The History of Gutta-Percha Willie | Page 8

and the lock so huge, that nothing could be done between
them. Yet I daresay the watchmaker could set the lock all right if he
chose to try. Don't you think so, Mr Willet?"
"Not a doubt of it," answered the smith.
"Had we better go to him then?"
"Well," answered the smith, smiling, "I think perhaps he would ask you
why you hadn't come to me. No doubt he could do it, but I've got better
tools for the purpose. Let me look at the lock. I'm sure I shall be able to
set it right."
"Not with that great big hammer, then," said Willie.
"No; I have smaller hammers than that. When do you want it, sir?"
"Could you manage to do it at once, and let me take it home, for there's
a little baby there, just arrived?"
"You don't mean it!" said the smith, looking surprised. "I wish you joy,
sir."
"And this is the lock of the room she's in," continued the doctor.
"And you're afraid of her getting out and flying off again!" said the
smith. "I will do it at once. There isn't much wrong with it, I daresay. I
hope Mrs Macmichael is doing well, sir."
He took the lock, drew several screws from it, and then forced it open.
"It's nothing but the spring gone," he said, as he took out something and
threw it away.
Then he took out several more pieces, and cleaned them all. Then he
searched in a box till he found another spring, which he put in instead

of the broken one, after snipping off a little bit with a pair of pincers.
Then he put all the pieces in, put on the cover of it, gave something a
few taps with a tiny hammer, replaced the screws, and said-
"Shall I come and put it on for you, sir?"
"No, no; I am up to that much," said Mr Macmichael. "I can easily
manage that. Come, Willie. I'm much obliged to you for doing it at
once. Good-night."
Then out they went into the snowstorm again, Willie holding fast by his
father's hand.
"This is good," said his father. "Your mother will have a better day all
to-morrow, and perhaps a longer sleep tonight for it. You see how easy
it is to be both useful and kind sometimes. The smith did more for your
mother in those few minutes than ten doctors could have done. Think
of his great black fingers making a little more sleep and rest and
warmth for her-and all in those few minutes!"
"Suppose he couldn't have done it," said Willie. "Do you think the
watchmaker could?"
"That I can't tell, but I don't think it likely. We should most probably
have had to get a new one."
"Suppose you couldn't get a new one?"
"Then we should have had to set our wits to work, and contrive some
other way of fastening the door, so that mamma shouldn't take cold by
its being open, nor yet be disturbed by the noise of it."
"It would be so nice to be able to do everything!" said Willie.
"So it would; but nobody can; and it's just as well, for then we should
not need so much help from each other, and would be too independent."
"Then shouldn't a body try to do as many things as he can?"

"Yes, for there's no fear of ever being able to do without other people,
and you would be so often able to help them. Both the smith and the
watch maker could mend a lock, but neither of them could do without
the other for all that."
When Willie went to bed, he lay awake a long time, thinking how, if
the lock could not have been mended, and there had been no other to be
had, he could have contrived to keep the door shut properly. In the
morning, however, he told his father that he had not thought of any way
that would do, for though he could contrive to shut and open the door
well enough, he could not think how a person outside might be able to
do it; and he thought the best way, if such a difficulty should occur,
would be to take the lock off his door, and put it on mamma's till a
better one could be got. Of this suggestion his father, much to Willie's
satisfaction, entirely approved.
CHAPTER IV.
HE SERVES AN APPRENTICESHIP.
WILLIE'S mother grew better, and Willie's sister grew bigger; and the
strange nurse went away, and Willie and his mother and Tibby, with a
little occasional assistance from the doctor, managed the baby amongst
them. Considering that she had been yet only a short time at school, she
behaved wonderfully well.