Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-04-27
The Man Who Kept Himself in Repair.

ONE of the best ideas we have met with
for long time, has been worked up into a
capital little book, bearing the above title.
Joseph Flicker was mender of boots and
shoes, so skillful in his line that he could
vamp, sole and heel, and turn out an old
friend as good as new. While busy mend
ing one day, the thought came into his
head, that, inasmuch as the tendency of
everything was, like boots and shoes, to go
to ruin q nd wear out, the great point which
men should aim at is to "keep a sharp
lookout and keep everything in repair" :"
Upon this principle in life Joe determined
to act. he might have branched out into
great variety OF thoughts, but that his at
tention was turned to rapping at the
door; and moment after there entered a
long, lanky looking man, with uncombed
hair, and dilapidated clothes and in his
hand he held the skeleton of pair of
boots
Here, Joe," said the lanky man, can
you make anything of these here boots :?
If any man in the parish can, you are the
man"
LET me see them," answered Joe
They're very far gone"
let them go too far" said the lanky
man; they We're prime boots; It's a pity
didn't Keep them In repair.
"'Tis pity you don't keep yourself in
repair" said Joe Flicker, looking at him
with glance as sharp as one of the points
OF bis avis. "'Tis pity, John Thatch,
that you don't keep YOURSELF in repair ?"
and he laid strong empasis on the word
yourself"
Jack Thatch looked hard at the cobbler
for few moments, holding the half-ske1-
eton, half-ghost like boots at full length
from him; and said in half-puzzled, half
boozy kind of way-"Joe Flicker, what
do you mean?"
Throw down those boots," said Joe ;
It's no use your trying to make them
stand up like respectable boots-throw
them down there, poor, ll-used creatures
and I'll tell you what I mean"
"'Tis my belief" said the cobbler,
that every man has only lease of him
sef-and that repairing one; and the
like of his wife and children! and tbs as
plain as that l have this shoe in my band,
that you arn't keeping yourself in repair p"
go on" said Jack Thatch. 1t does
man good to hear you talk; he! he! he
don't think I've been in repair for a
precious long time"
81 will soon go on" said the cobbler ;
whenever make beginning | always
u.
Now look at your hat-a hat is man S
roof; and yours wouldn't fetch sixpence ;
/ wonder you amt dead long before this,
with cold in your head. And look at your
coat; It's hanging in ribbons on your
back; and then your boOts-boOts might
be said to be mans foundations anyhow,
they're the lowest story; and from your
attic to your basement, you're out of
repair"
Go on, Joe," said Jack Thatch.
Yes, l will go on, John; and how do
you come to be out of repair? Why by
that horrid dram shop that you're always
at; and you'll never be in decent repair as
longas you go there"
well, you're in tidy repair anyhow,
said John Thatch, as he looked at the
cobblers shining face and decent clothes
and rolled his eyes round the comfortable
: little room.
So I am,' said Joe, I'm in what I call
agent calls decorative repair; that means
painting, and gliding, and such like fnery
but all good and solid-at least as good
and solid as I can make it; waterproof, you
know, and not hurt by wind or rain" !"
Thatn do now," said Jack Thatch
when will the boots be done?"
A time is fixed for the repair of the di
lapidated boots, and Jack goes away, Sc
rlously pondering over his friends earnest
words. He determines to see about get
ting himself repaired; and is confirmed in
his resolution by an adventure at the
Boar with the Shining Tusks," into
which public house he foolishly goes te
have a glass of beer. The half pint was
drawn and stood foaming On the counter
and Jack puts his hands in his ragged
trousers pocket, to find the wherewitha
to pay, but he had not penny and he be
gan to apologize to the landlady as hi
took the glass in his hands. But tina
glass of beer, Jack Thatch was never des
tined to drink; and very good thing i
turned out for him that he was not.
Stay, stay" said the landlady; stretch
of the glass; do you think, John Thatch
like to know how we can keep the roo
over our heads, and pay house rent ant
taxes, to say nothing of repairs, if we q,
on in this style; no! moi no more liquo
for you, MI. Thatch, except what you pa,
down for"
Poor Jack looked stupidity at the land
lady, who in return looked saucily at him
and slowly and sorrowfully turned ava
from the bar; while his beer was handle
over to a customer who was standing by
and who had put down the money on th
counter.
Repairs!' said Jack slowly to himsel
"repairs-she couldn't keep her house i
6 repair but for my money and that c
other drinking folks; and she does kee
her house in repair, doesn't she? ?" said hi
looking at the plate glass windows an
the bright new paint; {" she keeps tn
place in repair, and Joe Flicker says
don't keep myself in repair; one and on
make two" said Jack, "and putting thes
ones together, that I'm out of repair, ali
the Boar with the Shining Tusks' is a
ways looking span new, I'm of the opinio
that we can't both be in repair at the SAN
time and I'll leok to it and try whether
can't do myself up bit"
And so it comes to pass that Jac
Thatch keeps away from the public hous
and having received more good couns
from his friend the cobbler, he sets abol
keeping himself repaired in earnest. NJ
does the reformation end here. The co
bier has more to tell him about the way
: which he manages to keep his wife in T
pair as well as himself; and inspired /
words and by actions-by example
well as by precept-Jack sets about b
work manfully, until, by the blessing
God, the whole family, once SO wretcht
and degraded, become known far al
wide as prosperous and happy.-Engli
Paper.
Indians is said to have the large