The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-06
Knowing How to do Things.

Henry Bell was brought up on farm. His
father was physician, but he had a large farm
on which he worked more or less, when pro-
fessional duties would allow, and he taught all
of his seven boys to work; and not one OF
them, even those in professional life, has ever
regretted this early training.
Henry from his boyhood, had great desire
to do everything he saw any one else do. lie
liked to spend his play-hours with the tools IN
his fathers shop, making bows and arrows,
sleds, boxes, etc., which he learned to make
very neatly. :,
In those days each family had their boots
and shoes made at home. shoemaker OF
cobbler, as he was then called, came with his
bench and tools on his shoulder, and spent
DAYS, and even weeks, making all the Doots
and shoes of the whole family for year.
Those occasions were full of interest to Hen
ry. He begged the privileges of going into the
chamber with the shoemaker, and learning
his trade. He very soon learned to peg and
sew and make himself quite useful in the work
To be sure, there were times in after years,
during his college vacations, when his knowl-
edge and skill in mending old boots and shoes
we're of more use to the family than of recrea-
tion to him. Still he has never regretted that
he came so near being shoemaker.
Henry had a great taste for the garden.
Raising all kinds of vegetables, flowers, shrub
berry, ETC., was his delight. While his broth
ers and the hired men were resting at noon
time in the summer, he would seek his rest
among his thriving beds of beets and carrots,
watching the growth of his melons and cucum,
bers, and enjoying the varied beauties and
sweet fragrance of his roses and plnks, etc.
And this interest in horticulture has grown
ever since, as every one can see who visits his
vine-clad home, in the midst of choice shrub
berry and ever-blooming flowers
This knowing how to do things, which Hen
~ SO early learned, has been an unfailing
source of pleasure, as well as practical bene-
fit, to him all his life. For the forty years he
has had home of his own, there has been
scarcely a week, or even day, when his
knowledge how to do things has not been of
service to him. There is hardly any little re-
pair or Improvement needed about the house
but he can make it. And while it is usually. a
pleasant recreation to lay aside his studies tor
short time, it is also an important matter OF
economy.
He is told that pane of glass, or the cord
of window, has been broken; there is a hole
in the bottom of tin dish, or the handle has
unsoddered; the pump, the clock, or the lock
on door or trunk, is out of order; or few
things need painting; all these things he can
usually repair and put in order, and do it in
less time than it would take to get the glazier,
tinker, pump-maker or painter to come and do
it; and at the same time he saves his dollars,
or his fifty cents, for every little job. A new
shelf, or bookcase, is wanted or trelis for
his clematis, honeysuckle, of grape-vines he
has work bench and tools in the barn cham
Der, and some hour, when he needs relaxation
and exercise, the work is done. His house
needs shingling, or new room is needed, and,
if be can spare little time from his study, he
can turn his skill to account in aiding the car
penter; and thus hundreds and hundreds OF
dollars have been saved to him by having
learned to be his own mechanic.
Now, boys is it not worth your while to be
learning to do things? All may not have an
equal tact, or naturally genius, for turning
their hand to almost everything. But every
one ought to know enough-no matter what
his employment in life is to be-not to har-
ness horse-if called to harness one in an
emergency-with his head towards the carriage,
or to put on a saddle wrong end foremost, or to
think he has done smart thing by making a
round button for door, or putting in screw
at each end of one that is properly made, as
some men with an honorary title at one or both
ends of their names have done.
We commend this subject of learning to do
things to the attention of all boys, and we pre-
sumo the girls, too, may find it greatly to their
advantage to be learning to do things in their
sphere in life Congregationahst.