Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1881 — Uncle Tim’s Talent. [ARTICLE]

Uncle Tim’s Talent.

Uncle Tim held up his saw, and squinted along the teeth to See Whether It was “loosing its set.” He failed to decide, in liis surprise at finding that he was taking aim at the minister, who stepped in range just at that moment on the street side of the fence. His eyes came into gear again as he laid his saw on the wood-pile and stepped up to the fence, saying: “Weil, it is queer. It’s only a minute ago J was thin kin’ about j’ou. I was tbinkiu’ what ft good sermou you gave ns lust Sunday morniu\ au’ Inw I would tell you so the first time I Uncle Tim was the wood-sawer and day’A-work factotum for the viliiage. Unlearned as he was, the minister always missed him if he was absent from church —he was such a helpful listener. And to Uncle Tim’s compliment he replied, “You told file that you thought It was at the time in the way you iistaued to it; though, -for that matter, you always seem to bo interested. I don’t suppose you know what a Qomfort such a hearer is to a minister. If all the congregation was like you, I think it would turn my poor sermons into good ones.” “Thank you,” said Uncle Tim. “Idon’t always get the hang of everything that’s said, biit I should get Jess if I didn’t give attention. An’ I always say to mysel’, ‘The minister, he works hard to write his sermons, au’ if folks don’t listen to ’eru ? it’s pretty discouraging.’ Au’ I says, •YouCau’tput much iu the contribution box, Tim, an’ you Can’t talk in praycr-meetin,’ but you can Oonnt oUfe In listenin’; you cau try to ’prediate what' other folks do."’ “The taleut for appreciating is an excellent one to have,” remarked the minister. “ Well as I look at it. it’s one one as isn’t denied to any body,” said Uncle Tim. “An’ if it’s the only one I’ve got. I’ll tty not to tfcrap it fn a napkin. Wheu Dt ftcon Mason aloes me good by one of his exfierience talks iu prayer-meetin’ I think its no more than right that he should know it. P'raps he has times of thinkiu’ that he can’t say anything woith while, and it stau’s to reason ' hat he cau talk better if he knows he’s doing somebody some good. An’ when Widder Hatch is makiu’ such .1 gritty fight Ad keep her children together, an' give ’em an education, I think mebbe it makes it a little ea-ier ror herto stand up to it if a neighbor drops a 'void of ’preciatiou once lit a while.” The minister said nothing, but there was a look of “preciatiou” on his face, and Uncle Tim continued: “The other day I see the young school-ma’am was lookin’ worn out and sober-like. I 'magined them big boys from the Holier was worryiu’ the life out of her. An’ I did’nt know how I could help -tnat. But at noou I just went down to the school house a purpose to tell her how "ice your grau’tou wasgettin’ along wiv.i his ’rilhmetic. An’ she said it vr?"* better than half a dozen ‘caps of tva’too, for cheerin’ her up—she did. ’An when I see Sanford’s boy take a little Irish*girl's part that othpr l>oys were tormentin’, an’ they jeerin’ him,. I went up to him an’ 1 says, ‘Uncle Tim's nothin’ but a wood-sawer, but he knows enough to see that you’ve got the stuff of a gentleman in you.’ You see old folks don’t notice the young enough. An’ there,B Jim Brady, adrinkin’, card-playin’.shootin’-match creatur’, who goes arouud ft good deal like a dog without any owner:—.He knows folks despise him. But Jim’s right handy with tools, and when I take my siw to him to have it liiled, an’ tell him he does that job better’u aDy other man I know, I think it helps him to have a little more respect •for himself, I do. You see its dreadfully easy to look at .faults- at faults iu children, an’ faults in. hired folks, an’ faults in tavern-keepers, an’ faults in prayer-meetiu’s. But, as I look at it, we’d do a good deal better to think more about the good things in ’em.