The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-05-13
A Little of Everything.

"I WISH, John, you would drive few
nails for me in the wood-house out here"
said Maggie to her brother. 81 have
been wanting them this long time, but
always forget to ask you"
"Why not drive them yourself, Mag
gie?" asked her father.
"Why, don't know how, father" she
said in some surprise.
"Thirteen years old is none too young
to learn" said her father. 81 guess the
boys could drive one by the time they
were seven. You are certainly as capable
as they were at that age?" he added with
| a smile.
"But l don't believe l could do boys
| work." she said doubtfully.
You have two good hands and ten
plump fingers just the same as they, and
it is all mistake that girls can't learn
| these little arts just as well as their
brothers. Come, my girl, l will show
you in minute how it is done, and half
| a dozen times practice will enable you to
beat the boys l have observed that you
are much quicker to learn anything than
they are. Go on mending your harness,
| John, we will attend to the nails"
Encouraged and minutely instructed
by her father Maggie drove in all the
nails successfully, and so pleased was
she with her success that she would
have set a double row around the shed,
| 7 CO. loI ,Dnnln1nl hot
these would answer for the present.
"There, that little lesson helps to
make you ;more independent, my girl.
If you want nail put in you will not be
obliged to wait for any of the men folks
| to do it. That is a comfortable sort OF
independence which l wish the woman's-
rights folks would inculcate more than
they do Now / will teach you some
day to catch and harness up horse.
You have already learned to drive a
gentle horse. l don't want you to try
your hand on Lion OF Billy, for they
might cut up, and you are not strong
enough to hold them. But it is very
handy for woman to know how to drive
a gentle horse. She can, many time,
do little errand to the village if she has
some knowledge of this sort when she
would have to wait long time before
man was at leisure to go. Learn to
sharper a knife and whittle, too, without
cutting your fingers.
Don't let the doors creak for want of
an oiled feather, or little children's boots
get hard in winter for want of little
grease Be handy about these little
things and you will be twice as indie
pendent and comfortable all the rest OF
your life.
"You too, boys, might learn to advan-
tage how to make your beds and sweep
room and sew up bag on the sewing
machine Don't ask anyone TO sew on a
button for you when there hangs
cushion with needles in it and mothers
| thread-basket so handy.
GA little cooking will never hurt you.
Many beefsteak and fresh fish have
cooked in my day, and mother says l
can beat any girl making pot OF coffee.
| don't often get chance to try nowa-
days, but have seen the time when my
knowledge of the business came just in
play.
"No telling where you may be cast
away some time in your life.. The most
helpless folks have ever met are those
who can do only one sort of work Learn
to do some one thing very well indeed
and make that your dependence for
living, then add to it just as much skill
and knowledge as you can. 1t costs
nothing to carry knowledge"