The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-09-24
HAn Axe to Grfnd.o

San Axe to Grind.''
The story am going to relate is not
parallel of what happened to that grand old
statesman Benjamin Franklin; but it is equ-
was told to me when l was too young to
fully appreciate its significance. But as
time rolled on and became of an age when
l had to shift for myself an incident recalled
this story to my mind, and 1 need scarcely
add that my condition made the truth the
story is intended to convey all the more
clear. The story is to the effect that a
woodsman while going to his work passed
near where young man was engaged in the
same line of work. The young man was
working in very industrious manner in his
bare sleeves and the sweat was streaming
down his face despite the fact that the
weather was quite cold. But for all his
energy he did not have much to show for
his effOrts-the result of a dull axe. AS
the elder came up to where the other was
working he stopped to chat few minutes,
during which the young man still continued
his labor. Finally the elder man asked
why he did not quit work for half day and
grind his axe. The reply was that he could
not afford to lose that much time. Where
upon the other removed his own axe from
his shoulder, and handed it to the young
man with the remark. TRY this one and
see how easily you can make up for what
time you would spend in grinding your
own" The lad took the axe. and few
moments suffced to convince him that it
would not pay to continue his task with
dull axe. and the result of course was that
he took the advice offered and ground his
axe. But somehow he could not Danish the
incident from his thoughts. Each day as
he continued his labor the dull axe incident
would crowd into his thoughts and set him
to thinking earnestly, till finally the fact oc-
cured to him that he had another axe" that
needed grinding. He had left school in Or
der to get to work and make start in life,
but the dull axe' argument convinced him
that he was beginning at the wrong place
and that dull education was worse than
dull axe to work with. So he resolved to
grind his education, and right we'll did he
carry out that resolve. He worked his way
through college and to-day Qf he is among
the living). with title of prof" pretiXed
to his name. is helping others to grind their
"educatiOnal axe"
1t seems more than passing strange that
so many people will deliberately throw
away tuc opportunities Opcu W GuClu
for improvement and sink into mental
tOrpor, while others will battle against
seemingly insurmountable obstacles and
eventually reach the top round of the lad
der. 1t is very strange that in an institu.
ton like this. with some three hum
dred inmates, that only a score or little
more will avail themselves of the oppOrtu
mites afforded by the c. l.. S. G. when it is
almost a moral certainty that it may be
their last chance to improve their neglected
education. 1t may be that some of our num-
Der are loathlto give up their stories of roman
tic fiction for lot of dry reading-as they
seem to imagine the study of history and
literature to be- 1t is time wasted to argue
with those who hold this view of the mat
ter. for if they could be induced to join the
Chautauqua circle they would be likely to
drop out, and thus be a drawback to the
good influence of the circle. The circle is
open to all who have sufficient education to
begin with. and if they once become inter.
ested in the studies it will be no easy task
to convince them that they will not be ben
Gifted by casting aside those light and unin-
structive works of fiction which only help
to while away few weary hours.
FRANCIS.