The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-09-23

/ am always sorry for a man who
knows how to do but one thing.
/ have seen many such men /
gave ten dollars to one who could
speak and write five or six Ian
guages and translate beautifully;
but in the middle of hard winter
he could not get living. / remem
Der another man, who had preach
ed twenty-five years, until his
throat failed him, and he used to
go around looking very blue and
sad until people pitied him, and
made up little donation parties for
him, because he was good for moth
ing but to preach. 1 knew a lady
once who had taught school for
twenty years, till she was a poor,
nervous, broken down woman. /
know a man that wants to keep
store, and he sits with his thumb
IN his mouth waiting to be kept
l heard of a minister who, when
his people gave him horse and
buggy, had to wait for the deacon s
wife to come over and show him
how to harness the horse, 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 several things
tolerably well. Every wise farmer
has a principal crop; but he always
puts in a little something else, SO
that if his main crop fails he will
have something to live on. Don't
carry all your eggs in one basket.
Don't put all your money in one
pocket. If you want to 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 out.
At West Point, where they take
boys and teach them to be perfect
soldiers, they have to learn among
other things, to cook, to make
bread, and their own beds, and do
their own sewing. and sweep and
dust, for you know sailor or
soldier never knows where his duty
may call him, and the man who
knows how to do the most things
is the best sailor, the best soldier
that is to say, the best man.
l never saw q woman do a mans
work handily, but 1 liked her all
the better for it; and l never saw
n Il
but l thought the more of him.
For you see, that work is something
that needs to be done, and he who
knows how to do most, will 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 bug
in crack, and if the crack widens,
be scared and drop, or if the crack
closes, be pinched; he is always
anxious about that crack, for fear
that something is going to happen
and that he will be out in the cold,
or else jammed. Such man can
never feel that he amounts to much.
But if man feels that if he cannot
make shoes, he can curry horses,
lay sidewalks, rake stones out of
the road, spade in garden, take
care of sick people, or scour old
coats; he is always sure he can do
That man will never
feel scared.
So, then. what do YOU say, boys?
Suppose, hereafter, you do as the
cadets do at West Point make
your own beds every morning, till
you can do it better than your own
mother can. And, girls, do you
learn to harness a horse till you
can do it 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 to grease boots and wagon
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 my
word for it, you will grow hearty
and plump, handsome and happy.