Wensday
I was the cause of sin to a man to-day. I am very sorry. I am glad to say I was the innercint cause of the sin. A man was mending a fence near the school. He was putting a long, thin piece of hoop-iron from paling to paling. It looked Iike a silver ribbin along the fence. He was going like a masheen. Bang. Bang. Bang-three times on each nail, and then on to the next nail in the next paling. His blows were even-timed like a clock. I stood to watch and to admire him. I like watching the men working. They can do some wonderful things. I learn a lot, too. I might want to put up a fence over in Han Yang some day, I don't know if they have fences. I think they have walls, I've heard something about the Walls of China.
Anyhow, I was watching this man and thinking what a fine workman he was, so quick, so sure. Men are clever no dowt. Of course it’s about time they were. They have been learning to work ever since Adam was chased out of the Garden of Paradise. It's about time they could do something worth while. Each new lot of men should know as much as all the others-way back. Gee! What about the poor chaps at the end of the world. There will be so many things found out by then, so many new things to learn. It makes you ready to drop unconshis at the thort of all the books there'll be by then, and all the masheens and things to understand.
But the man-
I spoke to him, and he answered in a friendly tone. He seemed a very nice man. But again-never judge by appeerinsez.
He went on with his work while he talked to me.
I said: "How do you get the bangs of the hammer so regulilly? Think there was a clock inside you!'
He larfed.
"Oh, just like this," he said.
But he missed. and the hammer came whaick on his thum. The langwidge that man used was orful. I am sure my hair stood up strait on my head, and my head must have looked like mum's scrubbing brush-only red.
"Clear out, you-!" (I will not write what he called me.) "Coming here, putting a man out of his stride. Clear out before I bring this – hammer down on your- red head!"
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