"  No  tongue  can  tell,"  Mrs.  Davis  would  say,  "  how
I  feel  my  weakness  in  bringing  up  my  children,
especially  in  correcting  them ;  but  when  I  open  my
Bible,  there  is  strength  and  authority."1

But  to  return  to  the  book-case  One  of  the
shelves  was  appropriated  to  Mr.  Da  vis's  use.  This
was  filled  with  pamphlets  and  newspapers,  one  large
volume  entitled  "  Wonderful  Shipwrecks,"  a  dream-
book,  and  a  history  of  remarkable  inventions,  with
sketches  of  the  lives  of  inventon  — rather  apocalyptic


TUB    GOOD    RURAL    MA  ."RON.  43

On  the  evening  of  Harry's  return  from  his  fish
ing,  Davis  was  seated  at  his  desk,  with  a  large  sheet
of  paper  before  him,  on  which  he  was  drawing  the
figure  of  a  plough  he  was  in  the  act  of  inventing.
"Is  that  you,  Harry?"  he  said;  "I  have  wanted
you  confoundedly,  to  copy  this  drawing  for  me ;  you
can  draw  better  than  I,  and  it's  fair  I  should  get
something  for  the  time  you  have  wasted  learning."

"Wasted,  father!  I  hope  not.  I  have  got  a
great  many  ideas  from  it  already,  as  Mr.  Lyman
says,  and  I  am  sure  I  have  had  a  great  deal  of
pleasure,  and  that's  worth  something'.  And  Mr.  Ly
man  says,  if  any  one  has  the  art  of  doing  any
thing  well,  it  will  be  sure  to  turn  to  account.
What  would  poor  Mr.  Lyman  himself  do,  if  it  were
not  for  his  knowledge  of  drawing?"

"Pooh!  nonsense!  'Luck  is  a  lord,'  and  Lyman
is  lucky."

"I   should   not   call   it  luck  exactly,  sir."

"No  matter  what  you  call  it.  I  want  to  send
a  drawing  of  this  to  Washington.".  —  holding  up  the
sheet  of  paper  on  which  his  plough  was  clumsily


44  THE  GOOD  RURAL  MATRON.
