Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-23
A Talk with. Boys and Girls about
Work.
ny THOMAS X. BEEcHER.

AM always sorry for man that knows
how 10 do bat one thing. have seen
many such men. | gave ten dollars 10 one
who could speak and write five or six Ian
guages and translate beautifully; but in the
middle Of hard winter he could not yet n
living ! remember another man no had
preached twenty five years, till his throat
failed him, and hc used to go round look
Ing very blue and sad, until people pitied
him and made little donation parties Tor
him, because he was good for nothing eN-
ccpi to preach. knew a lady once that
had taught school for twenty years I'LL she
was Il poor, nervous, brOkcn-down woman,
and really didn't know how to make dress
for herself | know "A man that wants to
keep store, and he sits with his thumb IN
his mouth waiting for store to come to
him to be kept. heard of minister who,
when his people gave him a horse and bug
py. had 10 wait for the deacon's wife To
come over and show him how to harness,
for he didn't know the bits from the crup-
per. Now, boys and girls, every real man
should know how TO do one thing right
well. and he ought to know how to do
great many things toleraby well. Every
wise farmer has principal crop; but he
always puts in little something else, SO
/ that il bis main crop fails, he will have
/ something 20 i've on, I,Dr,'t ,.,.-y. al your
7 eggs in one basket. Don't put all your
! money in one pocket II you want 10 get
along right well, learn one sort OF work To
/ get living by, and all sorts OF work to
! get along with when your one sort gives
I out.
! At West Point, where they take boys
and teach them to be perfect soldiers, they
have To learn, among other things, 10 cook
3 4 In. lpt ,,t.,
beds, and do their own sewing, and sweep,
and dust; because you know a sailor or
/ soldier never knows where his duty may
/ call him, and the man that knows how to
/ do the most things is the best sailor, the
, best soldier, that is to say, the most of IA
4 man.
never saw woman do mans work
! handily. but liked her all the better for
/ it, And never saw man do a woman's
/ work neatly, but | thought the more of
/ him. for YOU see that work Is something
| that needs to be done; and he who knows
how 10 do most viii have the best chance
| to make money, or, which is better still,
| make himself feel like "A useful man. For,
YOU see, if a man feels that he is OF no
| use in the world, except to be n bug in
crack, and If the crack widens, be scared
and drop, or If the crack closes be
/ pinched. hd is always anxious about that
crack, for fear that something is going to
happen. and that he viii be out in the
cold or else damned: such man can never
be happy, because he can neverfeel that he
amounts To much. But IL man feels
that, IL he must quit brick laying, he can
go TO shoemaking, and if he cannot make
shoes he can curry horses, he can lay side
walk, he can rake stones out OF the road, or
spade i'm the garden, or take care OF sick
folks, or scour old coats, he IL always sure
he can do something--that man will never
feel scared He will always have laugh
on his face People will be glad TO see
him. They will say, what a handy fellow
he il to be sure All sorts OF work, say
By the time YOU are 10 you can steal
(they call IL stealing but it is not
steaiine)-you can learn four or
We trades by keeping your eyes open.
You will learn one trade perfectly, and
work Mt il /: but you will learn four or five
trades and work at them little as you GO
along, and be wonderfully helped by them
when your own trade fails You will
learn from your mother how to help your
wife when you get one And girls, you
can learn from your father how TO keep
things moving when your husband takes
sick and is for weeks weaker than any
woman.
So then, what do you say, boys Sup
pose hereafter you do as the cadets do at
West Point--make your own beds every
morning till you can do II better than your
own mother can And girls, do you learn
to harness horse till you can do II as
quickly as your brother. And boys, learn
how TO make bread; and girls, learn how to
sharpen knife, and white, and drive
nails without splitting the board and boys,
learn how to hem towels, run stocking
heels, and patch your trousers /; and girls,
learn how to grease boots and wagon
wheels, TO lay shingles and ease the doors
when they stick Keep your eyes and
ears wide open. Learn TO do all sorts of
work. And whenever you see a chance TO
work or find work to be done just lend a
hand, whether you get paid for it or not.
And my word forit, you will grow hearty
and plump. handsome and happy. But,
best of all, you will have troops of friends,
because you will deserve them.