MECHANIC. 
 
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 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1841, by 
 
 BURNETT & KING, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District of Rhode Island. 
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 BENJAMIN F. MOORE, 
 19 Market-street, Provulencc, R. I.
 
 TO THE 
 
 OF RHODE ISLAND, 
 
 II FOLLOWING STORY IS R E S P F. ( i K L I I i 
 K I B E D , B T T II F. I K SINCERE F R I I 
 
 THE AUTHOK. 
 
 2068034
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It may be objected that the incidents, char- 
 acters, and modes of life, embodied in the 
 accompanying Narrative, range too far above 
 the common lot, to come within the sphere of 
 POPULAR TALES ; that they are, in short, de- 
 ficient, in not giving the just medium picture of 
 common life ; that they ought to be brought 
 down more upon a level with the habits and 
 tastes of the common people. To this I reply: 
 We have, already, done enough of bringing 
 down : let us no\v begin to LIFT UP to KLE- 
 VATE our fellow men ! In fine, if those who are 
 called levellers, would stop leveling down and 
 begin to LEVEL UP ! if, instead of attempting 
 to bring down the higher orders of society, they 
 would aim at elevating the low, if they would 
 preach at the corners of the streets, and by 
 the fire-side through all our high-ways, and 
 through all our bye-ways, the great doctrine of 
 tin- dignity the divinity of human nature a 
 dignity, u divinity, which the contact of no out- 
 ward circumstance could, possibly, either de-
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 grade, or exalt, a great change would begin to 
 be wrought, and this, undoubtedly, would 
 lead to a clearer perception of the spirit, and a 
 carrying out of the principle, which was in the 
 mind of Jesus. Is the diamond less a diamond 
 because accident has cast it among flint, or 
 pebble stones ? is it more a diamond, if set in 
 the finest gold? Is not the gem one? are 
 not its beauty, and its value one, wherever, or 
 however, it may be set ? When these doctrines 
 are generally preached, and embodied in prac- 
 tice, every man will begin to feel himself, and 
 TO BE A MAN ; and feeling, and being this, 
 however high, or however low he may be in a 
 worldly point of view, he will regard his fellow 
 men as equals, and brethren, all walking in dif- 
 ferent paths, it may be all pursuing different 
 avocations ; yet each bearing on his brow the 
 visible signet of Jehovah, which confirms THE 
 
 NOBILITY OF A GODLIKE NATURE each inVCSt- 
 
 ed with a mission to his race, for the faithful 
 discharge of which he is accountable to all 
 future generations. When this spirit comes 
 to be diffused, the rich man will cease to be 
 arrogant, and the poor man will forget to be 
 servile ; for will not each feel himself equally a 
 MAN? and where upon the face of the wide 
 earth could be found a higher dignity ? 
 
 F. H. W.
 
 
 THE MECHANIC.
 

 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 " For oh the morning of the soul 
 
 Has heavenly brightness in it ; 
 And as the mind's first mists unrol, 
 
 Gives years in every minute 
 Years of ideal joy ! life's path, 
 
 First trod, such dewy freshness hath, 
 'T is rapture to begin it." 
 
 BARTO.V. 
 
 THE first of the holydays which followed the 
 closing of the summer term, at the academy of 
 one of our beautiful .\C\v England villages, 
 was just closing in upon as happy a group of 
 children, as ever charmed echo with the music 
 of merry shout, or ringing laugh. The whole 
 air seemed one continuous vibration of joyous 
 melody, as they loitered along the way side, 
 on their return from a juvenile party. There 
 were three lini:erer-. aside from the merry 
 group ; and of these, again, two loitered still 
 farther behind ; a fine, dark-eyed boy of six- 
 teen, with a little -looking romp of a 
 girl, who might have been two or three years 
 younger.
 
 14 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " Do you go home to-morrow, Bell ? " asked 
 the boy. 
 
 " O, yes ! " she replied, shaking back the 
 long chesnut curls from her fair shoulders, 
 and looking up in his face, with an expres- 
 sion vibrating between the earnest simplicity 
 of childhood, and the first dawn of maiden 
 bashfulness. " O, yes ! I shall go home to- 
 morrow, and see my own dear father and 
 mother see them every day ! only think ! 
 and Aunty! and darling little Bobby that 
 is my bird, you know and beautiful little 
 Marion, white as snow ! that's my pet lamb 
 and good old Bessy! that's cur horse and 
 Cherry ! that was brother Charley's bird 
 and Pruny ! that's puss and Leon! that's 
 cur good old dog ! O, don't you feel very 
 glad for me, Victor? It seems as if I should 
 fly ! " and clapping her hands quickly, the 
 merry little creature began to dance, like a 
 sprite ; while the starting tears shewed 
 she was not deficient in sensibility. 
 
 ''Yes, I am very glad for you, Bell but 
 " He paused abruptly. 
 
 "But, what, Victor?" 
 
 " Can it be pleasant to think of being for- 
 gotten, Bell ? " 
 
 " Now who thought of lorgetting yen, Vic-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 15 
 
 tor?" replied the girl, with childlike innocence 
 construing his inuendo. " I am sure 1 never 
 did. 1 never will I never could forget 
 such a good, kind, dear " She hesitated, 
 as if with hall-awakened consciousness at his 
 eager look ; and then added, but with a slightly 
 tremulous tone, and manner; "I am sui 
 have been like a cousin like a brother! 
 And I think it would be very very WICKED 
 to forget you." She paused; and then 
 added, "I had a brother once poor little 
 Chai' Te il into her eyes; but 
 
 shaking them off, lightly as dew is shaken from 
 the r< Ai-d, ' but what made you think 
 
 aboni now, Victor, when we 
 
 all so happ\ : " 
 
 " Because," he. ivplied, \\< " I hardly 
 
 know unless " he paused, and looking 
 
 (ly in h Ided. " in;!' 
 
 don't know ." 
 
 " O look , Victor ! see that beautiful 
 
 blue flower! Get i( \'r me : will you?" It 
 is the reul Fringed Gentian! I believe!" 
 But she d'ul not see until he hud .igerly 
 
 from her side, that there was diftieulty, if not 
 H him and the i-ower. 
 
 " O, stop, Victor ! " she cried. " " Do not 
 go! and 1 will remember you, and lovo you,
 
 16 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 just as well without it ! Yes, I will ! and 
 longer ! and better ! " she added, in the most 
 beseeching tones. 
 
 He had just reached the middle of a light 
 fence of old trees, loosely piled together, which 
 bridged a deep and rapid stream ; when turning 
 at her anxious cries, he smiled, kissed his hand 
 gallantly, giving at the same instant a forward 
 spring, just in season to escape a plunge in the 
 river ; and when he reached the shore, and his 
 loud, clear, and triumphant shout announced 
 his safety, the fragments of the fence were seen 
 floating down the swollen current. He soon 
 ascended the opposite bank, plucked the fair 
 cluster ; and, waving it with an air of triumph, 
 he said, " Nothing venture, nothing have ; Miss 
 Bella Thompson ! " 
 
 " But how will you get back again ? " she 
 cried, clasping her pretty little hands, with a 
 gesture and expression of real distress, and a 
 touch of genuine feeling, which many older and 
 more sentimental ladies would give worlds to 
 command, " O, Victor ! how wrong how 
 very wrong I was to ask you ! " 
 
 " And what if I should not got back ? " re- 
 turned the boy, with secret gratification at her 
 distress, " Who will care if I do not ? "
 
 THE MECHANIC. 17 
 
 " O, your mother and your cousin ! They 
 \vill hate me ! " 
 
 " O, that is all ; is it ? " he returned, with 
 more of chagrin, than gallantry. 
 
 "O, no ; that is not all, Victor. I shall 
 hate myself! I shall be forever miserable ! " 
 
 Again waving his trophy, and kissing his 
 hand, the boy disappeared among the shrub- 
 bery ; and running up the stream a little way, 
 soon found a crossing place. He was just in 
 the act of presenting the flowers, when Thomas 
 Stanton, Bella's cousin, entered, quite inoppor- 
 tunely. 
 
 " One kiss on her fair hand ! " said Tom, 
 " claim thy boon, man, as thou art worthy to win 
 the grace of fair lady ! Nay, Bell ! no pouting ! 
 or, by our cousinship I'll take twenty ! Why 
 a kiss of the hand is the smallest of all boons 
 a lady ever granted to the faithful knight who 
 periled life and limb in her fair service ! Victor, 
 have I to teach thee ? " and, seizing the bunch 
 of flowers, he knelt gracefully on one knee, 
 with tilt; hand containing them pressed against 
 his heart, while, with the other, he was about 
 to grasp the taper fingers of his pouting cousin ; 
 when, much to his surprise, the hitherto quies- 
 cent hand seemed gifted with sudden energy ; 
 for it administered such a spirited box on the 
 2*
 
 18 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 ear, as quite threw him out of his heroics. 
 This, happening just at the moment the other 
 children came up, it was hailed by acclama- 
 tion ; for Tom was, although a great favorite, 
 the torment of the whole school. 
 
 " We will settle for this one of these days ! " 
 lie said in a somewhat subdued tone ; but 
 quickly recovering his vivacity, he added ; 
 " and even now I will repay good for evil ; " 
 and he seized and kissed in spite of her, the 
 hand that smote him. 
 
 At the door of Mrs. Hyde, the mother of 
 Victor, the happy group, after lingering a while 
 became thoughtful ; for the moment of parting 
 had now come ; and they bade each other 
 farewell, with the bright, but evanescent tears 
 of childhood, or early youth, which have less 
 of sorrow in them, than of hope,
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 " For a' that, and a' that, 
 
 Our toil's obscure and a' that, 
 The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 
 
 THE MA.N'S THE COLU for a' that. " 
 
 BITR.NS. 
 
 NOT many days after the scene alluded to 
 in the last chapter, two boys met on the village 
 green. " How are ye, Vic ? " said the older 
 and taller of the two. 
 
 " So, so, Tom ! " replied the other, lifting 
 his cap, and loosening the hair, which was now 
 matted into thick curls by the perspiration ; " 
 but I have had a deuc-ed hard time of it ; and, 
 to say the truth, Tom, I have wanted your 
 help not a little." 
 
 " How is it, Vic, the old matter of the pro- 
 fession come up again ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and, thank fortune, it is settled, at 
 last. " 
 
 ' You have given up the point, then, I 
 take it ? " 
 
 " Not at all. I have fought manfully ; but 
 I have won them all over now ; or established
 
 20 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 a truce with them at least. My grandmother 
 was there, with all the old aristocratical notions, 
 which she has kept bottled up for pressing 
 emergencies ever since the Revolution. There 
 too was the minister, talking about my father's 
 dignity, and my mother's feelings. My cousin 
 Kate, too, stood on the ground, with a host of 
 notions, about esteem, and fashion, and gen- 
 tility ; which I did'rt understand; and, for that 
 matter, I don't believe she did. Kate is a 
 belle ; and, of course, her opinion must be 
 sound. Last and strongest of all against me, 
 was my dear mother, with her too great fond- 
 ness her loo high opinion of me. " 
 
 " And so, Vic, you are resolved upon taking 
 a subordinate station in life, " said a third, who 
 joined the two boys as, arm in arm, they were 
 proceeding across the common together. ' How 
 do you think some of your noble born relations 
 will feel, when riding through the streets of 
 some great city, they read the spruce sign, 
 ' Victor Hyde, House Carpenter ? ' And how 
 will a certain fair school-mate relish that, eh, Vic ? 
 Now don't you think such a high-sounding name 
 as Victor Hyde, ought to be associated with 
 Attorney at Law, or Doctor, or Reverend, at 
 the least. " 
 
 " Reverend, at the least ! you ought to be
 
 THE MECHANIC. 21 
 
 ashamed of that, to put the sacred profession 
 last. " 
 
 " But does not the Great Book say the first 
 shall be last ? However, that's not answering 
 my question. " 
 
 " For the first, then, I trust that no crime, 
 no wrong, no meanness, will ever be associated 
 with the name of Victor Hyde, let it stand 
 how, or where it may ; and the esteem which 
 its own real worth cannot command, I neither 
 wish for, nor expect. " 
 
 Why to be sure you have a world of great 
 words, just at your tongue's end, and can beat 
 uie out and out, talking ; but I know what's 
 what, after all. I say, then, Vic, you are mad 
 to think of throwing away such a good chance 
 as you have of going to college; or even of 
 going into a store, where you mi^ht have the 
 finest chaps in Washington street for company, 
 AS / DO ; " and the incipient fop flourished a 
 rattan, nearly as possible as he had seen others 
 of a like stamp do. 
 
 " I know, Mr. George Henry Wilton," re- 
 turned our hero, somewhat ironically, " that 
 you have been educated in one of the most 
 genteel shoe-stores in all Boston ; and I ought, 
 perhaps, to bow, at once, to such high author-
 
 22 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 ity ; but I'm an odd fellow, and must have my 
 own way. " 
 
 " Tell me if you are really in your senses ? " 
 continued Wilton, disregarding, or probably not 
 understanding the irony. " Perhaps you do 
 not know that mechanics are not respected at 
 all in genteel city circles. You have not had 
 the happiness the advantage of living two 
 years in Boston, you know ! Besides, I am 
 almost three years older than you and 
 just going into business for myself ; and, of 
 course, I am better able to judge ; " and he 
 pulled up his | fabe collar, and adjusted his 
 highly perfumed locks, with an air which is 
 easily' acquired by those who are never dis- 
 quieted, by the action of any redundancy 
 brain. 
 
 " No, not of course ; " was the cool reply. 
 "I feel myself the -best qualified to judge for 
 myself; and, especially, in a matter that touches 
 my private taste, and my peculiar situation. " 
 
 " You are right ! " said Tom, whose better 
 sense had been shocked by the foppery and 
 superficial airs of the counter graduate. " And 
 'here's my hand, with my word of honor, Vic. 
 that the lawyer shall never look down upon the 
 carpenter; which, indeed, would be a pretty
 
 THE MECHANIC. 23 
 
 hard matter, if YOU represent the profession ; " 
 he added, with an admiring glance at the noble 
 air, and intelligent face of the boy before him. 
 
 1 5ut you surely will not expect to associate 
 with merchants?" said Mr. George Henry. 
 " Of course, I intended to notice you, had you.| 
 gone into a store; but a carpenter! Sacrc JVv 
 Of course, (i.'or^e Henry Wilton, Shoe Deal 
 No. Washington street, could'nt be expected 
 to know one ! " and he drew himself up with 
 what he would have called an air of fashionable 
 non-chahmcc. 
 
 i e;:-! a look of ineffable disdain on the 
 ne fellow ; but he struggled against the 
 ;ig, which his conscience told him v. 
 and, more in pity than in an^-r, I,. 1 
 
 " I shall "always resjv :f too much to 
 
 be an intruder any where, I trust. I have no 
 doubt I shall have as much society, as \\ill be 
 either valuable, or agreeable to me. At any 
 rate I intend to deserve the be-t. I i:;e;in to 
 make myself worthy of the highe>t ! and if I 
 do not have it. it shall not be my fault ! '" 
 
 '(). of of course" replied Mr. George 
 
 Henry, rather stammeringly "of course, you 
 
 may have the best in a moral point of 
 
 There are, you know, a great many
 
 24 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 good people in low life. You are quite right 
 in not aspiring to fashionable society. So if 
 you come to Boston, Vic, it need'nt affect our 
 private friendship, you know, if I should cut 
 you in the street. It is the custom of the city, 
 you know or, rather, it is peculiar to the 
 most genteel and exclusive circles." And he 
 knocked the ashes from his cigar, with an air 
 quite as gentlemanly as that of any of his wasp 
 waisted, lisping models. 
 
 " Not in the least ; " replied Victor, with a 
 smile of ill-repressed scorn, which the other 
 was too much of a gentleman to notice, or even 
 to perceive. " Indeed, I think our PRIVATE 
 FRIENDSHIP will never incommode either of us : 
 and, as cutting is soon to be a necessary 
 of my business, allow me to begin now. Tom 
 and I have that to say which needs no tbird 
 person. Mr. George Henry Wilton, I wish 
 you a very good evening." And he bowed with 
 an air of real dignity, which quite disconcerted 
 the shoe-dealer, obtuse as were his perceptives. 
 Victor passed his arm through that of his friend, 
 and the two boys turned into another path, 
 leaving the exquisite-presumptive, with a non 
 plus in the cavity that was made for brain. It 
 was this. What could there possibly be in a 
 country boy the 'prentice to a carpenter,
 
 THE MECHANIC. 25 
 
 that could silence, and absolutely CUT, a clerk 
 of one of the largest shoe-dealers in Boston 
 and he, too, just going into business for himsdf. 
 
 1 lu ! ha ! well done, Vic ! " almost shouted 
 Tom ; " hut you made me think of a lion lift- 
 ing his great paw to brush off a fly. You 
 need'nt have smashed the insect at one sweep." 
 
 " Where there is nothing to hit, there is 
 nothing to hurtj " replied Victor, laughing : 
 Mr. George Henry Wilton, with his dignity, 
 his gentility, and his friendship, are, all, alike 
 safe. " 
 
 " But, Vic, now that puppy is gone, a word 
 more of tliis project of yours. I hold that the 
 an is the seat of true dignity and honor, not 
 e profession ; still that one kind of business is 
 more eligible than another, all will say. But, 
 though you have that in you which would ele- 
 vate any calling, it seems to me, after all, that, 
 for one of your high, romantic notions, you 
 have chosen very oddly. I should sooner have 
 guessed that the finest scholar of our academy 
 would have chosen to be a poet, or a painter; 
 proving himself born to starve in a garret, with 
 all the enviable privileges of neglected, though 
 admired genius. I should have thought any 
 thing rather than of your being a carpenter. " 
 
 " I have ventured to use my reason, roman-
 
 26 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 tic as I am ; " replied the boy, proudly. " You 
 know that my mother's property is very limited. 
 She wishes me to go to college ; and is willing 
 to make great sacrifices, in order that my pro- 
 fession, as she fondly says, may correspond 
 with my talents. But I cannot consent to this. 
 You know it would be a long time before I 
 could be established, so as even to support 
 myself, in any one of the learned professions, 
 even with the best chance. I have no taste for 
 mercantile business ; but I have a decided 
 talent for mechanics ; and I believe that time 
 will prove I have chosen wisely. I shall not 
 only carry the peference of taste into my new 
 business ; but I shall go into it, knowing tha 
 so far from curtailing the comforts of my mothe 
 I shall soon be able, even with common success, 
 to add to them. But the matter is decided 
 now ; and I am actually about to be appren- 
 ticed to Mr. Gray, who is now in A ; and 
 
 he is a gentleman, though a carpenter. I go 
 to Boston next month. " 
 
 " Well, success to you, Vic ! " replied his 
 friend ; and the boys separated.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 " Farewell a word tliat hatli been anil must bo 
 nid that makes us linger yet farewell. " 
 
 BTROV. 
 
