Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-04-07

UNCLE TINS TALENT Tim held
up his saw and squinted along the teeth
to see whether it was closing its set" lie
failed to decide, in his surprise at finding
that he was taking aim at the minister,
who stepped in range just at that moment,
on the street side of the fence. His eyes
came into gear again as he laid his saw on
the wood pile, and stepped up to the fence,
saying, "Well, it is queer. It's only Il
inmate ago | was thinkin' about you. |
was thinkin' what Il good sermon that was
you gave us last Sunday mornin', and how
| would tell you SO the first time | saw
YOU"
Uncle Tim was the wood-sawyer and
DAVIS work lactotum for the village. I'm
LEANED as he was, the minister always
missed him if he was absent from church
he was such helpful listener. And to
Uncle Tins compliment he replied, "you
told me what you thought of it at the time,
in the way you listened to it; though, for
that matter, you always seem to be inter-
ested don't suppose you know what Il
comfort such hearer is to n minister. If
all the congregation were like you,
think it would turn my poor sermons into
good ones"
Thank you," said Uncle Tim. 81 don't
always git the hang of every thing that S
said But should get less if | didn't give
attention An l always say to myself:
The minister he works hard to write his
sermons, an if folks don't listen to 'em
its pretty discouraging, An says, You
can t put much into the contribution box,
Tim, an you can't talk in prayer mcetn',
but you count one in listenin' you can try
TO preciate what other folks do"
"Ihe talent for approaching is IN excel
lent one to have" remarked the minister.
"Well, rs look at it, it's one rs ism
denied to nobody said Uncle Tim. AN
if it's the only one I've got I'll try not to
wrap it in napkin. When Deacon Mason
does me good by one of his experience
talks in prayer meetin', think it's no
more'n right than he should know it.
P'raps he has times of thinkin' that he
can't think of any thing worth while, and
it stands to reason that he can talk better
if he knows he's doing somebody some
good. An when Widder Hatch is maxim
such gritty fight to keep her children
together and give 'em an edicaton. think
mebce it makes it a little easier for her tc
stand up to it if Il neighbor drops word
of 'preciaton once in a WHILE"
The minister said nothing, but there
was look of" 'preciation' his facc,anC
!, Uncle Tim continued: " The other day
see the young school -maam was lookin
sober like. Imagined them big boys from
the Holler was worryin' the life out of her
An, didn't know how COLD help that
But ut noon | Just went do to th'
school house Il purpose to tell her how
nice our grandson was gettin' along witt
his 'rithmetic And she said it was bette
than half dozen cups of tea for cheering
, her up-she did. An when | see San
forl's boy take little Irish girls part tha
the other boys were tormentin', an the,
ieerin him, | went dp to him, an | says
Uncle Tins nothin' but q wood sawyer
but he knows enough to see that you'v
got the stuff of gentleman in you. Yol
see old folks don't notice the boy
t enough. An there's Jim Brady,a drinkin'
: card playin', shooting match creetur', VIII
: goes arounda IL good deal like dog with Oh
| any owner. He knows folks despise him
But Jim's right handy with tools, an whe
take my saw to him to have it filed. an
! tell him he does that job better than an
! other man know, | think it helps him t
have little. more respect for himself
, do. You see iL's dreadful easy to look q
t faults-at faults in children, faults in hire
folks, AN faults in. tavern keepers an fault
in PRAYER meotin's But as look at it We
do a great deal better to think more abou
the good things in EN-"
I You have the talent for appreciali1n,a
+ YOU call it," said the minister.
1 II dunno as that's quite the thing TO ca
it," responded Uncle Tim. MY wife, sl
saws to me once in while, It's nigh ont
fifty years that you've been telling me thu
YOU love me. An know you do; but
i. don't want you TO stop sayin' it. l war
A YOU to keep tellin' it rs well rs livln' 1t
q An guess it's not only II Ia lent OF 'pr'
! citation that's needed but talent OF tellll
). it"
v Uncle Tim screwed up his mounh io
another souint along his SAW teeth, ani Il
j minister walked away. .refecting how niue
u brighter and better the world would be
all of MS had the talent for approaching Il
rood things in others. and added to 10
appreciution Uncle Tins talent tell
Iit,"-J B. T.. MarSh, IN Christian WeeSt
y A Maine paper speaks OF ~ prayer =
IS centlv offered before the legislature Of tn