The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-10-04


wood to sit on. Then he went into
the house aud brought out chair t6
sit on himself. Then he sat down and
took the boiler on his knees and look.
ed at tho hole long and earnestly
whistling softly the whole while.
He rose and went ont to the shed
and piece OF lead pipe and a pewter
spoon and q chisel. Returning, he
scraped the bottom of the boiler very
clean around the hole. Then he went
into the kitchen aud got a big iron
spoon, which he filled with bits ol
pewter and lead pipe and proceeded
to melt the same ut the kitchen fire. II
was very warm. and as Mr.. Throck.
morton pOked the lead with piece OF
stick, to encourage it to melt, he al
most wished he had sent for the tin.
ner. When it was melted he went
out to the little improvised workshop
on the side of the porch. He set the
spoon down on the floor and propped
it up with bits of stick while he picked
up the boiler and set it on his knees.
Then he thought of the resin. He had
not used it yet, and he knew that the
tinkers always used it for some pur-
pose or other. He pondered over it
tor moment, and then, rubbing it on
his fingers so as to get firm hold of
the spoon, he picked that article up,
and made as though he would pour
the molten lead ont on the hole.
1t was hard and nearly cold, thank
you.
When Mr.. Throckmorton LAID the
boiler down, to 60 into the kitchen
again, it brought Mrs. L. and the
children to the door to see if he had
fallen down. He propped the spoon
up in position on the hot Goals, and
then seized with another inspiration,
went out to his tool chest and brought
back with him brace and bit, the
bench plane, and the dental forceps,
and rilroad spike, and bestowed
them around the porch in picturesque
COutoSlOHs hCh hC w Cut III 0uu IbICk>
cd up the spoon. 1t was very warm
as to the handle and he dropped it
with a shout that made the windows
rattle.
While he was melting the next
spoonful, not a soul dared stay in the
kitchen. The domestic looked In
,h,o,uh Tho ,r;u1oxu oo1 oou, a ,r.oot
lump of resin melting OH her clean
hearth, filling the room with odor and
smoke; she saw Mr.. Throckmorton
running the the iron spoon, she saw
him take a clean dish towel to hold
the spoon with. She saw him take
the kitchen fork to stir the reluctantly
melting mass, she saw him throw
everything he used down on the floor,
and she hardened her heart against
him and wanted to kill him.
Mr.. Throckmorlon went out, seated
himself, got the boiler in the right po-
sition, poured on the lead successfully,
smiled at his work for moment, and
triumphantly carried the boiler into
the kitchen and set it on the table. In
answer 10 his shouts, the family and
servants came in.
'There" he said, pointing to his
work.
They looked. They did not smile !;
they did not praise him. They only
looked and wondered.
"There," said Mr.. r., as he began
gathering up his tools, ''there's ten
cents saved and the job as we'll done
as any timer in Burlington can do it."
But his audience giggled in very
annoying manner, and Mrs. 4. said
timidly:
"But can't see where you have
mended it."
The handy man dropped his utensils
with a crash, strode into the kitchen
and pointing to the boiler was about
to exclaim with great haughtineas,
s'rhere," when his jaw dropped and
an expression of amazment crept over
his face.
There wasn't sign of lead or pew
ter about the boiler. 1t had dropped
Off while he was carrying his work in
to the kitchen.
ThenMr. Mr.Throckmorton commanded
that they should heat the kitchen fire
he heated. He went out to the wood
shed and came back with an adze, q
two foot rule. a lamp top three screws,
a gimblet, and piece of string. He
said the hole was too small, 1t would
not take the solder. So he punched it
larger with the file, until he could run
lead pencil through it. Then he car
ried out the big spoon full of molten
metal, he set the boiler on his knees,
he made little dam of clay around
the hole to keep the lead from running
away, and then he emptied the spoon
fair in the hole and then
But who can paint the gyratiOns of
a strong man with u spoonful of new
solder in his shoe! Who can depict a
ty oyer the dreadful scene. Let us
coYer from gaze the fruitless cries for
human sy mpathy and assistance. wreck
ed aud battered boiler, the back yard
strewn with utensils of tho various
trades, let us cease to contemplate the
figure of frenzied man, dancing on
one foot with the other high in the
air, let us not think OF the things that
were broken, including command
ments. Let us, in charity, forget all
aud drop tear for the handy man.
burlington Hawkeye.
NEVER fOrsake friend. WheI
enemies gather around, when sickness