 " This above all, to thine own self bo true : 
 And it must follow, as thn night to day, 
 Thou canst not, then, be false to any man. " 
 
 HA.MLKT. 
 
 THE time of parting had come. Victor had 
 called upon, and received calls from all his old 
 school-mates, and play-mates. He had visited 
 fondly every object which was connected to his 
 heart. !>y the dear associations of childhood and 
 happine-s. lie now stood on the threshold, 
 with his arms around his mother's neck, and 
 his tears flowing fast upon her bosom. Who 
 can tell a mother's agony when she thus sees a 
 an only, as yet pure son, going forth into 
 the world, as gold to the crucible it may be 
 to become yet more pure. It may be to 
 mix with base alloy and be utterly lost. 
 But must he not, at the best, lose that for 
 which no substitute can be found, in the wide 
 world ? the watchfulness, the love, the unwea 
 ried ministering, which can be only hers.
 
 23 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " Remember my son," said the matron, as 
 she kissed again and again the upturning fore- 
 head of her boy ; " Remember you are the 
 child of many prayers ; and let that thought be 
 with you in the midst of temptation. Go to 
 the throne of grace morning and evening. As 
 long as you are punctual in this, you are safe. 
 Never forget the worship of your father's house ; 
 but never give up to any, your privileges as a 
 free moral agent. You will meet with many 
 temptations ; but scan every thing, before you 
 believe. O, I have much to say, my son ! and 
 it seerns as if, at this moment, my heart were 
 gushing over, with its love, and its fears." She 
 paused as if choked. For the first time on that 
 sad day, tears gushed into her eyes ; and their 
 full flow relieved her. 
 
 It is a fitting season for pious admonition, 
 when the heart is open to the tenderest emo- 
 tions ; for the truths enforced, being there 
 incorporated with affection, sink more deeply 
 into the heart, and are cherished more fondly 
 more faithfully. 
 
 The stage-coach was already waiting at the 
 door ; and with renewed tears, and renewed 
 embraces, Victor left the sheltering bosom and 
 the protecting love of his widowed mother ; 
 and launched out into a world of temptation
 
 THE MECHANIC. 29 
 
 and sin, of which lie yet knew nothing ; but 
 his bosom was shielded by a principle stronger 
 than adamant the pure love of truth and 
 goodness, inwrought with deep and earnest 
 affection. 
 
 It was the Saturday evening of a cold No- 
 vember day, when Victor was set down at the 
 door of his destined employer. The cheerless 
 whistle of the wind, as it went shrieking and 
 moaning, through the narrow alleys, and round 
 the corners of the streets, heightened the drear- 
 iness of the scene, and smote upon the poor 
 boy's heart, with such a feeling of loss and 
 loneliness as he had never before felt. For 
 one moment, could he have caught win^s he 
 would have flown back to his mother's arms. 
 But the settled purpose of his being, brightened 
 again. He felt the power and the dignity of 
 man stirring within him ; and he was strong. 
 One pious thought sped back to that dearly- 
 loved, and trusting mother one deep vow to 
 be all that mother wished all she prayed 
 for, was breathed in the silent earnestness of 
 thought ; and then he was calm as if the spirit 
 of the full-formed man, had suddenly expanded 
 within the bosom of the almost weeping boy. 
 
 The house our hero stood before was a 
 respectable looking one. in a handsome street ; 
 3*
 
 30 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 and he remained a moment, thinking of the 
 eventful step he was taking ; and then, with a 
 beating heart, he ventured to ring. The bell 
 was promptly answered by a benevolent look- 
 ing woman, of a delicate, and even lady-like 
 appearance. 
 
 " Victor Hyde, I presume ! " said the lady, 
 as she looked at his luggage. " We have been 
 expecting you for some time. I believe the 
 stage is rather late to-day. But you can set 
 your trunk and other things into the hall, if you 
 please ; and then walk in. I am very glad you 
 have come, " she added, as she cast another 
 glance at the re-assured, and now animated 
 countenance of Victor. He was ushered into 
 a pleasant sitting-room where he found a young 
 lady of very prepossessing appearance, and a 
 boy just about his own age ; who, with a bonny 
 girl of seven years, made the family of Mr. 
 Gray. 
 
 " Ednah, " said Mrs. Gray to her eldest 
 daughter, who was engaged over a piece of 
 delicate embroidery. " Ednah, here is the 
 
 young man from A . Robert, set a chair, 
 
 and you will tell him something of the city 
 and be kind to him, for he is a stranger," 
 she added, as she detected a sinister, if not a 
 contemptuous expression, on the face of her son.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 31 
 
 Master Robert gave little heed to his mother's 
 words ; but, taking a cigar from his hat, he 
 lighted it, and seating himself astride a chair, 
 with his face turned to the back, he commenced 
 smoking. Ednah cast a reproving look on her 
 brother ; but knowing him so callous that any 
 common shaft would glance off pointless, she 
 merely said, " you know, Robert, smoking 
 makes me sick ; why will you do so ? " Then 
 she sat down by the young stranger ; and, by 
 her kind and gentle manners, made ample 
 amends for her brother's rudeness ; while Mrs. 
 Gray herself, was busy in the kitchen. The 
 whole aspect of the room spoke the truest inde- 
 pendence the power to obtain all that is 
 needful -much that is elegant with no vain 
 reaching after extravagant display mere out- 
 ward show indeed, the only really superfluous 
 thing in the room was, perhaps, Robert's cigar. 
 Presently in came a buxom Irish girl, who 
 seemed in herself the very personiGcation of 
 good nature ; and she set the table in a manner 
 that showed she at least, in some way, had 
 acquired habits of order and neatness. Imme- 
 diately after, Mr. Gray came, whom lie had 
 met at A., with his journeyman, George Rankin, 
 to whom Victor was duly introduced. So we 
 pass over this first day of our hero's seques-
 
 32 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 tration from home, and sojourn among stran- 
 gers. 
 
 Victor had left home, prepared to meet 
 difficulties and determined to grapple with them 
 manfully ; therefore he was neither surprised, 
 nor shocked, when called upon to perform 
 labors to which he had hitherto been quite 
 unaccustomed. Mr. Gray was, not only a 
 first-rate workman, but also a man of consider- 
 able acquirement, and of more than ordinary 
 talent. He was vigorous and efficient in busi- 
 ness ; and his industry and good management 
 had met their reward. The w r orld went well 
 with him ; and as yet, in all the relations of 
 life he was happy and prosperous. Victor 
 found no apprentice besides himself; and only 
 one journeyman, whom we have just mentioned. 
 George Rankin was one of those singularly 
 constituted beings, who seem to turn all they 
 touch to bitterness! This quality of mind was 
 indeed kept covered with the nicest art ; but 
 there was none the less -gall, because it was 
 hidden. By apparent devotion to his interests, 
 he had so completely won the confidence of 
 Mr. Gray, that he was allowed to exercise an 
 almost unbounded influence over his son. In- 
 deed, without the father's ever having suspected 
 it, the, latter had become strongly assimilated
 
 THI: MECHANIC 33 
 
 to, and a willing instrument in the hands of a 
 man, who appeared to be almost thoroughly 
 envious and malicious. Victor soon saw, how- 
 ever, that Rohert was, by no means, a willingly 
 vicious boy. The love of mischief was his 
 besetting sin ; and for the sake of a frolic 
 for the mere love of fun he had 6rst entered 
 into the councils of his elder companion ; and 
 being of an exceedingly reckless temperament, 
 the very daring of many of Rankin's schemes, 
 won his hearty co-operation ; while the guilt 
 was lost, to his mind, in the sport. This Victor 
 was very soon to perceive ; and, though in 
 accordance with the resolution to make him 
 their butt, a great number of potty tricks wore 
 played oil' upon him, from time to time; yet he 
 cherished no resentment ; hut, on the contrary, 
 felt a deep-seated and ino^t earnest wish to 
 deliver the: misguided, hut often generous boy, 
 from the toils of his adversary. In this spirit 
 he met the petty attacks of the other with so 
 much gentleness and dignity, that ho soon gave 
 up even attempting to teu/e him. 
 
 But Victor became more and more delighted 
 with the, intelligence and refinement of Miss 
 Gray, who had first received, and still contin- 
 ued to treat him, with the gentle kindness of 
 an older and affectionate sister. That amiable
 
 34 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 and accomplished young lady, although a me- 
 chanic's daughter, was gifted with mind and 
 manners fit to adorn and dignify any station. 
 She was assistant teacher in a high school of 
 considerable reputation ; and was already en- 
 gaged to one of the most pomising young 
 lawyers in New-England, 
 
 Mr. Gray was a thorough business man, 
 possessed of intelligence, with no inconsiderable 
 degree of good taste, and refinement, he yet 
 made the grand oversight, which many such 
 men do. While he labored to enlarge the for- 
 tune, which he hoped to leave his son, he had 
 entirely neglected to mould his character prop- 
 erly. To this task Mrs. Gray, had she been 
 left to the entire management of the boy, might 
 have been equal ; for she was a woman of 
 singular energy and firmness of purpose and 
 action ; and these qualities were combined, 
 as they rarely are, with great gentleness and 
 delicacy of heart, and manner ; and with be- 
 nevolence wide as the wants and miseries of 
 her fellow-creatures. But her influence was 
 completely broken up, and lost, by the care- 
 lessness and inattention of the father, leaning 
 now this way, now that now granting a favor 
 now refusing one without understanding 
 the reasons in either case ; and all because his
 
 THE MECHANIC. 33 
 
 mind was engrossed by the details of business. 
 He had no time to look after children ; and the 
 child for whom he labored untiringly, became 
 well nigh lost for the want of that influence 
 that looking through daily conduct that scan- 
 ning of motives that planting of good seed 
 
 O IT O O 
 
 at the needful moment and that lopping off 
 of the evil branches which a mother may 
 indeed effect ; but which still wants the father's 
 seal. For if there are two parents the great 
 work of home education, can only be wrought 
 by the coincident action of both. A higher 
 degree of moral and religious principle would 
 have set Mr. Gray right. He would then have 
 seen that the character of his son was of infi- 
 nitely greater importance than his fortune. 
 V/ith her girls Mrs. Gray had no difficulty ; as 
 they never appealed to their father, and he 
 never interfered in their management ; and her 
 signal success with them, proved her fitness for 
 the high vocation of woman. 
 
 On the first Sabbath after Victor's arrival in 
 Boston, as Mr. Gray was ill, the former attend- 
 ed Mrs., Miss Gray, and Annie to church ; for 
 Robert declared that going to church, except 
 the Catholic on Christmas, or some other holy- 
 day, was too great a bore to be thought of, 
 much less submitted to. Our hero was not a
 
 36 THE MECHANIC, 
 
 little strengthened by the high character of the 
 devotional exercises, which were different from 
 any he had ever before witnessed, or united 
 in ; and he now, for the first time, began to 
 see that the services of the Christian altar are, 
 indeed, " a reasonable service. " 
 
 It was the practice with Mr. Gray to be very 
 particular in the choice of his apprentices. He 
 drew them always from respectable families, 
 and then incorporated them as members of his 
 family, with all the rights and privileges there- 
 unto appertaining. This duty is shamefully 
 neglected by many of the wealthier mechanics, 
 who are in the habit of making their appren- 
 tices and journeymen complete underlings. If 
 they w r ould reflect at all, or allowed themselves 
 to trace the necessary connection between 
 cause and effect, they would see that the surest 
 way to elevate themselves, as a body, would be 
 to elevate the character of their subordinates ; 
 who are destined, in turn, to take their places 
 as members of society, and of the body politic. 
 
 Even the Sabbath did not go by without 
 Victor's having been several times annoyed by 
 the petty mischief of Robert, which he soon 
 saw was connived at, if not instigated by 
 Rankin. The latter was so artful as to make 
 a complete dupe of Mr. Gray ; or he would
 
 THE MECHANH. 37 
 
 not have allowed him such unbounded intimacy 
 with his son a confidence which he abused 
 in the worst manner. But lie was always 
 polite and decorous at home ; indeed, his man- 
 ners, when lie chose, had an appearance of 
 uncommon frankness and good humor. To his 
 employer he always paid a deference, which 
 was particularly agreeable to one who had long 
 exercised, and who loved power. Added to 
 this he was an ingenious mechanic a con> 
 plete workman. In these facts we have the 
 secret of his influence over the mind of .Mr. 
 tiray. He saw that Victor was fast becoming 
 a general favorite with tin; family ; and though 
 he forebore to speak, or act openly, he cher- 
 ished towards the unoffending boy a deep and 
 malicious hatred ; while, on the other hand, 
 our hero engaged in his new duties with an 
 intelligence and a determined faithfulness, which 
 could not do otherwise than win approbation 
 and success. Notwithstanding the strong affec- 
 tion he had cherished for the things of his 
 mother's house, Victor was delighted with his 
 new home ; and for the stke of those who 
 were always so good to him. In- forgave Rob- 
 ert's petty annoyances, and tried with all his 
 power to conciliate him ; but, for a long time, 
 he was unsuccessful. For the most part Kankia 
 4
 
 38 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 treated him with a )cind of patronizing atten- 
 tion, which was sometimes, however, so shallow 
 as to show the MOTIVE, that, like a serpent, lay 
 coiled beneath. 
 
 On the evening of the Sabhath above alluded 
 to, George and Robert, who were always bed- 
 fellows, stood listening some time at the door of 
 Victor's chamber, after he had retired. 
 
 " The fellow's praying ! " said Rankin, at 
 length, garnishing the exclamation with an oath. 
 " That'll do very well among the owls ; but we 
 must show him 'twont go down here. How 
 shall we contrive to fix him ?" 
 
 Robert whispered something in the ear of 
 his companion ; and on tip-toe they both with- 
 drew to their own chamber.
 
 CHAPTER IV, 
 
 " Happ) i tl'c house that shelters a friend. " 
 
 EMERSON. 
 
 To the blessing of himself, his friends, and 
 even of us who write and read his story, our 
 hero established himself, at first, on THE RIGHT 
 fJiiorND. There he stood, firm as the rock 
 itself. He saw and knew he uas a self-depen- 
 dent being. He In-held a work to do a mis- 
 sion to perform. Pent d vent tire it was to teach 
 men, what they arc to shew, by a beautiful 
 correspondence of outward action with the in- 
 dwelling spirit, that there is dignity ; that 
 there is virtue ; that there is piety ; that there 
 is MANHOOD in man. Strange that he should 
 thus, uninstructed and alone, have reached the 
 height, which for one who so much as looks at, 
 thousands do not even dream of. No, not 
 strange, either. He only lUtened to the being 
 within himself, and that taught him. He did 
 not go abroad (o ask what he was, or what he 
 should be. lie looked into his own bosom and 
 ived liiiht. He felt the godlike nature of
 
 40 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 man Stirling within him ; and he was strong. 
 He was strong as if girded by the armor of 
 Achilles ; yea, and stronger. There was no 
 pervious heel for the shaft of his adversary. 
 What then could outward circumstance be to 
 such a mind ? Could employment the delicacy 
 or roughness of the hands, the texture or fashion 
 of the garments, affect a spirit that knows and 
 appreciates itself? Never. On the other hand 
 there is that in the trite man which gives dignity 
 to the meanest labor, and renders the most ser- 
 vile occupation beautiful. You may, indeed, 
 be haughty, and toss your heads, ye who have 
 never entered into commnmcarion with such a 
 spirit. You may exclude him from your table, 
 your society ; you may even affect not to see 
 him, as you pass him in the streets ! But can 
 you hurt him ? Aim a penny arrow at the 
 eternal Sun 1 You cannot reach it, much less, 
 injure it ! 
 
 Trite to the voice that was speaking in his 
 soul, Victor devoted his leisure time either to 
 judicious reading and study, or to the more 
 healthful communion with nature : and now 
 that these moments were limited, they gave 
 him more intense pleasure than ever. On him, 
 being the only apprentice, devolved the business 
 of taking care of the cow, milking, getting in
 
 THE MECHANIC. 41 
 
 wood, coal and water ; with many minor mat- 
 ters ; yet none of these things degraded him : 
 and he had, in winter, many leisure hours, 
 which he found every day were growing more 
 and more precious. He obtained from the 
 Mechanics' Library, to which he had access 
 through the membership of Mr. Gray, a valua- 
 ble work on Architecture ; and the more he 
 read, the more lie was determined to master 
 that noble science. He began more and more 
 to justify himself in the choice of his profession. 
 He saw that it was, indeed, a noble one, capa- 
 ble of giving scope to the eunn'ingest skill, as 
 well as the loftiest genius. In short he was 
 getting enthusiastic in his love. These habits 
 were not unobserved by Miss Gray, who kindly 
 invited him to commence a course of historical 
 reading, which he gladly accepted ; and with 
 much profit to them both, they employed, in 
 this manner, a portion of almost every evening. 
 The advantages which Victor derived from this 
 friendship can hardly be estimated. It not only 
 drew him from evil company, but was continu- 
 ally exerting a positively good influence in the 
 polish of manner in the elevation of taste 
 in the cultivation of the understanding. Does 
 any apprentice boy say, " I could never have 
 that chance ! " I reply, Let him be what Vie- 
 4*
 
 42 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 tor Hyde was, TRUE TO HIMSELF ; and there 
 will always be some noble spirit near with 
 whom to take sweet counsel or if there be 
 none, there is the spirit of great men in books 
 the spirit of God in nature. Let him then not 
 cease to be man, because a butterfly, vain of 
 his gaudy wings, flutters by and heeds him not. 
 Let him not die let him live. And the true 
 spirit shall beat hand for "as face answered) 
 to face in water, " so doth the true spirit ever 
 respond to the true ; and its call is heard even 
 from afar. 
 
