OR, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. 93 



THE PE\A^TER BUCKLE MOULDS. 



^^NE bright morning my father sent me up to old man 

 Howell's, with an order for a lot of shingles. The place 

 was about six miles off, and I was soon on my way, galloping 

 along the country roads. It did not take me long to reach my 

 destination and learn that the old man was already out in the 

 woods, drawing shingles ; however, his son Mart was at home, 

 and kindly offered to conduct me to his father, but before 

 starting, exhibited to me an invention of his own, a pair of 

 soapstone buckle moulds, also displaying a stock on hand of 

 bright, shining gallows buckles. I examined the machine with 

 undisguised wonder, feeling that I was in the presence of a 

 o-enius, and looked upon the inventor with profound admira- 

 tion. This poor man's son, without opportunities, with his 

 untutored hands, had wrought this valuable machine. I 

 thought, what a brilliant future would be his, what wealth and 

 fame would fall to his lot in life ; such were my meditations as 

 I inspected the beautiful products of his invention. I was 

 startled from my reveries by the young man proposmg to sell 

 the moulds to me. I had not imagined he would part with this 

 valuable property for thousands. I was still more surprised 

 when he offered to take the insignificant sum of $1.50. I had 

 but 75 cents, but he took that rather than miss a trade, admitting 

 he had sold too cheap ; then said there was a soapstone quarry 

 close by and he could make more moulds ; that he was short 

 of capital, and this sale would enable him to lay in another 



