A THOROUGH JOB | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 22, 1881

A THOROUGH JOB.

JUDGE M—, a well-known jurist living near Cincinnati, was fond of relating this anecdote. He once had occasion to send to the village for a carpenter, and a sturdy young fellow appeared with his tools.

"I want this fence mended to keep out the cattle. There are some unplaned boards—use them. It is out of sight from the house, so you need not take time to make it a neat job. I will only pay you a dollar and a half."

The Judge went to dinner, and coming out, found the man carefully planing each board. Supposing that he was trying to make a costly job of it, he ordered him to nail them on at once just as they were, and continued his walk. When he returned the boards were planed and numbered ready for nailing.

"I told you this fence was to be covered with vines," he said angrily. "I do not care how it looks."

"I do," said the carpenter, gruffly, carefully measuring his work. When it was finished, there was no part of the fence as thorough in finish.

"How much do you charge?" asked the Judge.

"A dollar and a half," said the man, shouldering his tools.

The Judge stared. "Why did you spend all that labor on the job, if not for money?"

"For the job, sir."

"Nobody would have seen the poor work on it."

"But I should have known it was there. No; I'll take only the dollar and a half." And he took it and went away.

Ten years afterward, the Judge had the contract to give for the building of certain magnificent public buildings. There were many applicants among master-builders, but the face of one caught his eye.

"It was my man of the fence," he said, "I knew we should have only good, genuine work from him. I gave him the contract, and it made a rich man of him."

It is a pity that boys were not taught in their earliest years that the highest success belongs only to the man, be he a carpenter, farmer, author, or artist, whose work is most sincerely and thoroughly done.