THE FAMILY HAMMER.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1135, 23 December 1873, Page 4

THE FAMILY HAMMER.

There is one thing no family pretends to do without—that is a hammer. And yet there is nothing that goes to make up the equipment of a domestic establishment that causes one-half as much agony and profanity as a hammer. It is always an old hammer, with a handle that is always bound to slip. The face is as round as a full moon and as smooth as glass. When it strikes a nail full and square, which it has been known to do, the act will be found to result from a combination of pure accidents. ' The family hammer is one of those rare articles we never profit by. When it glides off a nail head, and smashes down a couple of fingers, we unhesitatingly deposit it in the yard, and observe that we will never use it again. But the blood has hardly dried on the rag before we are out doors in search of that hammer, and ready to make another trial. The result rarely varies, but we never profit by it. The awful weapon goes on knocking off nails, and mashing whole joints, and slipping off the handle to the confusion of mantel ornaments, and breaking the commandments, and cutting up an assortment of astounding antics, without let or hindrance. And yet we put up with it, and put the handle in again, and lay it where it won't get lost, and do up our mutilated and smarting fingers; and yet, if the outrageous thing should happen to disappear, we kick up a regular hullaboloo until it is found again. Talk about the tyrannisinfluonce of p. bad habit! It is not to be compared to the family hammer.