STITCHING ON A BUTTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 63, 15 March 1881, Page 4

STITCHING ON A BUTTON.

He had never tried it beforp, but he wis nntarally a self-reliant one, and felt ootfide it of his ability to do if. More^ ovtr, Ms wifo had gone io the oountry. Therefore, carefully selecting from that la ly 'a work-basket the thickest net die aid stouteflt thread, he resolutely set himself to the task. Spitting upon bis fingers, he carefully rolled the end of the thread into a point, and then, cloeing one of his own oplics, he attempted to fi;l up (ha needle's solitary eye ; but the threadr cither paesed by one tide or (he ctber of the needle, or worked iist lf against (he glittering steel, aad refused to be parßuaded. 'However, the thread suddenly bolted th'ough the eye to (ha extent of an inch, nnd fearing lo lose (his advantage.; hi quick'y drew (he ends together and uni ed them with a knot about Ihe size of a buckeh t. Tb,9 button was a trousar one^ but be liked the dimensions of its holes, and it was only going on the back of bis shirt, anyhow. As he pissed the needle gendy upward through the lineD, he felt a mingled pity aod disdain for men bungling over such j >bs ; and as he let the button gracefully glide down (he thread to iie appointed place, he said to himself (bat if ever be married a second (ime 'it should be for some nobler reason than a dread of sewing on his own buttons. The first downward - thrust: had the same happy result, and holding the, button down firmly with his thumb, he came up again with all that coafldeDoe which uniform Bucceos inspires. Perhaps the point of the needle did. not enter to the bone, but it seemed to him that it did, and his comment upon the ci'cumstanoe was emphatic, But- ; he W&3 very ingenious, and nest time be wouU hold th.e. bultpn r by one edge, nnd come up through the hole nearest the other. Of course he would. But; the needle had an independent way of 9uitiDg itself qs to holes, and it chose tha one where the thumb was. Then tb.3 needle got sulky. It didn't care fcb)Ut holes anyhow, if it wa9 going to be abused for finding them, and the button might have been an unperforated disc for all the apertures which the needle could thenceforward be made o discover, without ioOoite poking and prodding. It always c&rco tbrouzh when it was least expected, and never when it wes wanted. Still ha persevered, and it was not until he had finally discovered that he had stitched over the edge of the button, and bad sewed it on the wrong side of the shirt, that ho uttcily broke down,