Year: 1876

A rural resident man being told that
there were several pieces of tin which
needed mending conceived the idea of
getting an iron and solder, and of do
ing the mending himself. His wife
filled with vague forebodings, perhaps
said that the expense was such tritie
that it would hardly do to do it one
self. To which he responded:


"I'll admit that in this one instance
it will not pay. But there is something
in want of repair every little while;
and, ii I have the tools here for fixing
it, we are saved just so much expense
right along. 1t may not be much in
the course of a year; but every little
helps, and in the course of time the
total will amount to nice little lump.
We don't want the Astors Juggling off
all the money in the country-by gra-
ciousw


He got the iron Zone dollar) fifty
cents worth of solder, and ten cents
| worth of resin. He came home with
these things and went into the kitchen,
looking so proud and happy that his
wife would be glad he got them, were
it not far an overpowering dread of an
impended muss. He called for the ar
ticles needing repair. His wife brought
out pan.


Where's the rest ! Bring 'em all
out, an let me make one job Of 'em
while I am about it,


He got them all and seemed disap-
pointed that there was not more of
them. Pushed the iron into the fire,
got milkpan inverted on his knee, and
with the solder in his hand waited for
the right heat.


"The iron cost only one dollar, and
it'll never wear out, and there's enough
solder in this piece to do twenty-five
dollars worth of mending," he said to
his wife,


Pretty soon the iron was at the right
heat, he judged. He rubbed the resin
about the hole which was to be repaired,
held the stick of solder over it, and
carefully applied the iron. It was
an intensely interesting moment. His
wife watched him with feverish interest.
He said, speaking laboriously as he ap-
piled the iron, "The only thing I re-
gret about it is that did not think of
getting this before We" Then as
cended through that ceiling, and went
up to the vault of heaven, the most aw-
full yell that woman ever heard, and on
the instant the soldering iron flew over
the rtove, the pan went Gathering across
the floor, and the bar of solder struck
the wall with such force as to smash
right through both plaster and lath.


And before her horrifed gaze danced
her husband in an ecstacy of agony
sobbing and screaming, and holding on
to his leg as desperately as If it were
made of solid gold and studded with
diamonds.


"Get the camphor! why don't you p
he yelled, "Send for the doctor! Oh!
oh! Tn a dead man!' he shouted.
Just then his gaze rested on the SOL
dering iron. In an instant he caught
it up and hurled it through the window
without the preliminary of raising the
sash.


1t was not long before the thorough
" frightened and confused woman
learned that some of the molten solder
had run through the hole in the pan on
his leg, although she knew from the
first th.t something of all unusual ma
ture had occurred. She didn't send
for the doctor. She made and applied
the poultices herself to save expense.
She said:


"We don't want the Astors Juggling
off all the money in the country-by
gracious!'


"Come. Maria, don't be cunning?'
he sheepishly expostulated.