Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-07-29
NUMBER 81.
WHITEWASHING A FENCE.

guardian, Aunt Folly, Is by that sternly
atiectionatc dame punished by being set
to whitewash the fence in front of the
garden. The world seemed hollow
mockery to Tom, who had planned fun
for that day, and who knew that he would
be the laughing-stock of all the boys
when they came past and saw him set TO
work like II "nigger." But great in
spiration burst upon him and he went
TRANQUILITY to work. What that inspira7.
ton wNs will appear from what follows
Ono of the boys, Ben. Rogers comes by
and pauses, eatinga particularly fine APP
Pile. Tom does not see him. Ben. star
ed moment and then said;
"Hi-yi! You're up II stump, amt you?"
No answer. Tom surveyed his last
touch with the eye of an artist, then he
gave another gentle sweep and surveyed
the result ms before. Ben. ranged up
alongside of him. Toms mouth watcred
for the apple, but he stuck to his work.
Ben. said
Hello, old chap, you got to work,
hey ?"
"Why, is it you, Ben wasn't notic-
ing"
"Say, I'm going in swimming, am.
Don't you wish you could2 But, of course
you'd rather work, wouldn't you ? Course
you would"
Tom contemplated the boy bit, and
said
"What do you call work %
Tom resumed his whtcwashing and
answered carelessly:
"Well, may be it is, and may be it
amt. All know is, it suits Tom Saw
yer"
"Oh come now, you don't mean to lot
on that you like ?"
The brush continued to move.
"Liko it? Well, | don't see why |
oughtn't to like it. Does boy get
chance to whitewasha n fence every day ?"
That put the thing in new light
Ben. stopped nibbling his apple, Tom
swept his brush daintiy bacll and forth
stepped back to note the cllect-addcd
touch here and there-critiGised the effect
again, Ben. watching every move, md
getting more and more Interested, moro
and more absorbed. Presently he said
"Say, Tom, let mo whitowash II lit
tle."
Tom considered was about to consent,
but he altered his mind
4 4
do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful
particular about this fence-right here on
the street, you know-but If it was II
back fence, | wouldn': mind and she
wouldn't. Yos, she's awful particular
about this fence it's got TO bo done very
careful | reckon there ain't one boy in n
thonsand may be two thousand, that can
do it in the way it's got to be done"
No-is that so Oh, come now, lem
me just try, only just little. I'd let you,
il you was me, Tom"
:" Ben, I'd like to, honest injun but
Aunt Polly-well, Jim wanted to do it,
but she wouldn't let him. Now don't
you see how nm fixed? If you was to
tackle this fence, and anything was 10
happen to it"
"Oh, shucks (; III be just MS careful.
Now emme try. Say-l'll give you tho
core Of my apple"
"Wel here. No Ben; now don't;
I'm afeard--"
am give all oft ~
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance
in his face, but alacrity in his heart.
And while Ben worked and sweated in
the sun, the retired artist sat on barrel
in the shade close by, dangling his legs.
munched the apple, and planned tho
slaughter of more innocents. There was
no lack Of materiGl (; boys happened along
every little while they came to jeer, but
remained to white wash. BY the time
Ben was tagged out, Tom had traded the
next chance to Billy Fisher for kite in
good repnir and when he played out,
Johnny Miller bought in for dead rat
and II string to swing it with and 80 on,
and so on, hour after hour. And when
the middle of the afternoon came, from
being poor poverty-stricken boy in the
morning. Tom was literally rolling in
wealth. lie had, besides the things |
have mentioned, twelve marbles, part OF
a jewshap, piece of blue bottle glass to
look through, spool cannon, II key that
wouldn't unlock anything, n fragment Of
chalk, glass stopper Of n decanter, tin
soldier, couple of tadpoes, six lrecrack-
ers, kitten with only one eye, brass
door-knob, dog collar--but no dog
the handle of II knife, four pieces of or
ange peel and dilaptated old window
sash. He had had nice, good, idle
time all the while-plenty Of company
and the fence had three coats of white
wash on 1t !" If he hadn't run out OF
whtewash he would have bankrupted
every boy in the village.
Tom said to himself that it was not
such hollow world after ill. He had
discovered great law Of human action
without knowing it, namely, that, IN or
der to make a man or II boy covet thlng,
IL is ONLY necessary to make the thing
difficult 10 attain. If he had been great
and wise philosopher, like the writer ot
this book, he would now have compre-
bended that work consists OF Whatever
body is Obliged to do. And this wouH
help him to understand why constructing
artificial flowers. or performing tread
mill, is work, whilst rolling nine-pins or
climbing Mount Blanc is only nmu'e-
ment. There are wealthy gentlemen IN
England who drive four-horse passenger
coaches twenty or thirty miles on daily
line, in the summer, because tho piivi-
lepe costs them considerable money but
II they we're offered wages for the service,