 But to return. The superior age of Miss Gray 
 then about twenty-two her high attain- 
 ments ; her acquaintance with the literature of 
 the day ; her lovely person and winning man- 
 ner ; but, above all, her high moral dignity and 
 consistency, made her a delightful teacher, and 
 an invaluable friend. She had tried her utmost 
 to get Robert to join their circle ; but to no pur- 
 pose. Victor soon came to be set before Robert 
 as an example of good taste, and scholarship ; 
 and this added no little to the mischievous spite, 
 which the latter continued to feel for the young 
 stranger. So well pleased was Mr. Gray with 
 the intelligence and faithfulness of his appren- 
 tice, that he presented him with a season ticket 
 to a course of scientific lectures. So passed
 
 THE MECHANIC. 43 
 
 a\vay the winter ; and not to one, even of the 
 highest. I venture to say, did it give more hap- 
 piness, or leave more profit more real advan- 
 tage than to our humble apprentice boy ; for 
 he had established a relation or rather had 
 detected the relationship between him and the 
 external world. Tilings to him had a meaning. 
 Ideas woke, either rejecting or corresponding 
 ideas. He was not a machine. He became a 
 living and pervading presence. He entered 
 into his subject, and filled it with himself 
 with his heart his soul his mind. But not 
 yet had he reached the Highest Thought ; nor 
 caught even the remotest expression of that 
 thought. In his Religion he was not yet posi- 
 He had taken his Belief, because his 
 fathers had the same because it was sanc- 
 tioned by the authority of great and good men 
 because, in short, every body worth caring 
 for sanctioned it ; and to be without it was to 
 be not respectable yet not because he had 
 weighed it, mea-urcd it, scanned it and knew 
 that it was full, and good, and true. He had 
 not gone aside far enough, even to behold it. 
 He stood within its own shadow and how could 
 he understandiirjy rounder its proportions ; or 
 even appreciate it> defects and beauties ': \ I
 
 44 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 the refiner's fire was at hand ; and the day even 
 for these things, also. 
 
 In another way Miss Gray was of great ser- 
 vice to our hero. He had a decided talent for 
 drawing ; and that excellent young lady, on 
 discovering some rude attempts at copying ar- 
 chitectural designs, which indicated talent un- 
 derneath, began at first gently to direct him, 
 and afterwards gave him regular lessons ; for 
 she was, herself, a proficient in the theory of 
 that elegant art ; and the scholar did ample 
 credit to the skill and untiring exertions of the 
 teacher. All these kindnesses were not un- 
 marked by Rankin ; and Victor was not long 
 in perceiving that the latter regarded him as a 
 rival in the good graces of the young lady ; 
 although her superior age and previous engage- 
 ment, must have precluded all thoughts of any 
 other than the purest nay the necessary friend- 
 ship, between two persons of taste and genius, 
 who were thus constantly associated. In short 
 Rankin was a rejected suitor of Miss Gray. 
 She had long since declined receiving his ad- 
 dresses, kindly but positively ; and until the 
 period of Victor's coming, he had appeared for 
 a long time perfectly resigned to his fate. He 
 seldom sought her society indeed, he gene
 
 THE MECHANIC. -1,3 
 
 rally avoided her with studious care. But the 
 attentions she bestowed on Victor, carried home 
 a new dart to the covered, but not healed 
 wound, thus exciting the venom, with which his 
 nature was redundant. But he was too cun- 
 ning a diplomatist to commit himself by any 
 overt act of unkindnes.-. Every circumstance 
 was invested with his own bitterness, and treas- 
 ured up against the day of wrath, which he had 
 inly sworn should come. 
 
 As the spring opened, Victor discovered that 
 himself and Miss Gray had another coincident 
 taste. The latter was an ardent devotee of 
 that charming science, \\hich no woman should 
 fail to make herself acquainted with she was, 
 in short, an intelligent and practical botanist. 
 This study also from his quick perception of 
 the beautiful, and ardent love of nature, \\u- 
 peculiarly adapted to the mind of Victor. Ji- 
 had taken it up during the last term he had 
 attended school at the Academy of his native 
 town, and advanced so far as to perceive its 
 beautiful system, and to take much interest in 
 gathering, analy/inir, and preserving specitii' 
 Since then it had been hallowed and shrined in 
 his bosom, with one of the sweetest memories 
 that ever stirred a gentle and loving heart, 
 But when he found that Mi.-s dray had a kin-
 
 46 TJiE MECHANIC. 
 
 dred taste and that much more highly culti- 
 vated than his own not only love for the 
 science itself, but gratitude to his charming 
 preceptress, prompted him to renewed interest. 
 Every swamp, wood, meadow, marsh, and river 
 side was made to yield a part of its hidden 
 treasures ; and never a holyday came without 
 bringing some valuable addition to Miss Gray's 
 Herbarium, through the untiring earnestness of 
 her grateful young friend. 
 
 Here, again, let not the poor boy say, " The 
 Natural Sciences are entirely beyond my reach," 
 for, in this also, he is wrong. Behold, is not a 
 fly, a moth, a flower, a stone, a hit of earth, 
 cheap ? Yet each of these is a study. These 
 are the spontaneous publications of nature, 
 which she scatters abroad over her whole do- 
 main, even that the poor may gather them 
 together and read. A manual containing the 
 Elements of any one of the natural sciences 
 may be bought for less money than even the 
 poorest boys among us spend in a year for 
 cross-bows, and crackers, and srjtubs, and gun- 
 powder, which they are better without than 
 with ; and the time consumed in mischief would 
 be sufficient to acquire a knowledge of any one 
 of the natural sciences, besides furnishing health- 
 ful, instead of troublesome, wanton and danger- 
 ,ous exercises.
 
 , CHAPTER V. 
 
 " Mark you this, Bassanio, 
 
 Tlio devil can cite scripture for liis purpose. 
 
 An evil soul producing Imly witness, 
 
 Is like a villain with a smiling clici.-k ; 
 
 A goodly apple rotten at tin; heart ; 
 
 O, \vliat a goodly outside falsehood hath ! " 
 
 MKKCIIAST OK VENICE. 
 
 Hut this height of happiness was not to last 
 long ; or rather it was to be tested. Kankin 
 had forhorne making any observations upon 
 Victor's religious habit-: his strict attention to 
 all the duties enjoined by the spirit of Christi- 
 anity but, after a while, whenever he could 
 find him alone in his chamber, he began to 
 throw out sly but keen inuendos. One evening 
 it happened it was not a very common thing 
 as Kankin seldom came home until late, that 
 they ascended the stairs at the same time. 
 After a few moments the lalter knocking slight- 
 ly, threw open the door familiarly, and entered 
 the room of Victor. The latter was engaged, 
 as usual, in reading a chapter before he retired. 
 His visitor stood over him a few minutes ; and
 
 48 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 then said in a low tone, in which it were diffi- 
 cult to guess whether was embodied irony, ridi- 
 cule, or merely a simple enquiry. " Christian, 
 eh ? " 
 
 " What did you observe r " returned Victor, 
 looking up. 
 
 " I meant to ask, " he replied, confronting 
 the other, and fixing his keen eyes, now glisten- 
 ing like those of the basilisk, full upon his 
 unwavering countenance. " I meant to ask 
 whether you call yourself a Christian ? " 
 
 " That is a curious question. " 
 
 " Not so curious, my dear fellow returned the 
 other ; " You certainly have been in town long 
 enough, to see that there is not a young man of 
 spirit in the city, who would wear the fetters of 
 Priestcraft. Religion, to be sure, will do well 
 enough for babies for boys who are content 
 to hang forever at their mother's apron strings 
 but for fellows of pith and marrow, like you 
 and me who have minds of our own who 
 can think, and reason, and judge. We can be 
 a law to ourselves. Religion will do well 
 enough to furnish excitement for disappointed 
 old Maids, and bread for idle, sycophantic 
 Priests ; but you, my dear fellow, with your 
 brilliant intellect have you not guessed before 
 now that it is all a humbug ? " As he spoke he
 
 THE MECHANIC, 49 
 
 sed himself into the chair of Victor, and 
 passed an arm round his waist, with the most 
 winning kindness of manner, 
 
 "I do not like to hear such language, " re- 
 
 O O ' 
 
 turned Victor, the severity of his rehuke soften- 
 ed by the apparent kindness of the other ; " and 
 I beg of you to spare me. We shall not agree. 
 If we converse, let it be upon some subject 
 which we do not think so differently about. " 
 
 " I know advisers, and true, honest friends, 
 generally get few thanks for their pains ; and 
 yet, " added Rankin. " so great is the interest ! 
 feel for you, that I cannot bear to see one so 
 bk-sscd by nature with the rarest gifts, crippled 
 down by miserable impositions, fit only for silly 
 oldVomen. O, you are like the rest !" he said, 
 accidentally throwing off his veil, " You dare 
 not think for yourself! You are all one pack 
 of fools !" 
 
 " I do not wish to think differently from what 
 I do, " replied Victor, taking advantage of 
 Kankin's oversight, and recovering his self-pos- 
 session. " I do not wish to change my opinion, 
 because I fully believe I am right. " 
 
 " And so do I, my brave fellow ! " returned 
 the other, with a change of countenance and 
 manner, rapid as thought. " You have stood 
 5
 
 50 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 the test ; and I now feel you are woithy of all 
 confidence. " He arose, and after walking the 
 room a few minutes, returned to the side of the 
 now astonished Victor. 
 
 " Listen to me ; " he said, " I have found 
 much hypocrisy in the garb of religion ; or, to 
 use the familiar phrase, I have often found the 
 wolf in sheep's clothing. For this reason I did 
 not dare to trust you, without making trial of 
 the strength of your principles. I am con- 
 vinced, I honor the courage with which you 
 defend your faith, as I honor the faith itself. " 
 
 Victor was far too single-hearted, and straight- 
 forward in thought and purpose, to understand 
 the deep and bitter irony of this. He thought, 
 indeed, that he had in no-wise defended his 
 faith ; but had rather made that a defence for 
 himself and his own weakness. He knew not 
 what to think. He was bewildered, 
 
 " Now that we understand each other, " re- 
 sumed Rankin, "we must be friends;" and 
 drawing the softened youth to his arms, and 
 gently embracing him, he added, " I am a 
 strange creature, Victor, I am full of harrassing 
 fears and distressing doubts. My mind is very 
 far from being quite settled. What do you say 
 to commencing the Bible with me ? We can
 
 THE MECHANIC. 51 
 
 read a few chapters every night after we come 
 into our chambers ; and perhaps we can assist 
 each other. " 
 
 To this wily proposition Victor gladly assent- 
 ed ; and as Rankin withdrew from the room, 
 he proposed to commence the next evening ; 
 and the innocent, noble-hearted boy knew not 
 that the kiss which was imprinted on his fair, 
 upturned brow was like that of Judas. 
 
 The next evening they met, according to 
 appointment, in the room of Victor, and com- 
 menced the Bible. They read together the 
 chapters on the Creation and the Fall of Man, 
 
 Now do you see no difficulty in all this ? !> 
 .-aid Rankin, as they concluded the last chapter. 
 None at all ; " replied Victor, " It appears 
 \ay plain to me. " 
 
 " There is an obstinate difficulty in MY way ;" 
 returned Rankin. " Did the Almighty before 
 he created man intend to introduce evil, or was 
 his design frustrated : '' 
 
 t believe," replied Victor, "that it was his 
 intention to produce just such a state of thin us 
 as now exists a state, not perfect in itself, 
 luii containing all the elements of perfection. " 
 
 I Jut how could a perfectly good Being 
 create sin ? If you admit that God created, or
 
 52 THE lffECHANIC. 
 
 designed sin, you must also admit that he is not 
 perfectly holy. " 
 
 " I see no necessity for this. In making man 
 a free agent, with perfect liberty to choose be- 
 tween good and evil, he has given him the 
 power of acquiring positive goodness ,* which 
 he never could have had, were he so constitut- 
 ed by nature as to be incapable of sin. Here, 
 Mr. Rankin, is a book on this very subject, 
 which I wish you to read. I have lately read 
 it with much pro6t. " As he spoke he drew 
 from his little book -case a volume entitled, 
 " CHEERING VIEWS OF MAN AND PROVI- 
 DENCE, drawn from REFLECTIONS on the NA- 
 TURE, ORIGIN, and USE OF EVSL. " 
 
 " Ha, by Burton ! Heterodox, already, I 
 see ! " exclaimed Rankin. " I will read the 
 book for your sake, my dear Victor, and then 
 we will finish our argument ; for I see I must 
 be armed at all points, to combat you no, " 
 he added > checking himself, " to keep up sides 
 with you. You must be my teacher, Victor ; " 
 and again he took leave of the affectionate but 
 now flattered boy. 
 
 Thus they met, evening after evening, and 
 read as before ; the artful Rankin, who was- 
 thoroughly acquainted with all the shoals and
 
 THE MECHANIC. 53 
 
 breakers of the Christian system, starting one 
 difficulty after another, in his apparent seeking * 
 after truth. These were suggested so inciden- 
 tally so artfully with such well affected 
 sorrow and seeming earnestness of zeal, that 
 every one left the germ of doubt in the mind of 
 the simple hearted boy. lie \\;H in great dan- 
 ger. He was fast losing the stulilr ground of 
 his faith. There was one thing and but one 
 thing, saved him. His mother was capable of 
 directing him, and he confided all to her. Not 
 yet was his entire deliverance. Not yet was 
 he strong enough to contend for the boon of 
 positive and perfect liberty. Rankin felt it 
 prudent to change his modus opcrundi ; yet he 
 still took Victor to meeting in different parts of 
 the city, so he might hear the opinions of all 
 the various sects, and learn something of their 
 particular modes of worship. One Sabbath 
 afternoon he came home unexpectedly, and 
 told Victor he had come on purpose to invite 
 him to attend the meeting of a great preacher ; 
 and as he spoke of this freely, and at length in 
 a letter to his mother, let us turn to that letter ; 
 which will be only turning to the next chapter,
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " 'T is one thing to be tempted, Escalus, 
 Another thing to fall." 
 
 MEASURE FOR MEASURE. 
 
 LETTER FROM VICTOR TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 BOSTON, July 4, 18 . 
 (: As this is a holyday, my dear mother, I 
 gladly devote a part of it to you. And first, let 
 me thank you for the present of the nice warm 
 stockings you sent me last Fall, which I forgot 
 to mention every time I have written since. 
 They were so soft and warm rather too 
 warm, indeed, to think of this hot July day 
 but they are very different from the coarse 
 rough things they buy at the stores. After all, 
 mother, I believe I do love the country best ; 
 the clear good country. There are a great 
 many fine things here, to be sure j but there 
 arc also a great many bad ones. I am finding 
 them out every day, more and more. But I 
 hope I am grateful, as I feel I ought to be, 
 mother, to the kind Providence that has placed 
 rae in this excellent family. Mrs. Gray is
 
 THE MECHANIC. 55 
 
 almost like a mother. She is very different 
 from the mistresses which most of my fellow 
 apprentices have, if they tell the truth. 1 be- 
 lieve it is pretty generally customary among 
 the higher order of mechanics to treat apprenti- 
 ces, especially the younger ones, as menials, 
 rather than equals. They are, I am told, seldom 
 invited into the parlor, when there is company 
 present. They are allowed to go wherever 
 they please on the Sabbath. They have little 
 or no religious instruction, even among the pro- 
 
 iiy pious ; and their wants are seldom 
 enquired into. But here, mother, you cannot 
 think how different it is! If I eat 1< -s than 
 usual, or look soberer than common. Mrs. Gray 
 
 ; just as quick as if I were her ov, a child ; 
 just as quick as you would, moth* :. and she 
 finds out all my trouble ; and she doctor me, 
 and comforts me, just as you do. An 
 Gray I have told you before what she is ; 
 but I never can speak enough of her. O. she 
 is so good, and so kind, and so beautiful I 
 can never tell half. She is now teaching mo 
 to draw ; and she says I make great progress ; 
 but she is so amiable. Mother don't you think 
 it is a grand thincr I am learning to draw, and 
 all at leisure hours, too, without paying any 
 money ? It is to me a delightful recreation. I
 
 56 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 mean to be an Architect. You shall never be 
 dissatisfied with the station I shall gain. I 
 have looked at it, mother. I have thought of 
 it ; and my determination is fixed. It will re- 
 quire long and unwearied exertion perhaps 
 much self-sacrifice ; but I have fixed my mark 
 high ; and I am determined that nothing shall 
 divert me from it. 
 
 Since I have come to this great city, where 
 the distinctions of rank are so much more glar- 
 ing than they are in the country, I have only 
 become more fixed in my former opinion, that 
 the real dignity of man, does not rest in his 
 profession, nor in the amount of money he may 
 have ; but in the mental and moral power 
 which ho is 'capable of exerting. Mechanics, 
 ! 1 a< laboring people, generally fail in 
 want of self-respect. They are willing to take 
 inferior places, when they might command high- 
 er. A certain set names them an inferior caste ; 
 and they subscribe to it with grumbling and 
 hard words, it may be ; but still their own hand 
 and seal is there ; or the parchment could never 
 be valid still they crouch when the rich man 
 goes by slill they cry out against wealth, and 
 Rank, and Fashion and still they meanly 
 enry them ; until there is no principle of man- 
 liness left in them, In this spirit their families
 
 THE MECHANIC. 57 
 
 are brought up ; and so the evil is perpetuated. 
 Taking it for granted that they cannot and 
 should not rise to a level with the highest, they 
 neither prepare themselves, nor their families, 
 for any thing better, or higher. As a general 
 truth I believe that men will be respectable, 
 and respected, only just as far as they respect 
 themselves. But enough of this, mother. I 
 have a confession to make. 
 
 " I hope you will not be a very severe judge. 
 Where do you think I was, last Sabbath, after- 
 noon ? You cannot guess. I must Jell you. 
 Do not be alarmed, mother; but I \va> actually 
 listening to the celebrated atheist, . Be- 
 lieve me, I should never have gone voluntarily 
 to hear him, but I was invited by Mr. Rankin, 
 (whose sincerity, between ourselves. I have still 
 increasing reason to doubt) to go and h^ar a 
 great preacher, whose name he refused to tell 
 me. But I soon found out that I could be lis- 
 tening to none other than the notorious person, 
 whose name, being coupled with blasphemy 
 and persecution, has made so much stir lately. 
 I will first tell you, dear mother, in order to 
 relieve your affectionate heart, that I neither 
 intend, nor wish to go again ; and that a system 
 sustained by arguments so entirely superficial, 
 has rather strengthened my reliance on what I 
 
 '
 
 OO THE MECHANIC. 
 
 consider the true faith. And now, as you are, 
 without doubt, curious to know how these meet- 
 ings are conducted, I will endeavor to describe 
 the one I attended. I should think there might 
 have been 2000 persons present. A great por- 
 tion of them appeared to be dashing young men 
 of the city. There were also many Mechanics 
 and decent respectable looking people, with 
 their families. The great numbers Ije draws 
 together are, without doubt, owing to the perse- 
 cution he has suffered ; and I venture to say 
 that if he were left undisturbed for a while, his 
 audience would soon dwindle into nothing. 
 The services commenced by reading a hymn in 
 praise of Wisdom. This was then sung by the 
 congregation to a spirited and very animating 
 
 air. Mr. then read a chapter from one 
 
 of the French Philosophers on the organization 
 of Matter. He then gave another hymn in 
 
 praise of Truth. Then came the lecture. 
 
 is one of the most dignified and venerable look- 
 ing men I ever saw. His hair is perfectly 
 white ; and his whole appearance truly apos- 
 tolical. He is, as you know, a man of talent, 
 and I am inclined to think, sincere in his belief, 
 His subject was the Christian doctrine of SIN. 
 He gave a very ingenious argument in defence 
 of his creed, the fallacy of which was easily to
 
 THE MECHANIC. 59 
 
 be detected by an educated man, or by one ac- 
 customed to think ; but it was precisely suited 
 to the minds of his audience ; and, no doubt, it 
 produced a strong effect. Indeed I have sel- 
 dom heard a speaker, who was possessed of 
 such plausible and ingenious sophistry. 
 
