The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-12-10
RUlHS FATHER-IN-LAW.

A curious trade to take, but then it has
grown profitable. Things were at low
ebb with me when / took it up, while
now
There, | won't boast, only say that Pm
thankful for it, Poverty comes in at the
door, and love flies out of the Nindow, so
your poor people will be always 1nis-
erable, while according to my experienc,
your poor man is often more light-heartcd
than the man with thousands.
was at my wits ends for something t.
de, and sat nibbling my nails one day
grumblng horribly.
HDon't 10 ON like that, Tom," says m,
wIvA things might be worse
"How" | said.
"Why, We might have Luke at home
and he is doing we'll
Luke's our boy, you know, and we haC
got him into merchants office, where h,
seemed likely TO stay but was in grum
bling fit then, and there was a clickety
click noise going on in the next room thai
fdgeted me terribly.
"Things. can't he worse" i said, angrily t.
and | was going to prove IAyself in tn,
wrong by making her cry, when there wa
a knock at the door.
"Come in" said, and fellow lodgel
put in his head.
"AreyOu good at work, Mr.. Smith," he
said.
"What worS?" said; "frework
works ?"
"No, no / mean works of things as goes
with wheels and springs"
'Middling,' . said, for 1 was fond of
pulling .cl6cks to pieces and trying to in
vent.
81 wish you'd come and look at this sew
ing-machine of mine, for | can't get it to
go.
Sewing machines were newish in those
days, and | got up to have look at It, and
after about an hours fddling about it,
began to see bit of the reason why-the
purpose, you know; of all the screws and
cranks and wheels | found cut too, why
our neighbor's wif,-who was dressmakcr,
and had Just started one-could not get il
to go and before might, and by thinking,
and putting this and that together, had got
her in the way OF working it pretty stead
lily, though, with my clumsy fingers,
couldn't have done it myself.
/ had my bit of dinner and tea with these
, peRple, and they forced half crown upon
AZ as well, and / went back feeling like a
new mar, SO refreshing had heen that bit of
work.
"There, said my. wife, 81 told you some.
thing would come"
"Fell, so you did" said /, but the some
thing is rather small"
But the very next day-as we were living
in the midst of people who were fast taking
TO sewing machines-if the folks from the
next house didn't want me to look at
theirs and then the news spreading, as
news will spread, that there was somebody
who could cobble and tinker machines
without putting people to the expense that
makers would, if the jobs didn't come in
fast so that was obliged to get files and
drills and a yise-regulsr set Of tools by de-
grees and at last was as busy as a bee from
morning to night, whistllng over my work
as happy as a king
OF course, every now and then / got a
-breakage, but | could generally get ovel
that 10y buying a new wheel or spindle, or
what not. Next wegot to supplying shuttles
and needles and machine cotton. Soon after
! bought machine of a man who wA tired
of it. Next week sold it at good profit
bought another, and another, and sold them
then got TO taking them and money in ex
change for new ones; and one way or thu
other became regular big dealer as yor
see.
Hundred? Why, pew, secondhand anC
. WIN tiiooO bSiiB ASpttllSu upstairs bN INT
men, I've got at least 300 on the premises
while if anybody had told me fifteen year
ago that l should be doing this L shoulc
have laughed at him.
That pretty girl showing and explaining
the machine to a customer? That's Ruth
that ia. No, not my daughter-yet, but sh
soon will be- Poor girl, l always think 0
her and of bread thrown upon the waters a
the same time.
Curious idea, that, you will say, but III
tell you why.
In our trade we have strange people t
deal with. Most OF EN- are poor, and can
buy machine right of, but are ready an
willing to pay so much week. That suit
them, and it snits me. if they'll only kee
the payments up 10 the end.
You won't believe me, perhaps, but som