imate asserts itself. For one accustomed to city conditions
this is almost a paralyzing experience. There is no apartment house
superintendent to call on, no repairman just around the corner. In
itself it may be very simple; but what to do, how to do it and with
what tools, unless you have gone through the mill, is soul-searing.
So, almost as soon as you have established your sources of food and
fuel, address yourself to the problem of discovering the neighborhood
handy man.

Not all men of the usual mechanical trades can qualify. Such a jewel
must have native ingenuity, really enjoy coping with sudden
emergencies and, like the old-fashioned country doctor, be possessed
of a temperament that accepts sudden calls for help as part of the
day's work. He may have planned to take his family to the village
moving picture show; but if your plumbing has sprung a leak, your pump
has suddenly ceased to function, or any one of a dozen other
contingencies has arisen, nothing is so comforting as his assurance
that "he'll be right over." You know that within a reasonable time
this physician to things mechanical will arrive in his somewhat
battered automobile with an assortment of tools and supplies adequate
for the majority of minor domestic crises.

Sometimes he can repair the damage permanently then and there.
Sometimes his service is of a temporary nature to tide your household
over until the proper correction can be accomplished either by him or
some other artisan whose specialty it is. At the moment this makes
little difference. Several summers ago, our water supply failed most
inconsiderately just at dinner time. There was plenty of water in the
well and the electric pump was functioning but the storage tank was
bone dry. What was wrong was beyond our understanding. Worst of all,
our village plumber could not be reached even by a fairly resourceful
country telephone central. We called our handy man and were greeted by
a cheery if long suffering, "What's the matter _now_?" We told him and
most assuringly he replied, "Sounds like foot valve trouble. I'll be
right over soon as I finish supper."

And he was as good as his word. Half an hour later he was listening to
a pump that could not lure water from well to tank. Then he went down
the well and, without aid, came up with the supply pipe. "Here's your
trouble. Leather of the foot valve's gone. I'll just cut another." He
dived into the rear seat of his car and returned with a s