Manchester Democrat., 1910-02-02
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After the old man passed us,
turned and looked at him again.
Who is that?" asked.
Macy" said my friend, "a car
penter.''
Where does he live?'
Il don't know exactly. over ON the
west side somewhere, I believe"
From the minute / saw him felt
! must know him. There was some
thing unusual about him. That was
no ordinary man, even II he did wear
q workman's garb
have several times formed sud.
den attachments for men, and have
never been sorry. So / felt no re-
luctance in following the impulse
that set me to inquiring the next
afternoon for Macy, the carpenter.
found the place, six-room cot
tage with a good yard. A little to
one side and back Of the house was
small building that appeared to be
. workshop.
It was after work hours, and they
had told me would probably f1nd
him there.
did not knock at the house, but
, went across the yard to the other
building and stepped in. The old
man was dressing walnut board.
He did not stop or inquire my busi-
ness. but talked along in the friend
lest sort of way as he planed the
board. i sat on one end Of the
bench and watched him work, and
listened to his shrewd, good-humored
observations.
1t was the brightness OF his eye
and the lines of happiness in his
face that had first attracted me.
When an old man, especially one
q who has toiled, loves life as this one
did, there is something about him
worth knowing.
You love your work." said.
"Yes.' he replied, and laid down
his plane; "but there is one thing
about 1t don't like. People want
poor work and ugly work. The houses
we have to build are mostly ugly and
inconvenient Then they use such
: poor material, and build on such
shaky foundations. have to do It
because they demand 1t, and that is
my daily bread. A look of regret
was on his face.
THAT is a beautiful piece OF wood. I"
/ said. running my hand over the.
smooth walnut board. ..I have almost
a passion for wood
80 have l." His eyes lighted up.
II have some fine pieces. Let me
show you.'
He brought out of big box a
dozen or more specimens OF wood
live-oak, white oak, mahogany,
hickory, cherry, cedar, all Of unus.
ual flneness, and carefully dressed.
"Do you know" asked, when we.
finished examining them, why I
came up here? wanted to learn
your secret. / met you on the street
yesterday, and knew at once from
the light in your face that you had
learned some excellent way Of life.
Something that has kept you In love
with your work and the world"
He laughed. little embarrassed.
4 Young man." dle said. after a mo.
ment, "there isn't any secret about
It. i don't know that / can tell YOU
exactly what you want to know.
but 1t seems like this to me
When / was young fellow, a no
ticed nearly everybody wanted to do
one thing, and had to do another to
make living. Generally they got
sour, and hated the work they had
to do. i always loved wood, and
II was my notion to make something
perfect out of it. had to work at
the carpenters trade to make liv,
ing, but l fitted up place here, and
when the day of doing ugly work
was over. I'd come in here and work
out my own idea"
"And where is some of the work."
asked, eagerly
'It's in there" He pointed to q
back room.
May see?"
He took a key out OF the watch.
pocket Of his overalls and unlocked
i the door.
do not remember that any pic
ture or painting ever gave me the
entire satisfaction that felt on look.
ing round that room.
Here. worked out in loving pa
tience, was the expression of mans
life. It was more than poetry, more