THE MANSE GARDEN. 259 



or, besides preparing firewood, he will dress with a 

 plane the pieces of an upright paling, which take 

 long time, but need no fineness of polish. 



Should your boy grow an adept, a little rise of 

 wages, well bestowed, may keep him for another 

 year; but the probability is that shortly after you 

 have made him useful, he is off to farm service or 

 some trade. But the better he is, you are the surer 

 of another as good. His fame is in your favour ; 

 and your patience with a novice, as well as your art 

 of instruction, remain. Character, whether of master 

 or of servant, is like volatile salt; and term-days are 

 but the stir that makes the odour diffusive. There 

 is no narrower view of life than to suppose that any 

 thing good or bad, however trifling, is unnoticed. 

 Every thing that every man does or says is known, 

 is talked of, is commented upon, far and wide ; and 

 characters made up of grains of sand and some larger 

 pieces stand out in the landscape of the district, as 

 distinctly seen and rated, to a degree, as all manner 

 of buildings, from a hovel to a tower. Mothers have 

 more boys to dispose of, and have seen how others 

 fared with you their station as well as their morals 

 improved, and their service sought; they come with 

 a younger brother of your former boy, or with one 

 somehow connected, and to whom every thing about 

 your place is as well known as to your own family. 

 Such a one is predisposed to do well, and comes to 

 his service with a mind suited to the circumstances 

 of his calling; ambitious to thrive, and fearing to 

 come short of those who have done well before. 

 Thus on the true principle, that if comfort, not ne- 

 cessity, be considered, masters are no more indepen- 



