330 
AMERICAN AQRICULTUmST. 
[October, 
A STITCH IN TIME. — Engraved for the American AyncuUnn^c. 
^titcl&es I\eedecl to be Taken. 
Tliiscaieful mother is teacliing her little girl one of the 
most importautlessons, aodwe give the pleasing picture 
tliat the nmny thousand young readers of the AgricuUur' 
ist may have the benefit of the instruction. A stitch in 
time in the girl's dress will save the great rent and the 
many stitches needed to mend it, which would surely fol- 
low a day's play in the slightly torn garment. But that 
is not the most important stitch being taken : the child is 
learning the habit of carefulness. If permitted to go un- 
heeded, the h:ibit of neglect would Increase day by day, 
not only about her clothing, but in other tilings, and a 
thriftless, untidy young woman would be the result ; then 
it would take years nf careful training to overcome the 
evil. There is many a small defect in tlie habits of young 
people that may be easily mended now, which will in- 
crease to a great blemish, and perhaps finally ruin the 
whole character if left unchecked. Those thoughtless, 
half profane words may grow into shocking oaths ; that 
love nf telling large stories, and small deceit in words 
and actions, may make the man a liar ; impatience, fret- 
fulness, and anger may increase to unbridled passion, 
revenge and murder. All great sins and wrongs grow 
from small beginning?, which may be set right almost as 
ea^ly as a spark may be extinguished, but like the spark, 
if left unnoticed, they .spread to great mischief w ith fear- 
ful speed. Let every girl take the stitch in time, in all 
her habits, and let the boys follow the good example. 
Xlie Inveiitor of Se-^ving* macUioes. 
Elias Howe, Jr., was born in Spencer, Mass., in 1820. 
He was the son of a miller and farmer, and worked with 
his father until sixteen years old, when he found employ- 
ment at Lowell. Mas?. In 1S37, the financial crisis thiew 
him out of employment there, and he engaged to work 
with a philosophical iiistiument maker in Boston. While 
theie, a knitting machine uas brought to the shop for re- 
pairs, and some one looking at it, casually remarked 
tliat whoever could invent a sewing machine, would be 
sure of a fortune. This remark took strong hold of Howe's 
thoughts, and awakened his inventive genius to attempt 
the undertaking. For a long time he spent his leisure in 
making stitches of various kinds and contriving what 
could be performed in this line 
hy machinery. After many 
trials and repeated discourage- 
ments, in 1846 he patented his 
invention, and Ins first ma- 
chine then made, tl>e work of 
his own hands, may now be 
seen in his store window at 
No. 629 Broadway, in this city. 
It is certainly worthy to be 
purchased by the women of 
this country and sacredly kept 
in some public institution 
where future generations may 
be gratified in inspecting it. 
The sewing machine was now 
finished, but Howe found his 
tioubles only commenced. 
The tailors were greatly pre- 
judiced against it, fearing it 
would destroy their business. 
They threatened to mob an 
Irish tailor who had agreed to 
cut a suit of clothes for Mr. Howe, to be made up on the 
machine. But a Yankee w.is found with courage 
enough to undertake it, and Mr. Howe still hns some of 
the garments then made on his machine. The invention 
met with so little favor at first, that Mr. Howe, who had 
sold his patent in England, for a small sum, went to that 
country to superintend the construction of machines; 
but he met with such poor success that he was obliged 
to pawn his original model, and in IS49. he returned to 
America, working his passage as cook. Arriving at New- 
York he had not money enough to take Mm to his family, 
although he heard his wife was very ill, and he went to 
work as a journeyman mechanic to procure funds. Be- 
fore he could earn enough lo return home, his wife died. 
Soon he found that unprincipled persons were infringing 
Ids patent, and to secure his rights he prevailed upon his 
father to raise money by mortgaging his small property. 
Then he sacrificed half his patent to a capitalist lo raise 
more means, and long years and immense sums of 
money were spent in lawsuits, to defend his invention. 
However, the right at last prevailed, and in 1S56, tlie full 
possession of his patent was secured. Peace and pros- 
perity now followed, but he considers even the large 
sums since realized a poor compensation fur the terrible 
trials J;hrough which he was obliged to pass. The lesson 
of this true story is, that perseverance and energy are 
necessary to success, even in the most promising imder- 
takings. It adds not a little to the luster of Mr. Howe's 
character, that when llie rebellion broke out, he raised a 
regiment to aid the government at his own expense, en- 
listed in the ranks as a private, and did efficient service, 
A Kind Act ReAvarded. 
A short time since a one-armed soldier entered a 
crowded rail-road car in the city of Chicago. He looked 
very weary, but none moved to give him a seat, until a 
neatly dressed young woman observing his empty blue 
sleeve, arose, and asked him to take her place. At the 
sound of her voice he looked up, their eyes met. and im- 
mediately Ihey were clasped in each others arms, and 
she was sobbing for joy on his shoulder. The young 
woman was the soldier's wife, from whom he had been 
separated tlnee long years. He had been wounded and 
taken prisoner, and his wife having lost all trace of liim. 
had removed from their former residence to Chicago, so 
that when lie was released, his letters failed to reach htr 
and he could hear nothing from her. He had gone to 
Chicago in search of her, and thus by this kind act of 
hers they were so happily restored to each other. 
Portrait or Cliief Justice] <JUase. 
The Evening Post relates the following amusing In- 
cident : During the recent southern (our of Chief Justice 
Chase, formerly Secretary of the Treasury, while at Key 
West, he visited a somewhat noted negro. This man is 
said tobestiongest person in all Florida, and he possesses 
strength of character as well as of body. He was former- 
ly a slave in Maryland, but by over-work purchased his 
freedom while yet young, removed to Key West, where 
he prospered, and is now the owner of a large piantation. 
He very politely conducted Mr. Chase over his grounds, 
pointed out the various fruit trees, etc., and was himself 
greatly pleased with his visitor. Finally, when they re- 
turned to the house and were sealed on the verandah, the 
colored man said he would like very much to have a 
portrait of his guest. Mr. Chase, having no photograph, 
took from his pocket a one-dollar Greenback and handed 
lo him. The negro looked first at the picture on the end, 
then at Mr. Chase, and at last in his surprise broke out 
•'Why you's Old Greenbacks hisself, isn't you?" Mr, 
Chase greatly enjoyed the incident, and the negro equal- 
ly so, for he added " If 1 lives fifty years, I shall always 
remember sure, just how you and I was sitting together." 
Singular Featnrcs in a liandscapc. 
The gills and boys who know how to ufe Iheir eye, 
and to find out all that a picture contains, will be pleased 
to discover the curious features in this landscape. We 
do not know that any such formation of rocks and shrubs 
actually exists, (hough it is not impossible. It is not 
more wonderful than the " Old Man of the Mountain,'' 
shown in our last number. Probably, however, our artist 
has drawn on his imagination for this scene, with a view 
to exercise the perceptive or investigating faculties of our 
young readers. Now see what you can find in the picture 
