Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-02

Six men were going home from
work together. They had been shing-
ling the south gable end of new
country house, and the owner, Bos-
ton man, had just telephoned down
that everybody might knock off work
at 8 O'Clock, so that those who wished
could take the o'clock train to town.
Most of the gang did wish this before
the Fourth of July, and they were
nearly all Boston men who had been
sent down by the building contractor.
The six shinglers came down their
ladder and walked away together.
Jim Fisher had his bicycle, but he
trundled it along by hand and walked
with his mates. They could still
hear hammers knocking in the great
house, where some of the boys were
lingering to end off part of the stand
ing finish in one of the lower rooms.
Work was being rushed and they had
set themselves stint, and Loyalty
stood by to close the thing just right.
IT never saw house put together
so quick" said sober-looking fellow
named Allison to Jim Fisher, who
turned to look back. "Quick's a
rooms parted off on 60 the laths, and
before the lathers get out the plaster
ers step in. Wonder the paperers
don't chase them right round the four
wet walls"
Takes some folks a good while to
find out that it's lust as cheap to pay
twenty men one day as tits to pay one
man twenty days." said Jim Fisher.
"There amt many bosses can han
die large crew to good advantage" "
said a wise, round-shouldered old
man, who wore spectacles at his work
and liked good political argument at
noon over his dinner pail. He was
the only one of the six who lived in
the town, and Charley Burrill had
boarded with him all the spring.
Charley Burrill was brisk-looking
Boston fellow who did a frst-rate
weeks work and dressed himself with
noticeable smartness on Sunday.
you're right there" said this
young man; "trouble's apt to be with
the boss. Last job was OH we were
standin' round most of our time wait
in an tumblin' right over one mother.
Men come down from the city with all
their solder furnaces, an riggin' to do
q piece O. the roofing before the roof
was boarded. There was one OF 'em
used to practice annie Laurie on a
cornet under the stone shed, an miss
the same note every time, till one day
q fellow went down out O. the third
story to break the old toot horn over
his head"
"Wish I was o boss" said Jim
Fisher cheerfully.
"No, you don't; not that kind, :"
said old Thorndike. "Tell you, I'm
older'n you boys be, and I've noticed
ever since l was a boy myself that
folks always done well that done their
fair days work, an all died poor that
had a spell O. thinkin' they were goin'
to get rich out O shirkin'. Nothin'
for nothin's pretty safe rule"
"Goin' to preach this comm Sum
day, elder?" inquired Jim Fisher,
with polite interest.
mo, I amt, SIR" answered Abel,
good naturedly. ''My ambitions all
run toward practicin'. I'm goin' to
celebrate the Fourth O. July, though;
perhaps you amt aware it comes to.
morrow, or do you have special one
O. your own up to Boston?"
"What are You going to do, elder?"
demanded Jim Fisher. The six men
had fallen into single file along the
narrow footpath, but Fisher stopr ed
and let the rest go by.
"What be goin' to do?" repeated
the old man, a little confused and
glancing at Charley Burrll "Well,
SIR, my folks can celebrate as we'll as
anybody round here, but 'twould seem
plain to Boston folks"
Don't let Charley spoil his nice
new clothes with snapcrackers said
Jim, and Charley Burrill blushed as
vas expected. He had said early in
he day that he was not going home
or the Fourth, and they all knew the
'esson. They had come to turn in