Year: 1860




that time he had to hire an extra hand, besides
having the doctors bill to pay Itwas just so
all the way through When Il came to hay
ing he had to buy new rakes; the old ones
were gone to rack and ruin. Perhaps they
started with the loss of a few teeth or the
breaking Of bow; and so for the want of a
few tools to repair the break, he was obliged
to replace them with new ones. So in all the
departments Of his business, he was constant
ly meeting obstacles thatretarded his progress,
all for the want of few simple tools


One rainy day in the fall after harvesting
was over, johnson was Mt work in his tool
chamber when his neighbor Jones entered.


johnson" said the later, after he had
watched the movements oihis neghbor's plane
a few moments chow much did that sled of
yours cost; / have got 20 have one this win
ter"


30, that ccst me nothing; / made that my
self got out the timber last winter, so that
matters disposed Of and l feel proud of IT,
too. It's my first attempt"


"Well, neighbor johnson, | don't see how
in the world you get along so. Your farm
don't produce any mere than mine does, and
don't believe You work as hard as do. Your
wife does not make any better butter than
mine; your sheep do not grow any better wool
on raise more Irult, 10 De sure.


81 have not so many trees as you"


mo. But the fruit is of better quality,
and finds ready market"


"Yes, because have taken pains to obtain
the best gratis. My trees were the same as
yours when we started My cows give more
milk than yours do in the winter, for they
have a warmer barn. raise more pork than
you do, because my pens are tight and com
Portable, and so on"


"And / ,spose you are laying up money!"
muttered Jones.


Certainly am--about two hundred dol
lars a year."


$50 muchp' exclaimed Jones with a look
of surprise, why, | cant lay up single cent
in fact am running behind."


"Let me tell you secret" said Johnson
in the kindest and most neighborly manner
Last summer | saw you buying two new
rabes and two pitch forks. Now, how much
did all these cost your


"Lets see-two dollars and half
"Well now, some of my fork handles got
broke and so did some of my rakes. l brought
them up here, and when had leisure fixed
them up. There was so much saved Now
you have nothing to do to-day.


"No, indeed it rains too hard"


"But am at work making my apple boxes;
how are you going to get yours2'


"Grandison makes them for me, and am
TO give him barrel of apples.


(Which is as good as two dollars Now if
you hire as good sled as mine made, it will
cost you at least twelve dollars. You see how
these little things count up"


sand all this comes of your having tools to
work with, returned Jones, whose eyes were
beginning to open.





"Well; if / had tools / might save good
many sums in the course of a year, but new
er have money to spare for them. Why, these
tools of yours must have cost you more than
fifty dollars"


"Just about that"


"Then I'm mighty afraid l shall have to
scrape along with borrowed tools shall
never have that sum to spare"


"You don't understand Let me explain
the secret. | never should have gone with a
fifty dollar bill and bought these things
have procured one thing at time with my
grog and tobacco money"


"Grog and tobacco money" repeated Jones
with look of surprise.


Yes" said johnson with smile "NowI
am going to give you lecture; l am going
to give you the benefit of my experience.
The first year / began on a farm I used to
keep spirits by me, and every now and then
take drink to keep up my strength, l said
to myself In the long warm days, in haying
and harvesting, the bottle was patronized lib
orally. But finally began to see that it was
growing hard for me to resist, and so after
delberating upon the subject, / came to t'ae
conclusion that rum and tobacco did m no
good and might do me much evil and would
leave them off and so | did SO | CON .menced
laying up the money they cost me. | saw how
much might be saved if l could only do the
work myself | had been Obliged to pay for,
and so | began buying such tools as thought
would become handy.


"At the end of the first year found had
quite a collection, and it had all come from
money | might otherwise have drank and
smoked up, and felt healthier and happier
than the year before knew had laid the
foundation for future good. Time passed on;
my grog and tobacco money kept coming in.
1t was now hammer, then saw, then a new
augur, and another plane, bit stock, &c; till
now have an excellent stock of tools, and
they are not only source of great profit, but
solid comfort into the bargain | believe,
friend Jones, in giving up my grog and tobac-
co, have been great gamer, Now, do you
not think you would do as well without itY'
johnson" said Jones at leugth, after a pro
tracted silence, ~ wish you had told me this
long ago"


81 was afraid it might offend you; it is IA del
icate matter at best


~ know it, but Edwin Jones is not the man
TO be offended with neighbor for friendly ad.
vice"


Well said johnson with alook of extreme
qualification, 'its never TOO late 10 mend, and
| If you get in pinch where fifty or hundred
dollars will be of any use to you, come to me "
Mr. Jones thanked his friend with a suspi.
cious moisture shining in his eye, and shortly
after took his leave. The very next day he
went into town, and instead of reflling his
brown jug and empty box, he brought home a
new augur, aud proud and happy man was
he to be at work with his own tools Time
passed away, and he soon found himself the
owner Of quite little lot Of implements This
thing operated in many ways for good Now
that he had the ability to fix up his buildings
without borrowing tools, he began to take a
certain pride in doing il He reset bis win
dows, rooted his bee-house, built new pig-pens
tghtened his barn, and in rainy weather was
never without pleasant and profitable EN-
ployment His cattle do not break through
the barn floor now, and his cows give as much
milk, his bees make as much honey, his trees
yield as good apples as his neighbor johnson S
do, and all this is because he stopped his grog
and tobacco expenditure, bought his tools,
and left off depending upon his neighbors, and
so he is now a happy, thriving and contented
farmer