Laying words like a brick mason

I have been very profligate in my efforts to take on Samuel Pepys. I should do better and take the time to lay word to line like a good brickmason. Or word-mason. My father had Frank and me out laying brick in our back yard when we were in high school. That was a good profession. Jefferson, Washington and Churchill were all brick masons, I believe. Gardners. Tillers of the soil. I have done enough of that in the past few weekends.

I can't say we were very good brickmasons; however, the small walls and the walks are still there. More due to my father's efforts than ours. But I can say we laid trowel to brick and morter.