1809.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
63 
32DYS 4 ®mLW (BDkOTHS 
**A Stitela in Time Saves ^ine." 
"For want of a nail the shoe was lost; 
For want of a shoe the horse was lo^t ; 
For want of a horse the rider was lost ; 
And all for want of a horse-shoe nail." 
Here is an instance oi" what the want of a nail cost 
Farmer Careless. He had just finished milking, and with 
a steaming pail in each hand, walked ont of the barn-yard 
to hear his load to the house. In passing through the 
garden-gate ho noticed that one of the nails holding the 
latch was broken, and the bar was hanging loose. Half 
u minute of time, one small nail, and two blows with a 
hammer, would have fixed it; hut our farmer was in a 
hurry, and couldn't attend to the matter just then, so 
leaving the mending for another time, he trudged along 
the path. Just there was his mistake, as was shown by 
five consequences. A cow pushed open the neglected 
gate, and walked into Farmer Careless 1 garden, followed 
by nineteen more cows ; and all proceeded to lunch upon 
his young corn, to march with devastating tread over his 
cabbages, and to carry ruin to his onion-patch. In driv- 
ing them out after they had done a vast amount of dam- 
age. Farmer Careless stumbled over a stump (which ought 
to have been pulled up long before), and fell, fracturing 
his knee-pan, which accident cost him six weeks in bed, 
a long bill from the doctor, a rheumatism as often as the 
wind blew from the East, ever after, and a limp in his 
gait as long as he lived. Two of his best cows died from 
eating too freely of their stolen luncheon ; though they 
might have been saved, bad their owner been able to at- 
tend to them hi time. During six weeks enforced idle- 
ness at the busiest period of the «easou, his farm was 
necessarily neglected, his crops were ungathered, and his 
grass was left uncut. From all these troubles, he was 
unable to pay the interest on his mortgage, his farm was 
sold and sacrificed, and Farmer Careless was left a poor 
man for the rest of his life. All these misfortunes 
came upon him because he had carelessly neglected to 
drive a needed nail in the latch of his barn-yard gate. 
"A Bird in the Hand." 
[Written fur the American Agriculturist by Adelaide M. 
Stoni.] — A beautiful canary flew through our garden, an 
e tray from the tender care of some one. It flashed iis 
green and gold tinted wings joyfully in the sunlight, and 
as the rifted bursts of song were flung out on the air, for 
a moment I was glad it. had gained freedom ; but its clear 
silvery notes only betrayed its leafy hiding-place to a 
number of street boys, who were intent upon catching it 
or stoning it to death. So. I borrowed a caged bird, and 
placed it just within an open window, hoping the singing 
would attract the wanderer to fold his wings to rest 
again ; once within the window I could close it and se- 
cure my bird, (we have often seen birds won back to 
•■prison life* 1 in this way). Sure enough, the golden 
wings were near; they flashed past me, almost brushing 
my head. I could almost feel the tiny prisoner panting 
in the hollow of my hand. I waited for a little while, 
theu tiptoed softly up to investigate. What was my 
consternation to find the door of my borrowed cage open, 
and the sweet decoy gone. Ah! the bird that flew so 
near my head had poised his wings from our window. 
I paid ' for the lost, and that was the only time I ever 
tried " to catch a bird. 1 * But we often commit as great a 
folly when we make a venture. Boys, do not risk your 
'• bird in the hand " for the prospect of catching a thous- 
and now "in the bush." Very beautiful they are with 
their graceful poises, and bright glancing wings, but 
there is a -i catch-iue-if-you-can " look in the sharp black 
eyes that mocks at your efforts. Do not risk the hard- 
earned dollar for the prospective gold watch or gift in 
"greenbacks," with which swindlers tempt the public. 
Frank Fairfax's FloTrer-3>e«I. 
Frank Fairfax was a fine-featured fellow. lie had a 
pair of black eyes, which, according to the testimony of 
his teacher, could see daylight through the tough sums 
and crooked sentences, whenever he chose to employ 
them for these useful ends, which was not as often as he 
ought. He possessed a pair of lips which were far pret- 
tier when they smiled than when they pouted, though I 
must confess the pouts were more frequent than the 
smiles. His voice was sweet and musical, though Bridget 
did not think so when he scolded her for not keeping him 
a warm breakfast, nor did his little sister Nellie, when 
he teased her by hiding her dolls, and then told her to 
u find 'em if she could ;" nor did his schoolmates think 
so when he quarreled with them at recess. Altogether, 
Frank was a smart, senseless, handsome, headstrong, 
heedless, willful hoy, who had, nevertheless, grains of 
goodness sometimes flashing ont and giving hopes of 
better things by and by. One afternoon, he came home 
from school very cross,— no uncommon event in his ex- 
perience. Everything had gone wrong that day,— a late 
getting out of bed, cold cakes and coffee, books not to be 
found at bell-ringing, tardy appearance in school, lessons 
stumblingly recited on account of trusting to smartness 
and luck instead of hard study, rebukes from the master, 
and wrauglings with the hoys; altogether he felt very 
blue and discontented. As he entered the sitting-room, 
little Nellie noticed his scowling face, and was fearful for 
the faie of her new house she was building out of the 
dove-tailed blocks ; Bridget in the kitchen heard the slam 
of the door and the stamp of his boots, and said, "Sure 
Masther Frank has come home in a tanthrum this afther- 
uoon;" and the very pussy-cat fled in dismay from his 
presence. But our young gentleman felt disgusted with 
the world and went to his own room (the best place for 
him), where he sat down by the window in an angry 
mood. After a while, he lifted his head and looked out 
of the window, under which was a flower-garden, his own 
property, and like most of bis private affairs, in a very 
neglected condition. The flowers were few and feeble, 
and the weeds were many and mighty; so it was not 
remarkable that his eye should first rest upon the weeds 
rather than the flowers. lie now noticed something 
strange, what seemed to be a piece of paper tied to one 
of the tallest weeds, looking for all the world like a label. 
