Knowledge and Inventions 



"Well," he replied, "I assure you I do; and 

 if you were only half as zealous in the study of 

 religion as you are in contriving and whittling 

 these useless, nonsensical things, it would be 

 infinitely better for you. I want you to be like 

 Paul, who said that he desired to know nothing 

 among men but Christ and Him crucified." 



To this I made no reply, gloomily believing 

 my fine machine was to be burned, but still 

 taking what comfort I could in realizing that 

 anyhow I had enjoyed inventing and mak- 

 ing it. 



After a few days, finding that nothing more 

 was to be said, and that father after all had not 

 had the heart to destroy it, all necessity for 

 secrecy being ended, I finished it in the half- 

 hours that we had at noon and set it in the 

 parlor between two chairs, hung moraine 

 boulders that had come from the direction of 

 Lake Superior on it for weights, and set it 

 running. We were then hauling grain into the 

 barn. Father at this period devoted himself 

 entirely to the Bible and did no farm work 

 I 255 1 



