Year: 1870

I'll tell YOU how to tell genus men u
fellow wants to do a thing so much that the
very thought of it is meat and drink, and the
thought Of giving on it up is torment, and
no discouragements prove any real hlndran-
ces, then that fellow has got real genius, and
it's best to let it work. for he's clean split for
ANYTHING else. Now | couldn't be anything
else than a carpenter and joiner. | am no
great genius, however. I've got my trade,
and I'm used to it, and it's all know. Rash
was genius never see no neater work,
in a small way, than he used to turn out O.
them bits of half and quarter inch stuff.
Horatio was getting to be large boy,
when some connection died and left him q
matter o. five hundred dollars. 1t was to be
used at his mothers discretion either kept
till he was twentv-one, or spent on his eddl-
cation.


Mrs. Hennings, she decided at once that it
should help him through college. She could
help out the balance, somehow; and it SEEM
ed like the good old days of the governor
and senator come again, when she could talk
about ''collcges.' - and so forth.


So one evening, as he was setting by her,
reciting his Latin to her, she Just began the
subject, and Rash told HE all about it next
day Rash said he never saw no one so beat
as his mother was, when he told her he
SnOulullJ l tOuCU llldL HlOllC1, cut tttSl IT'S SOOH
as 1 thought him old enough, he was going
to learn trade


"a trade And what trade ?"


"Nhy, carpenter and joiner, to be sure.
love that sort of work, and Jack Playne
SAYS I'll do well at it,


But, my dear son, what ever made you
think of learning that trade? There never
was carpenter in our family, and, in fact, |
don't think they ever amount to very much"


"Why, my dear mother" said Rash, ''you
forget; wasn't our own Saviour one? and
don't that make the craft honorable forever?"


True, my dear child. Yours is a just re-
proof; and yet our Saviour did not choose
his humble calling. 1t was lesson of
obedience which he was taught by submitting
to his parents necessities. His work had
been fixed and fitted for him before the
foundation of the world. But for you, my
dear boy, had hoped to see you in the chair
of professor"


''I'm afraid, dear MOTHER said Rash,
quite humbly, ''that Ia rather make the
chair than sit in it. know it is not so great
a work, but it is my work, which, after all,
is the important thing. And if | make the
chair strong and we'll and handsome and
easy, don't see why [ am not just as re-
spectacle fellow as he is. It's my work to
Duilll lOI HILL W pItdCu III
and we may as well accept the facts. But,
mother, don't you want to see some of my
work things I've done odd spells?''


For his mother had bowed her head on her
hand, and her face was growing set, and her
lips only showed a white thread She wasn't
one of the crying sort. | hate a wceper
but they don't begin to be SO unmanag geable
as the stony-eyed sort, that neither speak nol
cry.


In a minute or so, Rash came down out of
the Woodshed loft, with his arms full. There
was a set of toy bedroom furniture, and a
ship, full rugged And best of all, was a
work box for his mother, nlaid with differ
ent kinds of wood, with raised oval of ap-
pletree wood on the lid, carved out into a
wreath of the finest fern leaves. enclosing
her initials 1t was Just neat work as il
one of the best New York or Boston men had
done it, and Rash was just a boy, and alto
gather self-taught in the way of carving.


'sIts most a pity | had to show this to-
night. I was going to keep this for YOU
birthday, day after tomorrow, but somehow
it seemed only right and natural to show il
now, when we were talking the thing over


Now set as Mrs. Hennings was agains
Rash's learning trade, she couldn't help ad
miring his work, for it was so neat, not :
blotch anywhere. For one day, when ht
was making of it, says to him


"Now, Rash, whatever you've got in hand
don't you stop to think if you can afford tC
do it just so we'll for the money you're to ge
for it. There's one thing you can't afford
and that is to bungle. 1t hurts you more
than them you work for, Don't ever do any
thing that you can't warrant 'pon honor"


And Tllnever forget how his eyes sparkled
and he told how the cathedrals of the middle
ages were built by men who made a religion
of their work, and built as if they were wor
Shipping, and dared not cheat the Lord, an(
that in them the back of an ornament o
statue is finished, though nobody can see
without the greatest pains, with just as much
neahess as if it was to show in the public
square; and that was the way he meant t.
work and to live. AS said the widdcr wa
pleased, in spite of herself.


"And where did you get this pretty de
sign?" said she, pointing to the fern wreath


"Why, l wanted pattern Of some sort
and just then Bessie Playne came along, ant
round her hat. l thought it was none tn
worse for being so near at hand, and so
Just draughted it off, and whitfield it out
See-here is the draught."


And with that he took it out of his box.


Now the widder, though she's as proud a
Lucifer, is nobody's fool; and she see plail
} enough that there was more than a common
jack of a carpenter in her boy; for she coul,
draw and paint in water colors, herself an;
and was called good hand at it.


SO the long and short of it was, that sh
gave her consent to Rash going into m,
shop to learn my trade, at the end Of tn
school term. And then she sent Rash W
stairs with his treasures, and went to bed


And what sick headache she had mex
day Rash got his own breakfast and COM
over after sister Eliza to stay with his mothe
and that's how he told me all about the talk
She had blind sick, stupid headache, al
that day. She got up when the sun wen
down, and she didn't really feel like hersel
for day or two And | consulted her hal
was never so black and glossy again, as
had been.


Eliza Playne, my sister, went over ant
staid with her day or two.


But, how Rash did work never slighte,
the least thing-faithful, early and late.
tell you one don't get such prentice worl
often And such work holds forever, il
more senses than one.


When Rash was about eighteen and prett
near out of his time, Squire Porter came home
He'd been travelling in Europe several year
and buying worlds of pictures, books an
curious things generally, and the next thin.
was to fit up his house. l had job, O