 .Mother, dearest, do write to me, and advise 
 me what to do. I really believe, now, that 
 Rankin is insincere in his professions ; but I 
 know not how to escape his society. He treats 
 me so kindly that I can find no excuse for cut- 
 ting him, as the fashionable phrase here is. I 
 want to tell Miss Gray, and ask her advice ; 
 but she seems to dislike any reference to him so 
 much, that I really dare not. Poor Miss Gray ! 
 I really wish she had a better brother. I wish 
 it for the sake of all the family, as well as for 
 his own. I have some hope of him, even yet. 
 The son of such parents and the brother of such 
 a sister, cannot be all bad. 
 
 "Dear mother, I bid you once more adieu, 
 and remain your ever dutiful and affectionate 
 son. VICTOR HYDE. 
 
 P. S* I met Mr. George Henry Wilton the 
 other day, in Washington street. I had on my 
 short jacket, and I was carrying a basket of 
 nails in my hand. The carpenter was quite 
 evident. He was with some very finely dressed
 
 60 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 gentlemen. Nevertheless, I cut him, before he 
 could get a chance to cut me. I looked him 
 full in the face, with a strange and wild stare, 
 which disconcerted him so that he was thrown 
 off his guard ; and he involuntarily recognised 
 me by a nod ; which I only returned by staring 
 at him again, as if he were the'most impertinent 
 and insolent fellow under heaven. Henceforth 
 we meet as entire strangers. I never see Bella 
 Thompson. What do you think is the reason, 
 mother ? " 
 
 The reception of this letter occasioned some 
 uneasiness in the mind of the widowed mother ; 
 but she knew that she had implanted good prin- 
 ciples; and she felt assured that they would 
 stand the tost. She sat down at once, and 
 wrote him a reply, filled with the quick, and 
 earnest outgushings of a mother's love, hopes, 
 and fears, all speaking strongly to that pure 
 home affection, which is the best amulet to pre- 
 serve a young heart, or to call it back from its 
 wanderings. 
 
 But Victor had to pay the penalty of his in- 
 voluntary offence, elsewhere ; and a heavy one 
 it was likely to be. In the course of the week 
 following the Sabbath above referred to, Victor 
 imagined that Mr. Gray treated him rather 
 coolly ; and one morning, instead of rising as
 
 THE MECHANIC. Gl 
 
 MSual from the breakfast table, after tbe meal 
 was finished, he requested the family to remain 
 seated a few minutes, as he had something of 
 importance to communicate. Mr. Gray wns 
 habitually rather taciturn ; but when he did 
 
 \k, every word told. And as he made this 
 annunciation, there was instantly perfect silence ; 
 but when his eye moved slowly round the table, 
 and rested on Victor, the latter felt that glance 
 as a rebuke, though he could not guess for what ; 
 and his color went and came, while he felt a 
 misgiving a sickness of the heart such as 
 he had never known before. 
 
 He did not appear to notice this, however, 
 though. ;H Robert and Hankin exchanged glan- 
 
 . the latter could hardly resist the disposition 
 to chuckle, audibly, so much was he delighted 
 to perceive that his rival had fallen under his 
 father's displeasure. Tli -ion was no- 
 
 ticed by Mr. (iray : and in perfect contempt of 
 the meanness of which he suspected his son, he 
 said, sternly. " Leave the table, sir ; and leave 
 the room." The ho\ instantly withdrew ; for 
 when his father did -peak, he felt him-elf com- 
 pelled to obey. As tbe door shut, Victor be- 
 came pale as ashes : for he thought there must 
 be something dreadful ; and lie felt an instinct- 
 ive apprehension that it was to fall on him. 
 G
 
 62 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 But he was relieved, for a moment, by the at- 
 tention being directed to Miss>ray. 
 
 " Ednah, " said her father, " I find the 
 respectability of my family is called in ques- 
 tion," 
 
 " How so ? " returned the young lady qui- 
 etly, " 
 
 " It has been told to me, no less than four 
 times this very day, and many times more in 
 the course of the week, that I neglect a father's 
 duty, in allowing my daughter to walk the 
 streets, and associate, upon terms of intimacy, 
 with a person who is in the habit of attending 
 Infidel meetings ; " and his eyes once more 
 rested on Victor, whose face was flushed, and 
 then became pale again ; while Rankin, discon- 
 certed at the premature development of his plot, 
 sat very uneasily. 
 
 " I find I need not accuse you directly, sir, 
 in so many words ; " he added, addressing Vic- 
 tor. " Your countenance condemns you. " 
 
 " Women have a much more direct way of 
 arriving at truth, in some cases, than mem 
 Their perceptions are generally more acute. " 
 Miss Gray cast a rapid glance from Rankin to 
 Victor, and that glance detected the real state 
 of things. 
 
 " Victor, " she said, encouragingly, " speak
 
 THE MECHANIC. 63 
 
 out. Let us hear how it is. " And a kind 
 look from Mrs. Gray, with whom, also, he was 
 a particular favorite, likewise emholdened him. 
 
 " I went once to hear Mr. lecture " he 
 
 said, for the first time raising his eyes. They 
 encountered those of Rankin : and he knew by 
 the terrible expression he met, that it would be 
 dangerous to betray him. This also was ob- 
 served, even by Mr. (iray. 
 
 " Speak out, sir ! " In- said. " I will have no 
 shuffling no equivocation tell us how many 
 times you havr been \\lio you went with 
 and how you came to go. " 
 
 " Of course I shall tell you the truth, sir ; : * 
 returned Victor. "1 have hem once and 
 only once and that was last Sunday after- 
 noon. Mr. Rankin 'united me to go with him, 
 to hear a eel Pirated preacher, but refused to 
 tell me liis name ; then he took me to hear Mr. 
 
 I never went before. I do not wish to 
 
 go again. But I am very sorry, sir, that I have 
 been the means of bringing reproach on any of 
 your family, especially on Mks Gray, who has 
 been so very, very kind to me." His eyes 
 filled with tears, ;ind he choked. 
 
 " I am sorry, too, Victor;" replied Mr. Gray, 
 " I regret, exceedingly, that any imputation of
 
 04 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 the kind should have been fixed on my daugh- 
 ter, or on you. But, as I find you are not to 
 blame, I mean to deal justly by you. Should 
 you discontinue attending the girls to the Lec- 
 tures your character will suffer, which I cannot 
 allow ; so you will consider yourself still a par- 
 ticipator in the family ticket. If you are more 
 prudent in future, the truth will soon work its 
 way out, and be established. Continue to 
 speak the truth and be very careful what 
 company you keep ; " he added, while Victor, 
 almost overpowered with gratitude, was at- 
 tempting to express his thanks. Mr. Gray 
 turned to rebuke Rankin ; but he had left the 
 room. 
 
 As her father rose from the table little Annio 
 ran forward to congratulate Victor. " O, I am 
 so glad you are not naughty ! " she said, throw- 
 
 _I her fair round arms about his neck ; while 
 a few bright tears fell on her sunshiny hair. " I 
 am so glad ! O, it makes me cry, Victor ! and 
 is'nt it funny ? " and the sweet little creature 
 hid her face in his bosom, and really sobbed ; 
 while her mother and sister shared her joy. 
 
 Mr. Gray regarded the group with a pleased 
 eye. " You see, Victor, how we all love 
 you ; " he said, " I know not how it is ; but,
 
 THE MECHANIC. 65 
 
 from the first, we adopted you as one of us ; 
 and you will not, my dear boy, be, at any time, 
 forgetful of our love." 
 
 Victor could not have spoken if the wealth 
 of the world had been offered for the act ; but, 
 hastily wiping his face, he took his hat and 
 went to his work. The plot of Rankin was an 
 exceedingly shallow one ; and it was now likely 
 to recoil upon the head of the projector. He 
 had busily circulated the report of Victor's at- 
 tendance at Infidel meeiings, with divers little 
 aggravating touches, among a score of good 
 gossips, who are so very charitable as to neglect 
 their own busim^s, and attend to that of other 
 people ; but, somehow, he never anticipated 
 such a dcnocumcnt as actually took place. 
 Victor was more firmly established than ever in 
 the good opinion of the family ; while Rankin. 
 to his utter mortification, saw that himself rflW 
 taken the place he had intended for his victim ; 
 and that even the eyes of Mr. Gray were about 
 being opened upon his real character. 
 
 A word now of the part which Mr. Gray 
 had taken in thi-; matter. I have said before, 
 that he had not a strong developement of the 
 RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE. To what then, was his 
 zeal owing ? He considered that any deviation 
 from the common routine of religious habits waj 
 6*
 
 66 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 disreputable It was a sheer matter of policy 
 with him ; as it is with far too many. How 
 much how infinitely better is any discus- 
 sion, than such a breathless, waveless, motion- 
 less, Dead sea of mind ! Yet that very state, 
 inane as it is, may be a very decorous and 
 respectable one ; for the world will reward with 
 her loudest sounding praises those (would they 
 were few !) who are willing to lay the Individual 
 ME upon the altar of HUMAN PRAISE ; and take 
 instead, something, it may be in the shape of 
 ME, but without vitality an automaton, form- 
 ed, and still to be moulded, by the opinions of 
 others until it becomes incapable of having 
 much more of asserting a principle of its own. 
 Some minds of a very high order are precisely in 
 this state ; and, being there, they know it not.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 "How beautiful on llicir approach to this beating heart 
 the steps and forms of tliu gifted and the true. " 
 
 " A new person is always to me a great event and 
 hinders me from sleep. " 
 
 EMERSO.V. 
 
 A few days after the above incident, Mrs. 
 Gray announced to her family, at the breakfast 
 table, that Bridget was very ill ; and, she feared 
 she was already in a confirmed fever. 
 
 " What will you do with her ? " asked Mr. 
 Gray. " You may not be able to get another 
 woman for some weeks ; and you surely 
 not think of taking care of her in addition to 
 your work : '' 
 
 " O, as to that," replied Mrs. Gray, " Ed- 
 nah and I have settled it all nicely. Bridget 
 has a cousin in town, who now is out of a 
 place. We will send for her to act as nurse. 
 A friend is such a blessing in sickness ! And 
 Bridget has no other in the country besi. 
 Ellen at least no relative but her. I think I 
 can get along very well. It will be a good 
 chance for Annie. I have been thinking of it
 
 68 THE MECHAfJIC. 
 
 for some time. Ednah, at her age, knew a 
 great deal of the mystery of house-keeping. 
 Annie can wipe, or even wash dishes, and dust 
 rery well. Ednah loves exercise, and needs it. 
 She will help a good deal night and morning 
 and Victor" she hesitated a moment, as she 
 looked at the handsome and intelligent young 
 man "Victor will not think himself de- 
 graded, if I ask him to clean the brasses, rub 
 the knives, or fetch an extra pail of water 
 occasionally. " 
 
 " My duty can never degrade me ; he replied 
 warmly ; " and this is more than duty. It is a 
 pleasure. Any service I can render to you, 
 Mrs. Gray, or any of your family, will make 
 me happy. " 
 
 " Robert and Rankin exchanged glances, as 
 much as to say, " What a low fellow ; or what 
 a fool he is ! " 
 
 The plan of Mrs. Gray succeeded admirably. 
 Instead of sending the poor friendless Irish girl 
 among strangers, or to the poor house, she 
 waited on her, or caused her to be attended, 
 with untiring benevolence. This, to be sure, 
 was only duty ; yet it was a duty many would 
 be incapable, either of perceiving or practising. 
 On Friday, which was Mrs. Gray's scouring 
 day, Victor, girded with one of Bridget's crash 
 

 
 THE MECHANIC. 69 
 
 aprons, entered into the midst of oil, rotten 
 stone, and whiting, tin and brass ware. 
 
 " Scratch 'em ! " whispered Rankin, in pass- 
 ing Victor, who had succeeded in giving a 
 very fine polish to a beautiful planished tin 
 dish-cover. " A few incidental, or acciden- 
 tal scratches would end your labors shortly. 
 Here, let me show you ; " and he threw a few 
 grains of coarse sand upon the polishing cloth. 
 
 " You are a fool, to make yourself a 
 scullion ! " he added, as Victor, without deign- 
 ing any reply, calmly wiped the sand away/' 
 " If you go on at this rate you never will be 
 any thinj: ; I shall give you up ! " 
 
 " He was interrupted ; and Victor was 
 relieved for the time. That morning, as the 
 latter was going to his work, Kankin hailed 
 him from a corner, telling him there was no 
 work just then ; and they might have an hour 
 or two of leisure. He had gathered a number 
 of companions about him : and he began to 
 banter Victor in a very coarse way, about 
 a scullion, a cleaner of kettles and pans, 
 and the like. 
 
 "Mr. Hyde," continued Rankin, with ex- 
 treme acrimony of manner, " my friends and I 
 have been considering the propriety of tbe term 
 MASTER, being given to him who instructs young 

 
 70 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 men in any business. The opinion of a person 
 of such singular dignity and elevation of char- 
 acter, must be worth having. You will please 
 to enlighten us. " 
 
 Victor's bosom glowed intensely ; and the 
 warmth was reflected on his flushed face. He 
 bit his lips. He felt too much contempt for 
 words. He did not speak. 
 
 " Get out Rankin ! " "Hold on there ! " 
 " You are too bad. " " Come, Mr. Hyde, we 
 really want your opinion, " exclaimed one and 
 another. 
 
 Victor swallowed his resentment, and replied, 
 " I see no reason why the man who teaches 
 any art, should not be called master, as well as 
 he that teaches any science. " 
 
 " There, I thought so ! " retorted Rankin ; 
 " servile in every thing ! I tell you he is inca 
 pable of taking in a noble thought. Go to the 
 South ! the whip of the negro-driver might 
 make you feel ! Go to the South ; and there 
 you might really have a master! " 
 
 " I see no reason for this anger ; " returned 
 Victor, mildly, for he had recovered his self- 
 possession. " I only expressed an opinion, in 
 compliance with the request of those present. " 
 
 " But it makes me mad to see such meant- 
 ness ! " continued Rankin,
 
 THE MECHANIC. 71 
 
 " Hold on there, Rankin, and let us havo 
 Hyde's opinion ! ? ' said one of the young men. 
 
 " I am unwilling to make any difficulty : '' 
 replied Victor ; " but as you really wish me to 
 speak, I will do so. I cannot, then, see any 
 thing degrading to myself, in calling the man 
 who teadii-s me his art. master. I do not see 
 how a m< iv name, used one way or another, 
 can disgrace u-. It seems to me that honor, or 
 dishonor, must flow entirely from our own 
 actions. " 
 
 " A noble sentiment, my brave lad ! " ex- 
 claimed a \ and benevolent looking 
 old man, \\ith l-m:: white hair sweeping over 
 who had joined the circle, and 
 was listening unobserved. " A noble senti- 
 ment ! '' he continued ; " and here is the hand 
 of one, who through the experience of three 
 score years and ten, has seen no honor but that 
 of pure r'mht, no dishonor but that of wrong, 
 your name ; I want to K:io\v 
 you ; " added the old man, as he pressed the 
 hand of Victor in his. 
 
 ' You honor me, indeed, sir ! '' replied Vic- 
 tor, blushing with pleasure, at the old man's 
 kindness; " my name is Victor Hyde; and I 
 am apprentice to Mr. Gray, carpenter,
 
 72 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " Ay, William Gray ? He is my son-in-law. 
 I congratulate him ! and I congratulate you, 
 my boy ! Few apprentices have a place like 
 that ! Tell Mrs. Gray that she may expect 
 her father this evening. I have been absent 
 (as you have undoubtedly heard grandfather 
 Filbrook was) about two years, with a daugh- 
 ter at the West. I may possibly bring Harri- 
 son with me ; and I hope to meet Talbot, for I 
 hear he is expected^ in town to-day. And be 
 sure YOU be at home, my boy, " he added, 
 again presenting his hand. 
 
 " I shall not fail to be so ; " returned Victor, 
 his eyes actually dancing with pleasure. 
 
 " You've hit it now ! " said one of the 
 young men : " John Filbrook has a mint of 
 money : and as much influence as any man. " 
 
 " He is always crawling after great folks ! " 
 said Rankin, bitterly. 
 
 At this moment the young men were sum- 
 moned to the post of duty ; and the conversa- 
 tion was suspended. 
 
 The evening came, and with it came father 
 and grandfather. The meeting was a happy 
 one, as there always will be between those who 
 stand in just relationship towards themselves, 
 and each other. Victor was met by the kind 
 old gentleman with renewed expressions of in*
 
 1-HE MECHANIC. "73 
 
 lerest and kindness. That night the happy 
 boy, excited by the curious circumstances o'f 
 his introduction to .Mr. Filbrook, as also by the 
 hope of meeting Mr. Harrison, whom he had 
 heard lecture, could in no wise think of sleep- 
 ing ; and he lay tossing from side to side, until 
 nearly morning, in all the delightful irritability 
 of a highly nervous temperament, warmed and 
 expanded by a single predominating, and a host 
 of subservient ideas yet all pleasant all 
 delightful. I should have said that Mr. Fil- 
 brook did not bring Mr. Harrison with him, but 
 he promised that he should come the next day. 
 Accordingly, at an early hour the latter gentle- 
 man arrived, and was duly introduced by 1m 
 venerable friend ; which, indeed, was hardly 
 necessary : for he was well known as one of 
 the most popular lecturers in the employ of 
 a philanthropic association ; and also as editor 
 of a very able paper, devoted to their inter- 
 ests. Mr. Harrison was a self-made man, and 
 about forty years of a-_:e. He had a singularly 
 fine head, which indicated a full developemeut 
 of TIII. >i\\ not the physical, merely; nor 
 yet the intellectual ; but the full and harmoni- 
 ous proportions of physical, mental and moral 
 power. His eye was dark and expressive ; and 
 Ms whole manner evinced an exceedingly strong 
 7
 
 t4 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 and active temperament. Mr. Talbot, the lover 
 of Ednah Gray, was also present. He exhibit- 
 ed a full command of the reasoning powers, 
 with little imagination, or little more than went 
 to give pungency to sarcasm which, however, 
 he used only as a weapon, that was not drawn 
 upon light occasions ; though incidental fla- 
 indicated its locality. As a young lawyer, he 
 had already obtained considerable reputation ; 
 and he gave great promise. He was said to 
 belong to one of the highest families in tli- 
 country; this last fact however was one which 
 he was far from asserting, either directly, or 
 indirectly ; and it modified his own character 
 and feelings much less than those of others. 
 He had too much innate nobility too much 
 real self-respect, to claim any distinction on the 
 credit of his fathers. He demanded nothing 
 for the mouldering eulogy that was sculptured 
 over his mouldering ancestors. Content him- 
 self and proud to be a man, he conceived that 
 the character of man, wherever it is truly and 
 honestly developed, is worthy to be met by the 
 name of brother ; though peradventure it may 
 possibly exist, shrouded in the bosom of a bond 
 or chattel slave. How weak how passing 
 vain to such a one must be the poor distinctions 
 which are founded on any thing extrinsic to the 
 man.
 
