The Bobbin Boy | Page 5

over Nat's expressive countenance at this
mention of the ducks, but it did not shake his confidence in the art of
raising squashes. He had become a thorough believer in squashes,--they
were now a part of his creed. He could see them on the vines before the
seeds were planted. Some of them were very large,--as big as a
water-pail, and his glowing imagination set him to work already,
rolling them into a wheelbarrow. He cared little for the bugs, though
they should come in a great army, he could conquer them, infantry,
artillery, and all.
This scene was enacted about thirty-five years ago, not a thousand
miles from Boston, when Nat was about ten years old, a bright, active,
energetic, efficient, hopeful little fellow. His father gave him the use of
a piece of ground for raising squashes, and the boy was to have the
proceeds of the crop with which to line his new purse. Nat was wont to
look on the bright side of things, and it was generally fair weather with
him. For this reason, he expected a good crop of squashes,
notwithstanding his father's adverse hints. It was fortunate for him that
he was so hopeful, for it inspired him with zeal and earnestness, and
made him more successful than he otherwise would have been. All
hopeful persons are not successful, but nearly all the successful ones, in
the various callings of life, were hopeful from the beginning. This was
true of Nathaniel Bowditch, the great mathematician, who was a poor
boy when he commenced his studies. He said that whenever he
undertook any thing "it never occurred to him for a moment that he
could fail." This quality thus encouraged him to press on from one
success to another. Hence, in later life, his counsel to youth was,
"Never undertake any thing but with the feeling that you can and will
do it. With that feeling success is certain, and without it failure is
unavoidable." He once said that it had been an invariable rule with him,
"to do one thing at a time, and to finish whatever he began." The same
was true of Sir Humphrey Davy. His biographer says that he never
made any provision for failures, "that he undertook every experiment as
if success were certain." This put life and soul into his acts; for when a
man believes that he shall certainly succeed in a given work, his
success is half secured. Grave doubts about it diminish energy, and
relax the force of the will. Buxton, the distinguished English

philanthropist, is another example of this quality. He was just as
confident that his efforts in behalf of the oppressed would succeed, as
he was of his own existence. He knew that God and truth were on his
side, and therefore he expected to triumph,--and he did. We shall see
that Nat was often helped by his hopefulness.
It was a happy day to Nat when he saw his squashes coming forth to
seek the genial light. Frank Martin was with him when the discovery
was made, and it brightened Nat's hope considerably, if it be possible to
make a bright thing brighter.
"Here, Frank, they are coming. There is one--two--three--"
"Sure enough," answered Frank, "they will all show themselves soon.
You will raise a lot of squashes on this patch of ground. You will have
to drive a team to Boston market to carry them, likely as not."
"I hardly think father expects to see any squashes of my raising," said
Nat.
"Why not?" inquired Frank.
"Oh, he is expecting the bugs will eat them up, or that it will be too wet
or too dry, or that a hail storm will cut them to pieces, or something
else will destroy them; I hardly know what."
"You will fare as well as other folks, I guess," added Frank. "If
anybody has squashes this year, you will have them; I am certain of
that. But it will take most of your time out of school to hoe them, and
keep the weeds out."
"I don't care for that, though I think I can take care of them mornings
by getting up early, and then I can play after school."
"Then you mean to play some yet?"
"Of course I do. I shouldn't be a boy if I didn't play, though father says
I shouldn't believe in all play and no work."

"You don't. If you work in the morning and play at night, that is
believing in both, and I think it is about fair."
"Ben Drake was along here when I was planting my squashes," said
Nat, "and he told me that I was a fool to worry myself over a lot of
squash vines, and have no time to play. He