 1t To- of course. not a
proper feminine employment, but It Ia
u thing quite easily learned, and the
knowledge OF which may come in play
In exigencies, ..- .rt.l0I'
We think 1t would be an advantage
for women 10 learn to use tho more Or
binary tools OF a earpenter-the plane,
the gimlet, the screw, and the screw.
driver-in which case they might stop
many Of the little domestic leaks we
have indicated. T.lhTE EGTT(J,j
II should be an object In educating
children OF both sexes, to encourage 4
versatile handlness. II there Ia child
who Is peculiarly unhRndy, the parents
should stimulate that child 10 endeayor
to reclify this defect, to become skIllful
and deltsrous. Children should be en-
Outraged and guided In any inclination
they may have TO construct and 10
make and to mend. Mothers should
train boys, while they are little, 10 do
the work Of women, by way Of giving
versatility and righteousness 10 the use
OF their hands. I753
And We thiak girls might, with ad-
vantage, learn to do some OF the work
OF boys, with the view ofAtrengthenIng
their hands. Each sex would be the
better for acquiring little somethIng
from the other. E-
IT IA RlHiad that Mru f1hnnk roVdo