 THK .MECHANIC. 75 
 
 Mr. FQbrook had been a very successful 
 machinist, who had grown -with the growth, 
 and strengthened with the strength, of one of 
 our flourishing manufacturing towns. He had 
 accumulated wealth \\ithout compromising every 
 thing true and honest ; for he sought wealth 
 not as an end, hut as a means. In rising to the 
 highest rank in society as many such have done, 
 he did not as too many do forget his less fortu- 
 nate hrethren whom he had left in the rear; but 
 while he enjoyed, with the highest zest, the 
 society of the refined and intellectual, his heart 
 glowed with the pmest philanthropy the 
 leniiei-e-! love 'towards all men; and he 
 watched tin- progressive steps of reform tending 
 to meliorate the condition and elevate the mass 
 of men. with a pleased and interested < 
 
 :ce the friendship between him and .Mr. 
 Harri on and I may add, hetwccn him and 
 all with whom he came in contact, of the good 
 and the true. Ik- was now in a green and 
 happy old ng", enjoying the fruits of honest 
 and d industry most in the power of 
 
 bles-in:: others. He \\as the father of Mr-. 
 y, and in L r iv'mu; his youngest daughter to a 
 ijanic when he was amply entitled to look 
 higher : for he had married four other daughters 
 into the highest classes he was carrying out
 
 "76 THE MECHANIC, 
 
 his principles. Here then was represented 1 in 
 one little family party live aristocracy of mind r 
 the aristocracy of wealth, and the aristocracy of 
 blood ; and these were all met in the house of 
 a carpenter, confessedly one of the lower orders ; 
 and not only so but two of these were either 
 allied to him, or about to be allied to him, by 
 the closest family ties. Is this fact a singular 
 one ? I trust next altogether so. But when- 
 man comes better to be known, and TO KNOW 
 HIMSELF, such occwrences will be more and 
 more frequent ; until the question shall no more 
 be asked what a man does but what he 
 IS and the ticket of admission to society 
 shall not be graven with his profession, but 
 with his CHARACTER. But were not all these 
 MEN ? Did they not meet each other AS MEN ? 
 or was their behavior modified ; or would it 
 have been, at any time, or any place, modified 
 by the profession of any whom they might 
 meet ? Would the grasp of their hands be 
 graduated according to the roughness or deli- 
 eacy of the palms they met ? The true soul 
 takes no cognizance of such things. She asks 
 not if the hand of a man has beee calloused 
 by the implements of manual labor. She looks 
 for CHARACTER, and speaks to that. She looks 
 for SOUL ; and, finding that she finds brotherhood*
 
 THE MECHANIC. "77 
 
 As soon as Mr. Gray had received and 
 spoken with the gentlemen he called to Victor, 
 by request of Mr Filbrook, and introduced him. 
 How the heart of young genius leaps within 
 itself, at the first presence of a kindred spirit. 
 A kindred spirit to such a one is a magician ; 
 and when he first breaks the seal from the 
 young thought, that did not till then know 
 itself, lighting the depths of the bosom as with 
 Aladdin's lamp revealing mysteries hitherto 
 undreamed of, all nature seems created anew, 
 in more delicate beauty, in loftier majesty, with 
 intenser glory. Truths before unperceived speak 
 in the face of all things ; as if God had then 
 first said, " Let there be light. " Such was 
 the meeting between Mr. Harrison and Victor 
 such their correlative action upon each 
 other. Were it not that the full grown soul 
 stood partially unveiled before him, the poor 
 boy would have been overwhelmed when he 
 first perceived, and felt, and knew the godlike 
 energy that was shrined within his own bosom. 
 
 " You will stay at home to-day, Victor, " 
 said Mr. Gray, kindly. " Our work is not 
 driving ; and 1 feel anxious that you should see 
 and know these friends. " 
 
 " I thank you, sir ! " returned the delighted 
 boy, with the most earnest emphasis ; and his 
 7*
 
 78 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 whole soul flashed at once through his animated 
 features, and eloquent eyes. There was a 
 beauty, a dignity, a majesty in that poor ap- 
 prentice boy as he stood there in his newly 
 awakened consciousness of being, with which 
 the wealth of all mines, the insignia of all 
 hereditary honors the pomp of all thrones 
 could not have invested him it was the 
 beauty, the dignity, the majesty, of a highly 
 gifted human soul, true to its fellow creatures 
 true lo itself; and then first perceiving its 
 alliance with Deity its heirship to Jeho- 
 vah. What man having a soul himself and 
 what man has not? could think of a com- 
 mission, an office, a staff, a star, a garter, a 
 coronet, a crown, in the presence of such a 
 one ? Yet thousands of such are unrecognised, 
 even by themselves. Still the day is coming 
 when man will not only know his brother, but 
 he shall know himself; and it rests with those 
 who have already made acquaintance with the 
 human character, to hasten that day. Then, 
 and not till then, will be the true millennium ; 
 for then, indeed, will " THE DAY-SPRING FROM 
 ON HIGH " have visited us 1
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 " An ideal of right docs dwell in all men, in all arrange- 
 ments, pactions and procedures of men it is to this ideal 
 of right, more and more approximated to, that human 
 society for ever U-ntU and struggles. " 
 
 CHARTISM. 
 
 " Now Annie expects grandfather will give 
 her a sugar-plum," said the happy old man, 
 drawing the beautiful child to his knee. 
 
 .No, I do not ;" she replied, shaking back 
 the flaxen curls, and looking up cunningly in 
 his face -'not such sugar-plums as monkeys 
 love but " and >lie squinted curiously at 
 the hand which was slowly drawn from hi< 
 pocket. 
 
 I la! this is the sugar-plum for you, my 
 little darling ! '' continued tin; grandfather, put- 
 ting into her hand a fre-h number of ' The 
 Girl's Own Book" "Go, and feast, little 
 one ! for these sweets are the product of a free 
 soul ; they are not embittered and poisoned by 
 the sweat, and tears, and blood of the crushed 
 and miserable slave." Imprinting a warm kiss 
 on his venerable cheek the child sprang from
 
 80 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 his arms, and ran to show all her friends her 
 new treasure. 
 
 " Only look, sister ! " she cried, " " do see, 
 Mr. Talbot! 'The Girl's Own Book!' the 
 very book I wanted ! O, how much better I 
 love dear, dear grandfather than if he had 
 bought me sugar-plums and candy ! " and 
 the gratified and affectionate child ran back 
 to her aged relative ; and as she clung round 
 his neck, with renewed kisses, the two formed 
 a singularly striking and beautiful group. The 
 child's face was like a very cherub's, full of 
 gentleness, sweetness, and of almost unearthly 
 beauty ; and it contrasted finely with the truly 
 noble and venerable one it met ; while curls of 
 the richest amber, and long locks of glossy 
 silver, mingled in not unpleasing contrast. 
 There are two characters of surpassing interest 
 and beauty, that of a noble-minded, benevo- 
 lent, good man, in ripe old age, and that of a 
 child in the first pure and hallowed day-spring 
 of its being these two are as the evening 
 and the morning star of human life ; and they 
 both shine with the clearest and the brightest 
 evidence of the dignity the divinity of hu- 
 man nature. 
 
 " Ednah dear, " said Mr. Fil brook, as Annie 
 again withdrew, " I have not forgotten you in
 
 THF. MECHANIC. 81 
 
 my travels. It was my good fortune to fall in 
 with a young naturalist a very intelligent and 
 interesting young man, by the way, with whom 
 I kept company for several weeks. It was in 
 my power to ohlige him. and in return, he has 
 sent you some specimens both in Botany and 
 Mineralogy. " 
 
 " He sent them to me, grandfather ': '' said 
 Ednah, blushing. 
 
 " Yes, to be sure where's the harm ': I'm a 
 weak old man it may be. but I could not help 
 talking of you, and praising you, Ednah. Why 
 do you blush so, you little handsome intelligent 
 gypsey ? I believe one word from me would 
 have brought the poor fellow on here ; but no 
 harm, -Mr. Talbot. I mentioned your name. " 
 
 Ednah found relief from IIT slight confu- 
 sion, in opening the portfolios; \\hen >he was 
 joined by Victor, who knew and understood 
 the value of the specimens better than any one 
 present, except herself. 
 
 , " O, Victor!" cried the latter, opening a 
 sheet that was folded with peculiar care 
 "here is the Ceanothus Ovalis and from the 
 borders of Lake Champlain too ! the very spot 
 \\ here Pursh found it ! I am rich indeed ! " 
 
 " Here, " said Mr. Filbrook, " is something 
 that pleases me infinitely more than that or any
 
 82 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 other weed. Here are some specimens of 
 petrified sea-shells, which I found myself on an 
 eminence on the borders of the Susquehannah, 
 1200 feet above the level of the ocean. In 
 some places the ground was almost covered 
 with them. This, I think proves conclusively, 
 either that there has been a period when the 
 waters of the ocean rose to that height, or else, 
 that the locality of the sea is entirely changed. 
 But how did you like our lecture last evening, 
 Mr. Harrison ? He bore down pretty hard upon 
 the aristocracy did he not ? " 
 
 " He did, indeed, Mr. Filbrook. But I have 
 just been thinking, that with all our talk about 
 aristocracy, we do not know exactly what we 
 mean by the expression. It seems to me that 
 the fabled hues of the chamelion vary not more 
 than the definitions of that term. " 
 
 " Rank, like beauty, is, with us, a word of 
 indefinite and arbitrary meaning, which every 
 one feels at liberty to interpret for himself, " 
 said Mr. Talbot. " We have a monied aris- 
 tocracy an aristocracy of fashion an aris- 
 tocracy of talent and an aristocracy which 
 pretends to establish itself on the basis of gentle 
 and ancient blood ; but, for want of support, 
 this last is fain to lean upon wealth at the one 
 hand, or talent on the other. But, to borrow
 
 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 one of your figures, Mr. Gray, the underpinning 
 is giving out. You may patch it, and prop it, 
 as you will ; but it is rotten. It will not 
 stand." 
 
 IJiit, " said Mr. Harrison, '' in all these 
 enquiries which now agitate and shake society 
 to it- inmost centre, the observing eye can per- 
 ceive the kindling fire of truth, acting upon 
 all these discordant elements. Truth, like th-- 
 electric fluid, when once aroused can no more 
 be held in check can no longer be hidden, 
 but. in its own resistless energy its own over- 
 whelming power it announces itself to an 
 astonished world it maybe with waste and 
 ruin ; yet none 'he less surely comes the < 
 izing power, and the destruction of what is 
 noxious in the moral atrno^p' 
 
 " Our lich people," continued Mr. Harrison. 
 after a momentary pause. " an-, for the mo-i 
 part, those who have sacrificed every other \ai- 
 cuble thing at the altar of mammon. Lik 
 very iii'mnx. they liav bent their brows into 
 the earth and toiled for gold, to the peri! of 
 ease, health, conscience, intellect, soul. Tln-\ 
 would be rich. They place their aim at that 
 point and seldom rise higher. Can such a 
 any more than the heartless inanity of 
 fashionable life, be favorable to the develope-
 
 84 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 merit of the true man ? I need not answer. 
 But the mentally gifted may be seen rising 
 above the mass in every grade of society ; yet 
 chiefly among the middling and lower classes ; 
 for the very struggles into which poverty com- 
 pels them the very warfare with contend- 
 ing fates are a healthy discipline, which 
 gives tone, and energy, and manliness to the 
 character. The tallest and the strongest trees 
 are they that have wrestled with the tempest 
 that stand on the bleak mountain side, and 
 arrest the storms of heaven. Gifted spirits will 
 rise above their peers, as truly as necessa- 
 rily as the gigantic oak, and the towering 
 sycamore, will stretch out their strong arms, 
 and lift themselves up above their meaner 
 brethren of the forest. The gladiator is not 
 nurtured in the arms of luxury ; his sinews are 
 not strengthened, nor his muscles knit, beneath 
 the influence of the soft lute, or the delicious 
 viol ; he reposes not on down ; he eats no deli- 
 cate viand. The roar of the Nubian lion 
 the growl of the Bengal tiger, are the music 
 that he loves ; his bed is the bare flint ; his 
 food the coarsest product of the earth ; and 
 early, and continually, meeting defiance from 
 danger and death, he gathers increasing, and 
 still increasing strength -until he comes to
 
 TITF. Mi:rii\\ir. 
 
 tliom in turn until he sports with dan 
 .-. ith a toy, and beards death at his very 
 threshold. Even such must be the education 
 of the human soul, to give its highest stren 
 its noblest po\ver. And \\ ho are -n Iikely 
 to meet with this discipline as the poor and the 
 : It has been truly said that 
 for dominion ; ' but T 
 
 . MOX OF .MINI) IS OVER ITSKL.F. 
 
 . ..ml per- 
 uld be a rare of 
 
 divinities we should be the truest and the 
 
 the highest repre- 
 s of the divine \\i-dom direct ema- 
 
 ;!iis spe< had left \,',< 
 
 and !ly approaching -Air. Ffar- 
 
 ;ntil, at its cl< '1 by the imp' 
 
 of his own ardent nature. ;;nd excited far above 
 all thought of propriety, or of fear. h< 
 into the arm< of .Mr. Harrison; and, burying 
 in the speaker's bo-om. lie burst into 
 tear-. It was inexpre--ibly affecting. There 
 was not one dry eye looked upon the group. 
 No comment was made not a word was 
 Ken : but all present felt that the late of the 
 lioy was then determined that 
 there was a spirit rou-ed \\ithin him, whose 
 8
 
 86 
 
 power could no more be checked nor its pres- 
 ence be hidden. There are moments in human 
 life, which destiny marks as peculiarly her 
 own ; when she puts the seal on character, by 
 the magic of some trivial circumstance, a look, 
 a tone, rousing a dormant principle, which is 
 appointed to live, and expand, and dominate, 
 until it shall have colored every future period 
 of life. 
 
 Conversation was here interrupted by the 
 entrance of Mr. Parkhursl, an acquaintance of 
 Mr. Talbot's, who took special care, however, 
 to let it be known, that he considered the me- 
 chanic's house was all too highly honored by 
 his most august presence. This gentleman 
 was a commission merchant ; and in his char- 
 acter and feelings, he was one of the most 
 exclusive among us ', but of him, his entrance, 
 conversation, &,c., we will tell further in the 
 next chapter.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 " It is not what a man outwardly his, or wants', that 
 constitutes the li:i|i|)iiif>ss or misery of man. Nakedness, 
 hunger, distress (if all kinds, death itself, have been 
 cheerful I v sullen-d, when the heart was right. It is the 
 feeling tif injustice that is insupportable to all men. No 
 man can IXMT it, or might to bear it. A deeper law 
 than any part-hinrnt-law whatever, a law written direct 
 by the li.m.l of <m.l in the inmost being of man, inces- 
 santly protests ag-iiiist it. " 
 
 " Yoi'R servant, Mr. Tulbot your most 
 obedient, Mr. Filbrook, " said Mr. Parklmrst, 
 bowing cordially as he gave his hand, alter- 
 nately, to the only two in the room, whom ho 
 considered entitled by their birth and mode of 
 Ihiir:. to his notice then, bending his head 
 in a very stately manner, in recognition of the 
 jirex ( -nce of others, he said, ' Come, Mr. Tul- 
 bot, of course you can have nothing in common 
 with tlir-c good people ; let us step into the 
 Bfaiiborough, and have a little social chat." 
 
 " \ ou arc entirely nii>t;ik.-n. Mr. 1 \jrkhurst. 
 I have all things in common with these friend- ;
 
 88 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 for these are true and noble spirits, with whom 
 it is not only my choice, but my highest happi- 
 ness, to mingle. We were just engaged in a 
 very interesting conversation, which I may have 
 no opportunity to resume. Therefore I beg 
 you to join us ; and first let me introduce you 
 to Mr. Gray the honored father of my dear- 
 est hope and Mr. Harrison, whom, not to 
 know, argues yourself, either unknown or 
 out of the way of much good influence. '"' 
 
 " Hem ! your most obedient, gentlemen '. 
 Gray, how are the prices in the Lumber 
 ket ? Do shingles and clap-boards ke 
 yet ? " inquired the visitor, pompously. 
 
 " The prices are fluctuating at present, 
 returned Mr. Gray, with an air of quiet dignity, 
 that felt no-wise conscious of a cut. 
 
