Uncle Tim's Talent

Únele Tim held up Iris saw, and squinted along the teeth to see whether it was "losing its set." He failed to decide, in his surprise at linding that lie wi3 taking aim at the minister, who stepped In range just at that moment on the street side of the fence. II is eyes carne into gear again is he luid liis saw on the wood pile and stepped up to the fence, saying, "Well, it is queer. It's only a minute ago I was thinkin' about you. I was thinkin' what a good sermón that was you gave us last Sunday mornin' an' howl would teil you so the íirst time I saw you." Uncle Tim was the wood-sawyer and day's-work factótum for the village. Unlearned as he was, the minister alwa}s missed him if he was absent f rom churcta - he was such a helpful listener. Aud to Uncle Tim's compliment he replied, "you told me that you thought it was at the time, in the way you listened to it, though, for that matter, you always seem to be interested. I don't suppose you know what a comfort such a hearer is to a minister. If all the congregation were like you, 1 tl link it would turn my poor sernions into good ones." "Thank you," said Uncle Tim. "I don't always get the hang of everything that's said, but I should get less if I didn't give attention. An' I always says to myself, 'the minister, he works hard to write his sennons, an' if folks don't listen to 'ein its pretty discouraging.' An' I says 'You can't put much into the contribu tion-box, Tim, an' you can't talk ii prayer-meetin,' but you ca coimt one in listenin;' you can try to 'precíate what other folks do.'" "The talen tot appreciating is an excellent one to have," remarked the minister. "WeB as I look at it, it's one as isn't deniet to anybody," said Uncle Tim. "Au' i it's the only one l've got, I'll not 1 r. to wrap it in a napkin. When Deacoi tSaaaa does me good by one of his ex perience talks in prayer-meetin' I think it's no more than right he should kno it. P'rhaps he hjs times of thinkin that he can't sayanything worth whüe an' it stan's to reason that he can ta1! better if he knows he's doing someboily some good. An' when AVidder Hatc! is makin' such a gritty iight to kee her children together an give 'era a education, I think mebbe it makes it little easier for her to stand up to it i a neighbor drops a word of 'preciation once in a while." The minister sai nothing, but there was a look of f'prt, ciation" on his face, and Uncle Tin continued, "The other day I see th young school-ma'am was lookin' vvor out and sober like. I 'magined thei big boys from the Holler was worryii the lile out of her. An' I didn't know luv I eould help that. Hut at noon just went down to the school-house purpose to teil her how nice your gran son was gettin' along with his 'ritl metic. An' slie said it was better tha half-a-dozen cups of tea, for cheerii her up - she did. An' when I see San ford s boy take a little Irish girl's pan that other boys were tormén in,' an they jeeriu' him, L went up to him an I says, 'Uncle Tim's nothing but wood-sawyer, but hc knows enough t see that you've got the stuff of a gen tleman in you.' You see old folk don't notice the young enough. Au there's Jim Brady.a drinkin', card play in', shootin'-inatch creeter,' who goe around a good deal like a dog withou any owner. He knows folks despis him. But Jim's right hamly wit! tools, and when I take my saw to him to have it üled, an' teil him he doe that job better'n any other man I know I think it helps him to have a little more respect for himself, I do. Yoi see it's dreadfully easy to look at fault - at faults in children, an' faults ii hired folks, an' faults in tavern-keep (us, an' faults in pruyer-ineetin's. Bu as I look at it we'd do a gieat deal bet ter to think more about the good tliing in 'ein."