Year: 1864




every thing else in proportion. All this |
cared noning about, but somehow | felt out
Of my geqing in not having the right kind
of employment Wife did her best to coax
me into gintlemanly ways had the old me-
chanical crime all thoroughly scrubbed out
of my haIds-fnger nails cleaned out and
rounded47so as to make it appear that | had
never dom manual labor


Then Be mustget belinda couple of Nor
gan ponies which had purchased, and make
lI2SShlonabla calls in the day time on those
to sottCa ny voice and to be particular
about my grammar and the subjects talked
on, but sometimes forgetting myself | would
revel in the proud memory of the locks and
keys | had handled in happier days and
commence history Of my exploits in that
line when wife would look as though she
was going to sink though the floor. In
fact she wished to keep perpetual lock on
my lips $50 far as our sntecedents were con-
cerned) with the key her pocket. But l
sighed for the shop, and time hung heavily
on my hands, so that an hour spent in stu
pid listlessness about the house seemed long
ger to me than day did, when had orders
ahead for locks, and was diving hard to get
them finished at given tine. My young
est brother, who is college bred man and
lawyer, sent me at my request a fine collec-
tion Of books on all imaginable subjects, so
that my library outshone that of the parson
or indeed any other man in the place; but
| found | had no more taste to sit down and
read than had for trimming currant bush
es. Time was after had finished hard
days labor at the shop, when an hour at
books was a real solace, and | also believed
an occasion Of improvement. Then envied
those whose leisure allowed them to feast on
books perpetually but the mistake | made
was in failing to discriminate between the
mental habits and requirements Of the pre-
fessed student, and those Of the working
man.


In this wretched manner did time at my
country seat drag heavily along. Visiting
was a perfect bore, for not feeling the slight
est interest in such masculine topics as corn,
grubs and manure, and caring less for the
feminine ones of dress and local gossip, |
didn't know what to talk about Books set
me to sleep, and not having the society Of
my two boys, who were off at boarding
school, l became fully satisfied that nothing
to do was equal to having everything to suf-
fer


My mQ5t delightful place of resort was
blacksmith's shop, some two miles from the
house, where occasionally I'd handle the ham
mer, and cang little on the anvil, but wife
making the discovery one day that my hands
were getting grimy again, | was obliged to
own up tie cause of it, and this to my sor-
ro,,, ,,-,o a,,ooooJo1 h., n ,osi+ivo hrobibiton
on her part from taking any more exercise
at the forge After this, when would ride
past the shop, behind my prancing Morgan
horses the tears would start from my eyes at
my being debarred the only employment
which was in the least adapted to my taste or
capacity.


But, Cousin Aleck, to shorten my story,
wife perceiving that my unhappiness was
increasing at last consented to move back to
town, and let me resume my business. l
had no difficulty in renewing an arrange
ment with my old partner, and hence you see
me hard at work, and happier than the Pres
ident l am perfectly able in a pecuniary
point of view, to live without work, but have
learned to my satisfaction two important
truths First, that we never enjoy ourselves
so we'll as when we are usefully employed
and second there is no occupation, on the
whole, for which we are so well fitted as to
that which we have long been accustomed,
and which has hence become to us, asit were
a second nature"


was much pleased with the good sense
of 'Emy wife's cousin" as evinced in the
small section of his autobiography which he
had given me, and very soon after he had
finished it we reached his dwelling. If his
shop was dingy, there was no dinginess here.
The edifce was built in the Philadelphia
style, having large dining-room back Of
the two parlors, and a noble kitchen in the
rear of the dining-roOm. The whole floor as
well as the airy and pleasant rooms above
stairs, were probably adorned with a better
description of furniture than was owned by
the Governor Of Pennsylvania. Everything
was in perfect order, and although the lock-
smiths wife was somewhat uppish in her
notions, 1 soon perceived that she was cap
ital housekeeper, and that my friend was
proud of his house, and proud Of his wife,
and proud of his two sons, who had come
from boarding school to spend the vacation.
| found that these lads were quite intelligent
ana IudJ Gu6y were DOIu lubSuuCu 4Ol INC
learned professions.


While one of them entertained me with
some music on parlor organ, the worthy
smith begged of me to excuse him for few
moments, after which he reappeared in per-
fectly clean linen and a suit of dainty black.
We supped at a table spread with the ut
most profusion, and in the evening some
company coming in, conversation and music
filed up the passing hour. [ was deeply
interested, and concluded that "my wife's
cousin" the locksmith and bell-hanger was
a wise man, and that unwittingly he had dis
covered the true philosophers stone Daily
work was as necessary as his daily bread,
and toll of the shop only served to enhance
the pleasures and recreations Of a refined and
happy home On taking my leave realized
that had been taught valuable lesson
Employment is the healthful lot of life, and
he that would seek happiness in state of
perpetual repose, betrays a profound igno-
rance Ofthe beneficial laws which govern his
being.