 " Mr. Harrison, " continued Mr. Park 
 " I believe I have had some acquaintance with 
 you before Hem! Educated to THE i: 
 I believe excuse me, sir, if I am mistaken ; 
 but I really was under the impression that you 
 made a pair of boots for me and they pinched 
 be devil" ho added, dropping his voice to 
 a lower key^l 
 
 ' : Harrison can pinch yet; " said Mr. Talbot, 
 smiling at the futile effort the gentleman \\as 
 making to establish his own dignity. " He cara
 
 THE MECHANIC. 89 
 
 pinch yet, I assure you ; and you had better 
 take care of his nippers, Parkhurst. " 
 
 The gentleman only bowed in reply ; then, 
 turning to Mr. Harrison, he said, " excuse me, 
 sir, for suggesting so unpleasant a topic ; but, 
 really. 1 intended no offence. " 
 
 " And you gave none, Mr. Parkhurst. Be 
 
 ured sir, I am not ashamed of honest labor. 
 II' who is so is an excresence on the fair 
 character of manhood he is no true man. " 
 
 Hem! of course it becomes you to speak 
 svell of the bridge that carried you safe over ; 
 as the old proverb says you have risen above 
 your old business your present profession is 
 is quite a gentlemanly one and I see 
 no reason why we may not be acquaintances. " 
 
 The bronzed cheek of Harrison flushed slight- 
 ly, with the impulse of pun; honest contempt of 
 the insinuation, as he replied ; " You mistake, 
 Mr. Parkhurst, 1 have never relinquished my 
 early business. It is an honest calling. It is 
 favorable to thought and I love it. Still, 
 during all the intervals of more active duties, I 
 xvork at my trade. 1 was bred a shoemaker, I 
 ;im still a shoemaker, Mr. Parkhurst but I 
 am also a man, " 
 
 \ <-ry likely not the least doubt of it - 
 so is yonder sweep yet what gentleman thinks 
 8*
 
 90 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 of associating with him. Allow me to say, 
 Mr. Harrison, that I think you wrong yourself. 
 With your capabilities you might even rise to 
 the highest circles, and, by and by, the waxed 
 ends, and the awl, would be no more thrown in 
 your teeth. Be just to yourself. Sink the 
 Shoemaker. Leave these common implements 
 for common hands ; and the best man among 
 us would not blush to call himself your friend.''' 
 
 "I ask for no friendship I admit no ac- 
 quaintance" returned Mr. Harrison, "but 
 on the ground of the Universal brotherhood of 
 man. What is it to me that one man calls this 
 high, or this low ? To me, nothing is high, or 
 low, but character. How should soul be af- 
 fected by any modification of matter ? True 
 spirits magnetize and attract each other. They 
 are like chemical affinities, which ru-h together. 
 and unite, without a question if one came from 
 a golden, and the other from an earthen v< 
 
 " In the nippers, eh ! Parkhurst ! " whisper- 
 ed Mr. Talbot, to the subdued and silent hero : 
 then, turning to Mr. Harrison, he said aloud : 
 " Go on, my friend. Preach these doctrines ; 
 for, in sustaining them, you strike at the very 
 root of our strongest social evil. But among 
 us, where few inherit large patrimonial estates, 
 the mentally gifted will not generally be rich.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 91 
 
 ^ Utilitarians, make the exclusive pursuit of 
 literature, or science, rather unproductive as 
 in good right we may ; since the most healthful 
 and perfect development of the man, will be 
 through the mutual action of physical and men- 
 tal labor. ' ; i urn who is a student, 
 work with his hands This is my theory. " 
 
 "JJut a word of our people of family ;" said 
 .Mr. Kilbrook. " When I was a boy this class 
 was quite numerous ; but now, in its original 
 peculiarities, it is hardly recognized among us ; 
 and it is ,y diminishing. Even our 
 friend Parkhurst IK IT. can remember his father's 
 lapstone I do perfectly I remember . ?: 
 
 N an i: I the privilege of age, sir, to be 
 
 :ulous ! " interrupted the oth-r. lirrcely. 
 
 "Yes, the * of telling the truth. You 
 
 know the adage, ' children (whether old or 
 youiiL') ah a!c the truth.' But I was 
 
 going to say, Mr. Parkhurst, that I perfectly 
 renumber the day when your ever honored fa- 
 ther first entered Bo-tmi ; with his little wallet 
 of clothes, and his kit of tooU. SUUIILT manfully 
 over his shoulder as became a trau-ling Jour., 
 seeking employment. I know these things ; 
 for it was my own Uncle that hired him ; and 
 my own cou<in it was that he married more- 
 I better workman, as 1 have often heard
 
 92 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 my Uncle say, never bristled end. So you be- 
 long to the good old stock the root of all 
 other stocks, Mr. Parkhurst the People. 
 Though your father was a shoemaker, we hold 
 you none the worse for that. We welcome 
 you as a brother ; and cordially invite you to 
 take a seat with us, and a part in our conver- 
 sation. " 
 
 There was something in the old gentleman's 
 manner, which expressed reproof so kindly, so 
 benevolently, that anger and ridicule were alike 
 disarmed, and the man of importance, who but 
 a moment before was inflated with a vapid no- 
 tion of his own greatness, now extended his 
 hand to every one present even to Victor 
 with a subdued and gentle air ; as if the spirit 
 of a very lamb dwelt in him. The point of 
 that gentle rebuke was not to be mistaken ; and 
 yet it was couched in terms, and expressed in a 
 spirit, of the purest kindness ; and it did what, 
 perhaps, no eloquence could, in a like case, 
 have done it absolutely found a heart in the 
 calloused bosom of a mere worldling. 
 
 No notice was taken of the gentleman's con- 
 fusion ; and he was glad to find a still corner, 
 where, for a time, he might " hide his diminish- 
 ed head ; " for though made capable of feeling, 
 he had, by no means, come to think.
 
 THE MKCIIVNIC. 93 
 
 'But. to return to our original subject ; " 
 said .Mr. Talbot. " I was noing to observe that 
 the old aristocracy, engrafted from the European 
 stock is daily becoming uprooted by the natural 
 growth of our soil by the clustering foliage 
 the hardy air 1 n\\", PH. is. and the lar 
 
 stretehing arms of our native produetims. With 
 
 circumstances in view, it would 
 strain:! 1 that any >hould attempt to build upon 
 so unstable and in-uliiricnt a foundation ; for. 
 while we want the only legitimate basis of 
 pretension a lon^ line of il'ii-trimi 
 
 oi' pr'.i;;- 
 
 tun 1 , we find among n-; mar,;. j peo- 
 
 ple of quality, \\lio illicit hav< 
 
 , during the iv't^n of i : since 
 
 thi-y \vonld bt; pii/./.'ed to tell \\!;o \\ el' 
 
 grandfathers ; or. if th^y m would be 
 
 -I o'd gentleman's 
 
 . 
 
 a plough-couchant or a spindle, or 
 a trowel-rampant. r ' 
 
 .Now this IH-.-ICII ion, \\hieh c;;n never be 
 su-taiiifd. " -aid .Mr. (iray, " inu>t strike every 
 one jio-M->-rd of coininon sense, as Ix-i 
 weak as to b- ijtiite pitiful ; and must, I think, 
 furni-h a just oee:i-ion of merriment to our ar- 
 chetypes over tin- Atlantic who can boa-t. at
 
 94 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 least, that their injustice, and their follies, have 
 the shadow of a foundation. " 
 
 " The very idea of an aristocracy in a repub- 
 lic, " said Mr. Harrison, " where there is no 
 exclusive, and, of consequence, no excluded 
 caste, involves a most ridiculous absurdity. 
 With us one condition is continually merging 
 itself in another. Spendthrift sons rapidly 
 squander the estates which were hoarded by 
 their miserly fathers ; while noble sons, ay, and 
 daughters too, are continually rising, Phoenix- 
 like, from the ruins of inefficient, or unfortunate 
 parents ; by the power of energetic action, and 
 all-controlling industry, shaping fortune to their 
 will. " 
 
 " We are certainly guilty of some things, " 
 said Mr. Talbot, " of which Republicans ought 
 to be ashamed ; and, not the least of these, is 
 the disesteern in which the manual operatives 
 of our commonwealth are held. If our govern- 
 ment was really aristocratical, upholding a cer- 
 tain caste by means of entailed estates, and 
 hereditary dignities, such a result might be 
 expected. But with us, where the humblest 
 tyro, rising, invigorated, from his straw pallet, 
 feels, and justly, rationally, too, that there is no 
 office, no dignity, beyond the reach of his am- 
 bition ; where there is no person of rank, how-
 
 MECHANIC. 95 
 
 ever high, who can look back to his ancestry, 
 or round among his kindred, without acknow- 
 ledging they are, mainly, of the common people 
 fanners, mechanics, laborers this condition 
 of things, it is quite evident, proves a gross want 
 of independence, and an entire departure from 
 the doctrines taught by our fathers. " 
 
 '' It requires no gift of second sight, " ob- 
 served Mr. Harrison, " to perceive the ridicu- 
 lous figure a mushroom lord of some country 
 village, or city square, whose father struck fin- 
 ished coins from his ever-sounding anvil, would 
 make turning up his honorable i.ose at an honest 
 blacksmith ; yet we see scenes in this spirit 
 enacted daily Mr. Filbrook, you doubtless 
 witness many of them. " 
 
 " That I do, " returned the old gentleman, 
 " and sometimes, it excites a feeling of con- 
 tempt ; but oftener one of pity. I could men- 
 tion fifty instances, right round me, of the sons 
 and daughters of mechanics, whose chief claim 
 to distinction rests in the hard-earned wealth of 
 their honest and toiling fathers, turning, with 
 the most refined disgust, and elegant horror, 
 from persons who are, every way, as truly 
 honorable as themselves, merely because they 
 wear the calloused hands of honest labor. 
 This spirit tends, not only to the check and
 
 96 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 injury of social intercourse, but to the des.truc* 
 lion of erect, honest, staunch Republicanism.'! 
 " Faith, this is too bad! I can't stand this 
 fire any longer ! " exclaimed Parkhurst. spring- 
 ing from his chair, with an air of grandilo- 
 quence, and mock desperation, which were 
 quite striking and remarkable. " Talbot, I 
 shall see you again. Good morning, gentle- 
 men. " Saying this, he withdrew, with as 
 much awkwardness and discomfort, as if, Talbot 
 remarked, he had been hampered by his poor 
 honest father's own waxed ends, and pricked 
 by every awl in the kit of memory ; which he 
 had vainly thought was to be opened no more, 
 for ever. The latter could not quite forego his 
 parting joke; and popping his head out of the 
 window, as his friend was descending the steps, 
 lie called out, " Ah, Parkhurst ! a shoe-knife 
 is a dreadful thing to cut, especially when it 
 thrusts back on ourselves the reflected wound, 
 which we have been trying to inflict on 
 another. " 
 
 , Several persons looked up ; for it was a 
 public street, and one old man, in particular, 
 who was hobbling on crutches, seemed to catch 
 the spirit of the remark ; for his gray eyes 
 kindled with long-unwonted fire, as, leaning on 
 his crutches he glanced, with a look of intelli*
 
 THE MECHANIC. 9 
 
 Hence, and meaning, from the speaker, to the 
 one addressed the latter, meanwhile, fled 
 from the ground, as if his father's complete 
 family of tools, bristles, knives, lapstone, bench, 
 and awls, had been in full chase after him. 
 
 " There, " said Mr. Filbrook, looking out, 
 >; as the poor fellow's evil stars will have it. 
 there is one of his father's journeymen ; " then, 
 calling to the old man he said, " Good morn- 
 ing, Mr. Handy ! did you see little Augustus?" 
 
 "Ah," replied the other, "he's grown up 
 to be a gentleman. He don't see poor folks 
 now. But many's the time I've dandled him 
 on these poor old knees ! The little fellow 
 seemed to love me then ; but now he n> 
 sees me. But no matter, no matter. I'm 
 lame, and old, and poor. 
 
 "Do come in, and rest you," said Mr. Gray. 
 
 " No, no. I 'm used to going about," 
 
 " What occasioned your lameness ? " enquired 
 Mr. Filbrook. 
 
 " O, 't is a long story. I had weak eyes an ? 
 I almost lost the sight o' one of 'em, I could 
 not see to work at my trade. Business was 
 bad. I couldn't find nothing to do. At last I 
 got work, tending mason. I was old an' stilt 
 an' not used to that climbing sort o' business. 
 I fell an' broke my hip. Then I told my wife 
 9
 
 98 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 Gentlemen I will come io, seein' I 've got 
 to talking about it ; for what I've got to say 
 had'nt ought to be spoke here " Thus saying 
 he hobbled up the steps ; and having been 
 seated in a comfortable arm chair, he went on. 
 " I had scraped together about 500 dollars. 
 This I was keepin' agin a dark day. But after 
 I got hurt I was laid up for a long time. We 
 got out of provisions. Rent was due. I had 
 nobody to depend on ; for my children all lived 
 in distant parts of the country. I had no rela- 
 tions about here, but one grandaughter, that 
 lived with us, the child of my poor, dead Mary. 
 Well, 1 told my wife we must get a little money, 
 come what would. She thought so to. So we 
 sent Mary to Augustus Mr. Parkhurst I mean 
 
 Mary's a proper nice, pretty girl, though she 
 is mine. She saw Mr. Parkhurst ; an' he told 
 her plumply that he'd failed, an' the demand 
 want worth a cent ; but she might call agin, an' 
 he'd see what could be done. Mary cum cry- 
 in' home, an' told us. This was a dreadful 
 blow. Well, we got along for several days 
 more' till we got entirely out of things. Mary 
 went, and went, day after day ; but she could 
 never see Mr. Parkhurst. Sometimes he was 
 engaged. Sometimes he was out. We had 
 nothing to eat. I had the spirit of indepen-
 
 I HP. MECHANIC. ')',) 
 
 . I couldn't bear to beg. Mr. Park!iiu.-,t 
 had failed, to be sure ; but be did'nt suffer much 
 on that account. He lived in the same great 
 house. He had the same fine furniture. He 
 kept servant?. He wanted nothing. But there 
 was my money, that I'd worked hard for, day 
 an' night, year arter year. He'd spent that 
 an' I was sick, an' my own poor wife an' child 
 was starvin' ! But I thought, when Mary tokl 
 me how 't was, that I'd rather starve an' die. 
 than be like him. Well one day Mary mad.j 
 out to see him. He told her to go over to hi* 
 counting-room. Sho went, with a light heart. 
 l>ut now < 'worst of all. What did tin 
 
 villain do but insult her insult my poor child 
 Hi; ori'i'ivd her a great purse of money 
 I her money, when he could'nt pay 
 
 But she got away ; for she's a good, 
 nice girl. She got away. She cum runnin 1 
 home, pale as death. 'T was a long time afon- 
 she could tell us, she cried so." The poor old 
 man could go no farther. Tears streamed down 
 his furrowed chee! 
 
 Have I called this villain, friend!'' said 
 Mr. Talbot. " I will see him. And if he does 
 not pay you every cent he owes, principal ami 
 -t. he shall be exposed ! "
 
 100 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " But how did you get along ? " asked Mr. 
 Gray. 
 
 " Thank God, he has permitted some of his 
 children to be poor ! There are still hearts, in 
 some of his creatures. My neighbors - most 
 of them poor day-laborers, assisted me. They 
 got plain sewing for my wife, and Mary, and 
 helped us along, till I got able to work. Now 
 I have plenty of business ; an' we do pretty 
 well. But the thought of that money does 
 come ruther hard. I put it into his hands, ye 
 see, because I know him, and believed him safer 
 than the Bank, in these difficilt times. " 
 
 " Did Parkhurst never go to see you, all this 
 time ? " asked Mr. Harrison. 
 
 " Never. I sent for him repeatedly ; but he 
 never would come. " 
 
 " Give us your address, if you please ; " said 
 Mr. Filbrook. "We will visit the gentleman 
 and see what can be done. " 
 
 " Naming a narrow alley, in an obscure part 
 of the city, Mr. Handy rose to go. Each of 
 the gentlemen gave him his hand, with an ex- 
 pression of sympathy, and kindness. 
 
 " I hope you will always come, or send here, 
 if you want any advice, or assistance, " said Mi\ 
 Gray,
 
 THE MECHANIC. 101 
 
 Wiih a strong expression of gratitude, th<- 
 poor old man then took his leave. 
 
 Vet even he is not all bad, villain as he is ! 
 i such a one has a heart ! " sighed Mr. Har- 
 :i " Even he, has a soul ! Even he is a 
 man ! O, could he only know how much truer 
 greatness how much more imposing majesty 
 really exists in his own nature, enervated, 
 and corrupted, and shackled, and hood-winked. 
 is, than any which he merely apes, would 
 ;iot arise ; and, casting forth the shadow, the 
 vapor, the mockery of himself, stand out a 
 reality a truth an actual being ? Yet the 
 day is coming, even for these but first shall 
 romc up the low, and the miserable, and the vile, 
 to drink of the pure waters of Truth, and be r< 
 deemed ; for not so widely have they departed 
 from the true standard, however deeply they 
 may have sinned, as those who have immolated 
 Nature on the altar of Fashion, who have cast 
 down the sacred, the everlasting ME, which 
 God fashioned, beneath the wheels of the acci- 
 dental JUGGERNAUT POPULARITY ; content, if 
 from the crushed mass may be fashioned a ma- 
 chine, bearing the remotest likeness to the mis- 
 guided, but still divine ME. But when th- 
 light which God placed there, is dimmed by 
 ident, or wantonly extinguished, who shall 
 9*
 
 102 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 go down into the deepest cells of the human 
 soul, to reillumine and gladden its dark and 
 desolate places, by carrying thither, and kind- 
 ling again, the light and the fire of Heaven ? 
 O, it seems to me, at times, as if I must cry 
 aloud, as with a prophet's voice, to all men 
 and to every man and tell them what they 
 are. I long to tear away THE FALSE, and lay 
 bare THE TRUE. If we should see any man 
 take the one precious diamond from a string of 
 pearls, and cast it forth, and plunge it in filth, 
 should we not straightway call the man mad, 
 and seek to restrain him, as an idiot, or a mani- 
 ac ? But how many of us know the gem which 
 is locked in our own bosom-casket a gem 
 that has drunk the beams of Eternity from the 
 kindling Eye of God! Are WE less idiotic, less 
 mad, to trifle with THE GEM OF MIND not 
 knowing its value a gem which may, indeed 
 corrode within us, in all the bitter gangrene of 
 remorse ; but which we can never lose ! " 
 
 " These are, in truth, sad reflections ; but to 
 revert again to the main subject, " said Mr. 
 Talbot. 
 
 " A truce to your subject, now ! " said Ednah, 
 entering the room at the moment, and playfully 
 laying her hand on his mouth. " Dinner is on 
 the table ; and after you have partaken of our
 
 THE MECHANIC. I U'> 
 
 least, we hope to join you at your richer, your 
 more bountiful board, where the mind is refresh- 
 ed and strengthened, by the ' Feast of Reason, 
 and the Flow of Soul. ' " 
 
 Talbot looked with more love, with greater 
 pride, on that fair girl, as she stood, in the sim- 
 plicity of her domestic attire, lovely, gentle, 
 delicate, truthful, than if she had been a crown- 
 ed queen ; and passing an arm gently round 
 her waist, he kissed her, so tenderly, so deli- 
 cately, that the fair cheek scarcely blushed to 
 receive his salutation.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 " Be to the poor like onie whunstanr, 
 And haud their noses to the grunstaru-, 
 Ply every art o 1 legal thieving ; 
 No matter, stick to SOUND BELIEVING. " 
 
 But 
 
 " Throwinge oft'e stones as neighbours' windowes 
 passe, 
 
 Noe man shoulde, when his o\vne bee made offe 
 glasse. " 
 
 AFTER dinner, their necessary domestic 
 duties being done, the ladies, Mrs. and Miss 
 Gray, joined their friends in the parlor : and, 
 by their intelligent and pleased attention, by 
 their easy and sensible remarks, they showed 
 themselves accustomed to the Society of ra- 
 tional beings, on equal terms ; and also proved 
 themselves conscious of the possession of inde- 
 pendent character, and of the action of free 
 capabilities. 
 