Wondering what it could be, he cast a glance over the 
whole plot, and saw that all the growths, weeds and 
flowers alike, had these curious-looking labels. Desir- 
ing to know what it all meant, he leaped out of the 
window, (not much of a jump, for his room was on the 
ground floor), ran to the nearest plant, and took a closer 
inspection of its little white paper. On it he read a sen- 
was calling him to supper. lie had dreamed it all! That 
evening Frank Fairfax ate his bread and butter and 
drank his tea in a brown study, with no words, and not 
much appetite. But towards the close of the meal he 
said, " Father, when the weeds in the garden are bigger 
than the flowers, what is the best thing to do? 11 "Cut 
them down, my son ; keep them under, and after a while, 
pull them up by the roots. And that reminds me, Frank, 
your flower-bed is full of weeds ; hadn't you better begin 
to cut them down to-morrow?"' "I'll begin to-night/' 
thought Frank to himself, certainly a wise resolution. 
Very I'oninion TaBk. — I tell my daugh- 
ter she don't do's she daughter ; she hadn't daughter do's 
she do ; she daughter do's she daughter. Straighten this 
out and learn to speak properly — some people would 
be very likely to say "speak as you'd oughter." 
PVaval Accounts.— A comical merchant had three 
customers, a father and two sons named Wheeler. In 
keeping their accounts, to prevent confusion he styled the 
parent " Stern Wheeler," the elder son, " Side Wheeler," 
and the younger, a rather fast youth, "Propeller." 
Answers to Problems and Puzzles. 
The following are answers to the puzzles, etc., in the 
January number, page 25 No. 335. Illustrated Rebus.— 
2 bee (four-handed) in every (under) taking No. 336. 
Mathematical Problem.— 2519 No. 334. Puzzle for 
Fishermen.— The lines in the accompanying engraving 
will show how the separate pieces are to be matched 
together and laid on the dark picture at the bottom of 
SOLUTION OF THE PUZZLE FOR FISHEF.MEN. 
tence which startled and mystified him. "I am Frank 
Fairfax's Temper ; don't come near me, or I'll sting," 
written in plain print-letters; and sure enough he felt a 
sharp nip as his fingers touched the prickly weed. Drop- 
ping it with mingled amazement and pain, he took up 
the label attached to a puny little flower close beside it, 
whereon he read, "I am Frank Fairfax's Kindness of 
Heart ;" but alas ! the poor thing was fast dying, choked 
out of nourishment and sunlight by the overhanging 
weed. Something within seemed 
to compel him to go on with his 
investigations, (though his heart 
shrank from it), and reading the 
next label, he saw that it pro- 
claimed his own Vanity, and 
others all around were inscribed, 
'•Laziness," 1 " Carelessness" li Self- 
is/mess,^ and "Fickleness ," while 
the miserable, dwindling plants, 
dead or dying all about, bore the 
names, " Industry," " Caution," 
'■Generosity." li Firmness." He 
knew what all the words meant, 
and knew too, how true they all 
were about himself. While he 
looked on in sorrowful surpi'ise, 
the weeds began to grow at a 
prodigious rate, doing a month's 
work in a minute, under his 
eyes. He saw the great weeds 
plant their roots deeper, and 
stretch their arms wider, and lift 
their heads higher, while the poor 
flowers were utterly crowded out 
of existence. Just then— "Frank! 
Frank ! where are you?" spoke a 
loud voice behind him. He 
started, looked up, and rubbed 
his eyes. Where was he? In his 
own room, with his head on the 
window-sill, trying to collect his 
scattered senses, while his father 
page 25 (January number). A pickerel will theu be 
found in the opening left in the middle. 
No. 337. Arithmetical Problem.— Two men, A and B, 
purchase SO pounds of beef for $3.20, A taking 50 
pounds, B, the remainder; in consideration of A's beef 
being of a superior quality, he is to pay } 3 cent per 
pound more than B. Required the price per pound that 
each pays for his beef. 
No. 3SS. Illustrated Rebus,— Patient study will be needed tc give the solution. 
