Mr. Treat was seen and engaged at once, and Thomas and James made the trip to Cleveland for windows, nails, etc. Bricks were obtained subsequently, without going to Cleveland.

A few days only elapsed before the carpenter and Thomas were at work on the new house. James, too, was not a mere spectator. He was far more interested in the erection of the house than he would have been in a circus. It was an era in his life. All the spare moments he could snatch from the farm- work and care of the stock, he devoted to the new house. He had drawn the sand before the carpenter began to frame the building.

“Here, Jimmy, I see you want to help,” said Mr. Treat. “Just take this chisel and mallet, and put this mortise through as you have seen me do the others. I guess you can do it.”

“Yes, I can do that,” James answered, elated with the idea of being able to render assistance; and with mallet and chisel the mortise was hurried through.

“Give us another,” exclaimed James, proud of his achievement.

“What!” responded Mr. Treat, “got that done so quick?”

“Yes, all done; look at it,” answered James.

“And well done, too,” said Mr. Treat, examining the mortise. “Pretty good for a boy.”

“Can I do another?” continued James.

“Yes, a dozen if you want to;” and the carpenter started him on another mortise, and after that another, and another, until he completed the sixth.”

“You must try your hand at planing now,” said Mr. Treat. “A small boy to shove a plane, but I guess you can do it. Here (arranging a board on his bench), try this, and see how you make it.”

At that time planing machines were unknown,—at least, in that part of the country; all the planing was done by hand. In the newly-settled townships, like Orange, also, less planing was done; more rough boards were used. The frame-houses were of rude construction, having no particular style or comeliness—just a comfortable place to live in, more comfortable and pleasant than log-cabins. Many of them could boast only of a single room below—parlour, sitting-room, kitchen, and wash-room, all in one—the second storey remaining unfinished, and used for lodging, being divided into apartments by curtains. It was very little labour and small expense to erect such a dwelling. Others were somewhat more elaborate, having two and even three rooms below, with sleeping-rooms finished above. The Garfield house contained three rooms below, and two above, unfinished. Hence, seventy-five dollars was ample to buy nails, bricks, lime, and other necessary articles, and to pay the carpenter in addition.

James went on with the planing very readily, for he had watched both Mr. Treat and Thomas in this part of the work until he comprehended the “knack,” as the carpenter called it. As we have already said, his sharp observation was equal to a teacher, and it made him master of many things that he never could have known without this faculty. Captain Samuel Brown, a bridge-builder, lived on the banks of the Tweed, across which he desired to build a bridge. While he was studying the subject, he chanced to walk in his garden early one fine morning, when his attention was arrested by a spider’s-web across his path. A careful examination of the web suggested to him the idea of a suspension-bridge, constructed by the use of iron ropes or chains, as the spider had built his light bridge. No indifferent gazer would take the hint of a suspension-bridge from the web of a spider, but sharp, discriminating observation took the hint.