 " But shall we resume our subject ? " asked 
 Mr. Harrison, with a glance at Talbot, who had 
 been assisting Ednah in disentangling her net- 
 ting thread. 
 
 " By all means j : ' was the reply ; " and, I
 
 THE MECHANIC. 105 
 
 was going to observe some time ago, that it is 
 a miserable hypocrisy it is a contemptible 
 servility, which emboldens us to strut, like the 
 da\v, in fable, sporting our borrowed plumage 
 false notions of gentility imagining our- 
 y fine, while, in fact, we are a spec- 
 tacle and admired, only as we make the 
 observer merry. " 
 
 We might as well attempt to decorate the 
 untamed elephant with gauze ; " said Mr. 
 Harrison, " or, to bring the simile nearer home, 
 to bind point lace round the shaggy neck of 
 our own wild bison, calling the frippery a 
 decoration, as to fling the miserable gossamer, 
 :y shreds of European distinctions, which 
 are fast wearing out, even there, over the free 
 limbs, and untrameled soul, of a native Yan- 
 kee. If any is willing to wear them, or can 
 see beauty, or propriety in them, when worn 
 by others, depend upon it, he is deterioratl 
 he is retrograding from the noble, and the true. 
 Tlic mass of the people, it is to be hoped, will 
 not long submit to, nor recognise such innova- 
 tions ; or, rather, it is to be hoped that they 
 who will inevitably rise above the mass, may 
 become imbued with a higher spirit of patriot- 
 ism with a purer philanthropy usiiu 
 
 to elevate, rather than to depress. th'ir
 
 106 THE MECHANIC 
 
 less gifted, and less fortunate brethren. All 
 who have the power, and yet do not this, are, 
 virtually, traitors to our constitution, and apos- 
 tates from our national character. " 
 
 Just at this moment the front door bell rang ; 
 and an addition was made to the party, in the 
 person of Mr. Crosby, of whom each one 
 of us may form his own opinion. He was 
 seated ; and after some few casual remarks, Mr. 
 Filbrook went on. 
 
 " Labor, with us, should certainly be honor- 
 able, for, later or earlier, in some form or other, 
 all our people labor ; or, at least, the excep- 
 tions to this rule are neither many, nor honora- 
 ble. The necessity of labor being then the 
 lot of all, we create our distinctions in regard 
 to its kind. There must be, it is true, at least, 
 for a long time, distinctions, and gradations in 
 society. Like will naturally nay, inevitably, 
 be associated with like ; but as the moral char- 
 acter of the higher classes, and the intellectual 
 character of the lower nominally so called 
 become elevated, and ameliorated, there will 
 be a gradual process of assimilation between 
 these extremes and the intermediate class ; 
 until every ,false distinction shall pass away, 
 and be no more known, for ever, 
 
 '' I beg your pardon, gentlemen, " said Mr,
 
 nin MECHANIC. 107 
 
 Crosby, " but it seems to me you are getting 
 radical. This savors of ultraisni. We should, 
 to be sure, respect the rights of the people; but 
 is there not great danger in promulgating opin- 
 k;n~. tending to make the lower classes discon- 
 tented with their lot. Is it not a necessary 
 < imlition of things, that there should be ranks 
 and grades in society ? Must I invite the mat! 
 who saws wood at my door, whether white or 
 black, to dine at my table ? " 
 
 Certainly not, unless you choose to do so," 
 
 said Mr. Harrison; "for he, not having been 
 
 omcd to your mode of living, you would 
 
 only make him uncomfortable by doing so. 
 
 !''i: I coupler your t-iHe ;i a no more honora- 
 
 ;ce than your servants' table, unless your 
 
 true moral dignity is greater than their.-. I'n- 
 
 ir. It is not for these outward 
 
 circumstances that we contend ; but for Tin. 
 
 1UCHTS AND MBEKTIES OF THE SOUL. 'i 
 
 :u<' the property of every man ; and of these, 
 no man may waste his own, or abuse his broth- 
 er's with impunity. " 
 
 I have often thought that we have comrnit- 
 iid Ednah, '' in placing 
 
 our tandard of the man, in something without, 
 
 ternal to the man, in dress in his 
 
 profession in the dignity of his fathers
 
 108 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 rather than in CHARACTER which is the man 
 himself. " 
 
 " True. Therefore should a foreigner," 
 said Mr. Talbot, " innocently supposing that 
 our Republicanism had a positive character ; 
 and taking it for granted that certain passages 
 in our ' Declaration of Independence ' are not, 
 as we have lately discovered them to he, mere 
 rhetorical nourishes express himself thus : 
 1 what a truly free and happy people you must 
 he. You make mental power, and moral 
 worth, alone, the test of dignity ! ' How mor- 
 tifying would it be, to contradict him to 
 throw the lie in the very teeth of our National 
 Pretensions, by declaring, <O, no, you are 
 quite mistaken, sir. We look at a man's busi- 
 ness, to see if it be genteel. We look at his 
 hands, to see if they are white, and soft. We 
 look not at the whole man, to mark if he be 
 honest to learn if he be true. ' ' 
 
 It has been said, " observed Mrs. Gray, 
 ' ; that any calling has dignity, in proportion to 
 the amount of mind required to be active in 
 the pursuit of it. It seems to me this is a 
 pretty good rule if we will adhere to it ; and if 
 we must have distinctions, is much the best. 
 But, as far as I have observed, I think that 
 mechanics, as a class, stand higher in point of
 
 THE MECHANIC. 109 
 
 intellect, and certainly in strength and solidity 
 of character, than the lower orders of mer- 
 chants and retailers ; and the reason is obvious, 
 because the pursuit of any mechanical vocation, 
 is a better discipline of the mind requires 
 more talent, and that of a higher order, than is 
 necessary to enable one to descant flippantly 
 on the texture of silks, or the hues of ribbons ; 
 and, above all, to smile graciously and bow 
 winningly to lady customers. Yet mechanics, 
 as a class, do not stand upon a level with retail 
 dealers. Why should they not ? Nay, if 
 there must be distinctions, why should they not 
 rise above them ': As for manufacturers, the 
 most successful among them, are, or have been 
 mechanics ; and my own dear father here, is a 
 good instance. " 
 
 1 respect the mechanics no man respects 
 and honors them more than I do," said .Mr. 
 Crosby ; " but I hold that they should keep 
 their places. They are a necessary link in the 
 chain of human ranks ; but they are not, and 
 cannot in the very nature of things, be the 
 t. I respect these people, as I said : 
 but, at the same time, I am happy to say that 
 our family blood, in all its ramifications, yet 
 remains pure. No Crosby, to my knowledge. 
 ever lias been a mechanic. " 
 10
 
 110 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " And are you a citizen of the American 
 Republic, whose very basis is the people 
 and the laboring people ; and, yet. unblush- 
 ingly speak this ? " said Mr. Harrison. " Why 
 it seems to me that the ghosts of our venerable 
 fathers, would lift their own labor-honored 
 hands from their very graves to rebuke you ! " 
 
 " And another thing, " said Mrs. Gray, 
 " you are a very zealous and devoted professor 
 of religion. You mark with a quick, and I 
 have sometimes thought, unpitying eye, the 
 slightest delinquences of those around you ; but 
 with these sentiments, can you be a consistent 
 follower of the meek and lowly Jesus of 
 him who sat at meat with the poorest who 
 spake with kindness to the vilest ? Excuse 
 me, Mr. Crosby, if I ask, how, according to 
 the sentiments you have just expressed, you 
 can suppose it quite consistent with the charac- 
 ter of the true gentleman, to acknowledge for 
 your Lord and Master, for your great head and 
 leader, a carpenter, and the son of a car- 
 penter ? " 
 
 " O, that was a mere typical representation 
 of the humility which clothes the heart, when 
 it is changed from the state of nature to that of 
 grace. " 
 
 " 1 too believe it is typical, " returned Mrs.
 
 THE MECHANIC. I 1 1 
 
 Gray " it is full of deep and peculiar 
 meaning. I have often thought that that single 
 fact embodied the essence of all social, politi- 
 cal, and moral ethics in showing us that 
 labor physical labor is, and should be consid- 
 ered honorable. Truly \vas THE LIFE or 
 liis be>;t and purest teaching." 
 
 " O, if you speak of Christian communion, 
 I acknowledge that we shall all meet on com- 
 mon, and equal grounds there." 
 
 u I !<,< you fall into the common mistake," 
 said Mr. Filbrook, "of abstracting religion and 
 its duties, from the affairs and duties of every- 
 day life. Is religion a mere holyday garment, 
 which is to be put on with our Sunday coat, 
 and laid aside with that ? " Is it not, rather. 
 a livini: and vital principle, dwelling in, and 
 shining through the whole man, modifying 
 every action ? Is religion, in short can it be 
 any thing less, or more, than the character of 
 the soul : " 
 
 K\eu>e me. cxeusi- me, gentlemen. " 
 said Mr. Cro-liy. M 1 still have my oj)inion ; 
 and I must, if I speak at all, protest against 
 this spirit of leveling. Hut 1 confess, I think 
 iinu r upon these points is rather beneath 
 the character of a gentleman." 
 
 rtainly,'' said Mrs. Gray, " to wrangle 

 
 112 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 upon any subject is beneath the character of 
 man ; but, Mr. Crosby, you say there have 
 been no Mechanics in your family allow 
 me to ask if there have been no lazy charac- 
 ters no liars no slanderers no swearers 
 no drunkards no PAUPERS among you?" 
 
 " I have an engagement," said Mr. Crosby, 
 drawing out his watch. " Excuse me, gentle- 
 men and ladies. I wish you a very good 
 evening" and he withdrew without apparent 
 notice of the last question ; though it was plain 
 that he both heard, and was choked by it. " 
 
 " Nothing cuts like the truth, " said Mr. 
 Talbot, as the door closed. " Are you aware, 
 Mrs. Gray, how close you came ? " 
 
 " Not in the least," she replied. " I was not 
 aware of any application. " 
 
 " Well, that very man who is so stark mad 
 about distinctions, has a sister in the House of 
 Refuge, a brother an irreclaimable profli- 
 gate in yonder Asylum for the Poor : and 
 there also died an uncle, a miserable drunkard, 
 leaving the poor skeleton of a wife, and six 
 small children, to the tender mercies of the 
 world. Comment is unnecessary. " 
 
 " Just what might be expected, " said Mr. 
 Filbrook. " It really provokes me, " observed 
 Ednah, "to see young ladies who have the
 
 THE MECHANIC. 1 lo 
 
 reputation of being well educated, and matrons 
 who are called sensible women, reject from 
 their society the whole class of mechanics, 
 while they smile on, caress, and court, every 
 thing that is called a merchant. " 
 
 I'nless, indeed, it be a TRAVELLING MI;H- 
 CHANT " added Mr. Talbot. 
 
 " But, in respect to these false distinctions 
 of society, the higher orders are not alone to 
 blame," said Mr. Harrison. " There is very 
 little self-respect among the poorer classes 
 too great a willingness to accede to the demark- 
 ations, and usurpations of the other. When 
 they learn the real dignity of their nature a 
 dignity which no extrinsic circumstance could, 
 possibly, either reach or modify, they will 
 to be just to themselves. In this country 
 there are few who cannot command the means 
 of procuring, at least, the basis of a good edu- 
 cation. Every class is capable of self-culture, 
 and thus of commanding, in a higher or lower 
 degree, intellectual pleasures, which, after all. 
 are the true luxuries of life ; for, possessing and 
 appreciating these, I deny that the laboring 
 should be called the lower classes. The 
 wealthy, and the fashionable, may have 6no 
 houses, rich furniture, costly apparel, luxuries 
 of which the poor man never dreams, and 
 10* 

 
 114 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 servants who absolve them from the necessity 
 of labor; but that they really occupy a higher 
 place in the range of intelligent beings, than 
 many whom they exclude from their table, and 
 would scorn to recognise in the street, I cannot, 
 for one moment believe. But, after all, what 
 is all this worth this finery this grandeur 
 this sitting at certain tables this recogni- 
 tion in the street whether enjoyed or not 
 whether done, or left undone ? Can any, or 
 all of these things, either give, or take away, 
 one jot of real character one point of true 
 dignity ? I think not ; but, as we rise above 
 the gross bondage of sense, we shall perceive 
 these things, more and more clearly. The very 
 hair might, with as much propriety, say to the 
 head, 'stand back, poor Plebeian, and presume 
 not to approach me ! ' as for the fashionable to 
 use like language, (whether oral or practical) 
 to the laboring classes. 
 
 "Let mechanics, then, " s-aid Mr. Filbrook, 
 '' respect themselves. Let them learn their 
 own dignity, and tbeir own importance. Let 
 them educate themselves and their children 
 not as persons predestined to a circumscribed 
 sphere ; but as citizens of the United States, 
 invested with all the rights and privileges of 
 freemen ; as men and women, by their very
 
 TIIF. MKCHAMC. 115 
 
 nature, so noble, thai nt>/u tntt THK.MSI:I.\ Bfl 
 ///a;/ fow/t f^tYr nobility, or sully it in the least. 
 Then shall the filmy shadow of aristocracy no 
 more obscure the potent sun of liberty, which 
 shines, widely and equally, over all this land: 
 the eyes that cannot perceive this must be dis- 
 (1. For though some unrighteous ones have 
 cast the baleful shadow of their own iniquities 
 over their brethren yet none the less truly 
 does the sun shine ; and none the less quickly 
 will come the day, when every noxious vapor 
 shall have been absorbed every shadow have 
 bern melted away. Then >hall all the ends of 
 the earth sing together manifesting that 
 ' where the spirit of the Lord is, there is 
 Liberty.'" 
 
 There was something inexpressibly beautiful 
 in the good old man, as, with a fervor truly 
 prophetic, he breathed these \\ords. For a 
 moment his eyes remained lifted, the long sil- 
 hair falling back from his yet fine! brow, 
 and his whole face expres-in^ the lofty charac- 
 ter of his thoughts. Who could disturb such 
 holy musing ': There was a devout silence 
 for some minutes ; and then conversation was 
 resumed in a low and reverent tone. 
 
 l>ut we forbear. Already has this scene 
 been too long dwelt upon ; for who does not 

 
 116 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 forget all time in converse with dear, familiar 
 friends ? Even so, dear reader, have I been 
 tempted to linger ; for these to thee new ac- 
 quaintances, are to me, tried friends, having 
 " a local habitation, and a name, " as it were 
 in the inmost depths of my being. Then, if 
 their conversation, which is so pleasant to me, 
 be otherwise to thee, turn to the next chapter ; 
 and there let us resume our narration. 
 
 First, let me say, however, that from this 
 period there was an evident change in the 
 character, as well as the feelings of Victor. 
 He became more thoughtful, more strictly con- 
 scientious more heedful of his own progress 
 while, at the same time, there was a new 
 clearness in the meaning of things. What had 
 of late been mysteries, seemed written out, as 
 it were, in his own vernacular tongue he 
 now conned, and knew them. Most favorable 
 was the impression which he made on his new 
 acquaintances ; and, on parting with him, they 
 extended to him the most flattering expressions 
 of interest and friendship. He had gathered 
 up all their sayings, and, long after, he pon- 
 dered them carefully. His heart was as the 
 good ground, receiving the good seed ; and it 
 gave promise of bringing forth fruit " an hun- 
 dred fold.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A ml truly it demands something godlike in him, who 
 it ofl" the common motives of humanity, and has 
 ventured to trust himself for a task-master. High bo his 
 heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in 
 good earnest be doctrine, society, law to himself, that A 
 MM ITI: ri RPOSI may be to him as strong as iron neces- 
 sity to others. " 
 
 SELF RELIANCE. 
 
 Rankin soon found that he must alter his 
 . and proceed more covertly in his work 
 of malice ; for he had bent himself upon the 
 ruin of Victor ; and he was determined to 
 it. For some time ever since the \nit 
 to the Infidel meeting, lie had discontinued 
 reading the Bible with him ; but whenever ho 
 met him, it was with a degree of kindness the 
 latter was not prepared to expect. He, in- 
 de.-d. expressed his regret that Victor should 
 have hrtr.iy.-d his friend ; or, rather, that he, 
 should have given a mere joke, a turn so en- 
 tirely against him, by taking it as if it were 
 really a serious matter. 
 
 You must see," he said, "that I .suffer in
 
 118 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 the good opinion of Mr. Gray, as well as the 
 rest of the family. But I forgive you, Victor, 
 freely as I hope to be forgiven. And, now, 
 say if we shall not be friends again!" he added, 
 cordially extending his hand. 
 
 It could not be in the nature of a generous 
 and unsuspecting boy of eighteen, to resist such 
 an appeal ; and he gave his hand, frankly ex- 
 pressing his regret that the affair should have 
 transpired at all. 
 
 " You are a lucky fellow, Vic ! " continued 
 the other, condescendingly offering his arm as 
 they proceeded down the street together, " You 
 are a lucky dog ; and you know it. " 
 
 "I think that I am fortunate ;" returned the 
 other, with the greatest simplicity. " I am sure 
 there are few apprentices who have such advan- 
 tages as I enjoy. They are altogether beyond 
 my expectations, and beyond my desert. " 
 
 "I see you are disposed to avail yourself of 
 the best of them, notwithstanding;" returned 
 Rankin, with an ill-suppressed sneer, "The 
 fevor with which Miss Gray regards you is not 
 unmarked, I assure you. There will be warm 
 work when poor Talbot's eyes come to open. 
 Poor fellow ! they are, very fortunately, blinded 
 just now, with such a thick veil of Philanthropy 
 and Trust ! Poor fellow ! Have you counted
 
 THE MECHANIC. 119 
 
 the odds, and calculated the chance of shots in 
 the case ? " 
 
 " I do not understand you ; " returned Vic- 
 tor, with a look of astonishment. 
 
