Work and Wages. 629 



us to wash with, and a dry towel for us to wipe on, and a 

 broom, scraper and mat for oiir boots, and did furnish them. 

 Many times since, when we have been where they did not 

 have very good accommodations for washing, John speaks 

 of it and says : " That was a pretty good place to wash, at 



G 's. Gosh ! I think of that a good many times !" Two 



winters after, John took a large job of cutting cord wood ; 

 hired a few men ; built him a log shanty, and stayed right 

 in the woods, where his work was. I went in one day to 

 engage John to go, in the spring, on to an early stone job. 

 He asked me into his shanty. In one corner, upon a rough 

 bench, were two wash-dishes, and a lump of castile soap, and 

 over it hung a heavy, clean, dry towel. When I noticed 

 these John saw me. Neither of us said a word, but we 

 exchanged smiles, as much as to say : " You and I know a 

 few things." 



Give the hired men a cool, airy dining-room, if you can. 

 You needn't give them much pie, or cake, or other dainty 

 food. If you have given them a good chance to make them- 

 selves tidy, and then greet them with a smile and cheerful 

 word as they come into a cool, clean dining-room, and take 

 their seats at a table where there is plenty of elbow room, 

 they won't miss the plum pudding or the " stalled ox." 

 They will make a hearty meal on plain food. 



Make the meal time as pleasant as possible, so the tired 

 laborer shall not only take comfort eating, but shall also for 

 a short time forget his toil and obtain a little rest. 



" Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the 

 corn." I heard of a man once, though, who would not let his 

 hired boy drink sap when he was at work in the sugar place. 