 " That's well got up that look of inno- 
 cence, of honesty. But 'you can't catch old 
 birds with chaff. ' It don't go down here. 
 Well, Master Simple-heart, shall I spare your 
 blushes, and make it all plain to you ? You 
 don't know, I suppose, the meaning of all this 
 reading, and drawing, and botanizing, and going 
 to L'Ttures. You don't understand, then, that 
 Miss Gray loves you, and is determined to shake 
 off Talbot, the first convenient opportunity ? " 
 
 suppressed irony got rather too strongly 
 into his expression ; but the excited hoy did 
 not heed. " You astonish me ! " he said. 
 
 \ndyou do not know, " continued Kankin, 
 
 " in the same tones, that you love this same 
 
 hiily, who is so very, very kind to you ? 
 
 and he mimicked the manner of Victor, in using 
 
 his laiiini 
 
 ' ; My friend," continued the other, "you are 
 young and simple-hearted. I am more experi- 
 enced, and will teach you. I cannot bear to 
 see so good a chance thrown away. All you 
 to do is to speak out, at once, boldly, and 
 the prize is yours You ought not to expect
 
 120 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 the young lady to do all the wooing. You 
 surely do not mean to wait until she actually 
 comes to make the proposal ? That she ex- 
 pects one, is a fact which I know ; and that 
 this is all she is waiting for, is another fact. " 
 
 " How do you know these are facts ? " ea- 
 gerly inquired Victor, nattered, as was very 
 natural, by the supposed preference of one 
 whom he considered so much his superior. 
 
 " O, by a thousand things ; which, if you had 
 not been blinded by love yourself, my dear little 
 boy, you must have seen. " 
 
 "I really cannot believe it ; she is so much 
 older than I am and so entirely " 
 
 " Devoted to Mr. Talbot you would have 
 said ; " interrupted Rankin " All sham ; de- 
 pend upon it, my dear fellow. And as for your 
 ages, so much the better. Now, my dear boy, 
 what are you going to do profit by this 
 friendly hint, which I have dropped all in confi- 
 dence you understand or will you let this 
 chance of all chances go by, leaving your disap- 
 pointed fair one to pine over your coldness, and 
 your cruelty, and be a poor drudge forever? " 
 
 " What would you advise me to do ? " asked 
 Victor, perfectly bewildered. 
 
 ' What, my dear fellow, but to step up to 
 the lady at once, and offer yourself, like a lad
 
 THK MKCHAN1C. 121 
 
 of spirit ; and if Talbot attempts to interfere, 
 knock the poor devil down ; and so commend 
 yourself, at once, to your lady love. " 
 
 Victor was silent a moment ; and then he 
 said ; " I shall do no such thing. Even if all 
 you have told me were true and I do not be- 
 lieve it I could never make so ungrateful a 
 return, for all the kindness I have met, both 
 from Mr. and Mrs. CJray. " 
 
 " You will not, will you ? " returned Rankin, 
 laughing "we shall sec but come in here 
 Hyde, and drink to your obliging Fair, in a 
 bumper of red wine ; and then you will own 
 yourself a real lover ; and your courage will be 
 sufficient for all occasions. " 
 
 I cannot stop now ; " said Victor, attempt* 
 ing to hurry past the magnificent hotel where 
 they stood. " I mu-t go now. you know, on 
 the errands I have to do for Mr. Gray, before 
 the stores are shut for the night. " 
 
 Then- it is again dull matter-of-fact! 
 Why, my dear fellow, you are not worthy so 
 much love, and so nuu-h beauty, as are ready 
 to be lavished on you. I will tell the lady my- 
 self you are a poltroon a cold, heartless lump 
 of clay that can run of errands for messes 
 for pork, and beans, and lard, and onions, at the 
 very moment \\hen love and beauty stand ready 
 11
 
 122 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 to cast themselves into your arms. " Without 
 waiting a reply, he seized the hand of the 
 wondering boy ; and favored hy the in pressing 
 crowd, who were going to attend a lecture in 
 an adjoining hall, drew him into the room of the 
 D. I. S. O. T. D. Club. The stranger was 
 led into the midst of a throng, who were met to 
 celebrate the first anniversary of their Society. 
 
 " Mr. Hyde, gentlemen ! " said Rankin, drag- 
 ging forward the reluctant victim. " An odd 
 fellow ; but prime in his way. Fill up, gentle- 
 men ! Fill high ! and let us pledge to his lady- 
 love and toliis better acquaintance, with you, 
 and with life the life of life ! " he added, 
 as, pouring out the liquor, he handed one glass 
 t<^ Victor ; and, lifting his own, he proposed 
 " The health of Miss Ednah Gray ! " and 
 drained the goblet at a draught. The pledge 
 was answered around with many profane and 
 lewd interjections, which made Victor's cheek 
 burn with indignation, to hear the name of one 
 so truly good, and pure, breathed by the unhal- 
 lowed lips of the libertine and the inebriate. So 
 great was the confusion occasioned by these ob- 
 scene jests, and the reiterating vollies of laughter 
 they drew forth, that it was not perceived that 
 Victor's glass remained untasted, full and run- 
 ning over.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 * Drink, my dear fellow ! " whimpered Rankin. 
 Quick ! I beseech you ! If it is perceiv 
 ivfu-e. your character is gone forever. " 
 
 " I do not drink wine ; returned Victor, 
 firmly, at the same time setting down his glass. 
 
 Von belong to the Temperance Society, 
 my fine little fellow : '' squeaked a tall, and 
 rather interesting young man, imitatir. 
 drawling cant of the unco good ; as planting a 
 hand in each pocket, he drew himself up to his 
 utmost height, and stood before our hero. 
 
 I do ; " replied the other, with more firm- 
 
 iian the interrogator was prepared to meet. 
 
 \;ul pray when did you join that august 
 
 ontinued the latter, in the same 
 
 drawling tones. 
 
 The same day that his grandmother died ; '" 
 said a stentorian voice from another part of the 
 room as arose one of such strongly-marked ani- 
 mal character, as to be quite remarkable, even 
 there, ami the coarse jest (if jest it might be 
 called, \\hieh had neither sense nor wit) was 
 garnished by an oath, that was echoed, and re- 
 echoed, amid the coarsest peals of laughter, 
 Spirits is out of the question in these refined 
 id another, :i but you drink wine, o 
 com 
 
 I neither drink wine nor any fermented
 
 124 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 liquors ; " replied Victor, attempting to force 
 his passage out. 
 
 " A teetotaler ! " shouted the Stentor, with a 
 splashing oath ; and " A teetotaler ! " was 
 echoed amid thundering shouts, and bacchanal 
 jests, and laughter. 
 
 " Come aside, a moment ; " whispered Ran- 
 kin ; and drawing Victor to a recess, he con- 
 tinued. " Getting drunk is out of the question ; 
 but drinking is, here, in the city, my dear fellow, 
 a matter of course, and unavoidable. Some of 
 these young men" he whispered lower 
 " belong to the first families in the city. They 
 are entirely above either of us, in point of rank ; 
 and if you ever want to rise, and be anything, 
 now is your time. I owe my acquaintance 
 here, and my union with this club to a lucky 
 accident ; and, with much difficulty, I have 
 succeeded in inducing them to admit you. It 
 is a great favor, you may depend, and I beg of 
 you not to make me ridiculous, by refusing to 
 comply with so reasonable a request. Drink 
 one. glass, I beseech of you- only one glass ! " 
 
 Victor was confounded. The earnest plead- 
 ing of Rankin's tones touched his heart. He 
 felt, for a moment, only the kindness the latter 
 had shown him. It seemed really ungenerous 
 to refuse. But at the moment of vibration, he
 
 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 looked up ; and a survey of the group of swol- 
 len and flushed faces around, settled the balance 
 aright. " The end of these things is death ! " 
 was audihly whispered in his soul ; and, for 
 one moment, the image of his widowed mother, 
 with a look of mingled fear sorrow and reproof, 
 seemed to glide through the midst. The idea 
 made him strong. 
 
 Why am I here ? " he asked. '< Let me 
 be gone ! " and he again attempted to leave the 
 room. 
 
 '' Catch him ! " cried one. 
 
 Hold him ! " cried another. 
 
 He is tied to his granny's apron strings ! " 
 shouted a third. 
 
 '' Search him, and find the clue ! " said yet 
 another. 
 
 With bacchanal shouts, and the most horrid 
 oaths, several seized upon the boy, and attempt- 
 ed to strip off his clothes. Our hero had imag- 
 ined himself, in principle, a non-resistant ; but 
 there is an instinct, stronger than any principle; 
 in the character of every high-spirited boy, 
 which prompts him to resist force, or insult ; 
 and right handily, and without question, did 
 Victor lay about him ; and that with such good 
 spirit, as to distance his tormentors, and compel 
 11*
 
 126 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 ihem to abandon the design of unrobing him. 
 The enemy rallied again. 
 
 " The child is sick. He needs medicine ! " 
 cried one. 
 
 " If he refuses to take it, force it down ! " 
 cried another ; and they seized the boy, who, 
 resolutely closed his teeth, and the wine was 
 dashed in his face ; while several other gob- 
 lets, administered in the same way, completely 
 drenched his clothes. 
 
 " Stand back ! " cried the Stentor : and a 
 huge mass of flesh and blood made its way 
 towards our hero ; who stood, nearly blinded, 
 wiping the wine from his eyes ; and, setting a 
 silver goblet on the table opposite Victor, he 
 said, with the most menacing air, and a suitable 
 garnish of oaths ; " Drink that, sir ! every drop 
 of it, sir and, if you dare to disobey me, sir, 
 I '11 knock you into H-ll ! " 
 
 " Not one single drop ; " returned Victor, 
 planting his foot firmly, and folding his arms 
 upon his breast "You dare not you can- 
 not compel me to do it. I will die first. " 
 
 The energy of a resolute soul wrought its 
 work ; not one dared to approach him ; and, for 
 a moment, there was silence, with a feeling 
 of awe ; as if the consciousness of a superior
 
 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 presence had pervaded their minds. It was but 
 momentary. 
 
 " Set him in the desk ! " they shouted. 
 " Let's have a temperance lecture ! " " A tem- 
 perance lecture ! " " Hear the teetotaler ! " 
 "Hear! Hear." 
 
 With these shouts Victor was home into the 
 desk ; and then there was a silence of some 
 minutes, as if he were really expected to speak. 
 He looked for a way of escape ; but the passage 
 from the desk was guarded. He thought of 
 leaping over the top ; but he knew there would 
 be numbers ready to prevent him. Suddenly 
 he grew calm. He became collected and mas- 
 ter of himself, as he said ; ; ' Since, by a unani- 
 mou- vote. I am called upon to address you, 
 gentlemen, I feel bound to say that I think 
 very much as you feel, when the lees settle 
 heavily on your brain I think it is all Lad. 
 So the quicker you get rid of it the better. 
 There is in each of you a soul, with capacities, 
 boundless as the Universe with hopes, infi- 
 nite as Eternity, You may crush, you may 
 degrade you may brutalize this being; but 
 you can never kill : IT WILL LIVE and bear 
 imony, either for good, or evil, forever and 
 ever ! Are you 1 put the question to each 
 one of you are you willing to he a brute.
 
 128 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 when you may be a man ? As for myself, God 
 has given me A FREE WILL, TO DO and TO 
 BE and the Devil shall not take it away ! " 
 
 This little speech, made in sheer desperation, 
 really seemed to produce a good effect. One 
 by one they drew away from the desk ; and 
 Victor, finding his way no longer opposed, 
 came down quietly. Rankin met him on the 
 platform he was thinking of the untimely 
 development of his last plot ; and t something 
 whispered him this would be no better. At 
 least, he felt it was prudent to treat with the 
 enemy. In a low conciliating tone, he whis- 
 pered, 
 
 " I did not think of carrying the joke so far. 
 Then, turning to some acquaintances who came 
 up, as if to detain the hero of the hour, he said, 
 ' We must let him go now ; for he is contrary 
 as the very devil, when he is roused. But he 
 can't deny he has taken wine with- us ! " he 
 added, with a glance at the drenched garments 
 of Victor. 
 
 " He is profuse of luxury, as Bacchus, him- 
 self! " said one, "for he is actually bathed in 
 nectar. " 
 
 " Excuse me, for a moment, gentlemen, said 
 Rankin, and he passed out with Victor, quietly 
 as possible. In passing forth the latter was no
 
 THE MECHANIC. 129 
 
 less surprised, than shocked, to perceive Robert 
 (uay. already sensibly the worse for liquor. 
 He attempted to crouch away, and appeared 
 desirous of avoiding Victor. 
 
 " Take Robert with us ! " whispered the lat- 
 ter. " Do take him with us ! " 
 
 "Impossible, my dear follow! Mow can 
 you think me so barbarous ? He is in the third 
 heaven of ecstacy. " 
 
 ' I3ut his parents, " continued Victor, " they 
 will be offended with him, and with you ! " 
 
 \ot in the least, my dear fellow ; and, for 
 th" -implc reason, that they will never hear a 
 syllable of the matter. -Your simplicity does 
 not seem to suspect, how many times I have 
 led him home in his cup-, and put him snu^ in 
 bed. with the utmost secrecy ; and I am ready, 
 at any time, to perform the same kind office for 
 you ;" he added, contemptuously. 
 
 " I shall never trouble you in that way !" 
 returned Victor proudly ; but I insist upon 
 taking Robert home. " 
 
 " Insist upon no such thing do not re-enter 
 that room, except as one of us. If you go 
 back, you stay there ; and you drink with us. 
 There's no two ways about that. My advice 
 is, use your liberty, if you value it. One word 
 more;" he continued, as they reached the
 
 130 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 street. " In Heaven's name, do not betray me 
 at home ! Remember, I trust to your honor. 
 I confide in your generosity. You surely will 
 not betray me ! Let me think, what story can 
 be invented to account for your drenching ? " 
 
 " I shall invent nothing ; " returned the other. 
 " If I tell any thing, it must be the truth. " 
 
 ''There thank Heaven! it rains! That 
 will wash the smell of wine from your garments, 
 and account for the wetting ! " said Rankin. 
 Go now. Run ; or the shops will be shut. 
 Say nothing of Robert, or me. Remember I 
 trust to your generosity." 
 
 Victor gladly availed himself of the liberty tQ 
 fly ; and ran, like a frighted bird escaped from 
 the fowler's snare, with only one object in view, 
 viz. that of increasing the distance between him- 
 self and his foes. But he soon recollected his 
 commissions ; and he hastened, with his utmost 
 speed to the several stores, which he had the 
 good fortune to reach just in time to obtain what 
 he wanted, before they closed ; for it was now 
 nearly 10 o'clock.
 
 CHAPTER XI 1. 
 
 " Blest mother, who in wisdom'* liglit 
 
 By her own jKircnt trod, 
 Thus tringht her M>U to llee. (he wrath 
 
 Ami know the lV;ir of (Jod : 
 All, youth, like him, enjoy your prime. 
 Begin eternity in time, 
 
 Taught l>y that motlicr s love." 
 
 MONTI. "Mi \.\ 
 
 WE have been really concerned, you were 
 _ r one so long : " said Mi's. Gray, as Victor 
 entered. Tray have you <=een any thing of 
 Robert ? He has not been home since dinner. 
 Why how wet you are ! " she added, taking ii 
 for granted that he knew nothing : " \\rt and 
 icy. It is a vi-ry tedious night. Do ask 
 Bridget for a dry shirt, and change your clothes 
 directly. " 
 
 Pom- Victor was glad for this momentary 
 recite. HI- did not know what to do. He 
 thought, at HIM. it was right to tell Mr. Gray 
 at once \\heie Robert was. and his situation; 
 but he was afraid that if he should betray him, 
 he might be s O indignant, as to be determined
 
 132 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 in a bad cause. Then, again, he thought he 
 was doing wrong to wait a single moment ; for, 
 from the violence which was offered to himself, 
 he had no doubt there was extreme danger, in 
 suffering one like Robert to remain in such 
 reckless, unprincipled company. He knew it 
 was dangerous to offend Rankin ; but, for him- 
 self, he thought not, feared not ; and without 
 changing his clothes, he went down stairs (for 
 he had gone to his chamber a moment to col- 
 lect himself) and, taking Mr. Gray out, told 
 him frankly the whole : of course omitting the 
 conversation in respect to Ednah. Mr. Gray 
 immediately told his wife ; for he had no secrets 
 from her ; and, bidding her keep up good cour- 
 age, took Victor and went forth, in search of 
 the offender leaving that mother in a state of 
 agony, which, only a tender, true mother, like 
 herself, could feel. They went directly to the 
 hall, which Mr. Gray entered, and enquired for 
 his son ; but Rankin, expecting such a visitor, 
 had withdrawn to some nook with his victim ; 
 and Mr. Gray was told they had been gone for 
 some time. 
 
 " I doubt this story, " he said, as he rejoined 
 Victor on the steps, and told him the result of 
 his enquiry. " Let us wait here under this 
 arch, till they come out. "
 
 THE MECHANIC. 133 - 
 
 They accordingly sheltered themselves from 
 observation ; and very soon the riotous com- 
 pany began to pour forth ; for they had made 
 so much noise that the landlord had threatened 
 them with a visit from a police officer. The 
 quick eye of Victor soon distinguished the light 
 form of Rankin, who was. himself, much too 
 cunning to be drunk ; though he so ably assist- 
 ed in making others so. Poor Robert, almost 
 frantic, was led between him and another, who, 
 with their united strength, could scarcely re- 
 strain him. Shortly after they left the hou>e. 
 he extricated himself from his leaders, one of 
 whom was considerably worse for liquor ; and 
 sprang forward, with the frightful energy of 
 one, who puts forth his whole remaining 
 strength against his enemy. In doing this he 
 trod on a loose bit of ice, and was thrown 
 with great force against the projecting corner 
 of a building. With one deep . r roan he rolled 
 upon the ground, with the heaviness and the 
 stillness of death. In a moment a fearful 
 silence succeeded the riotous clamor ; for the 
 thought of death, even to those calloused, mad- 
 dened creature-, was horrible. In an instant 
 Mi. (Jray ru-hed to the spot, pressing madly 
 through the crowd that gathered round, suffi-
 
 134 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 cient to suffocate the poor boy. He lifted his 
 son in his arms. He was cold and stiff. 
 
 " O, my boy ! my poor, murdered boy ! " 
 he exclaimed ; and, as if paralyzed, he sank 
 with his burden to the ground ; and groans of 
 the bitterest anguish, not unmingled with re- 
 morse, broke the horrible stillness. 
 
 For some minutes Victor, from the lightness 
 of his form was prevented from approaching ; 
 but calling upon some passers-by for assistance, 
 he made his way through the crowd ; and when 
 he came up, by the fitful glimmering of the 
 lamp, through a dark and stormy night, a fearful 
 spectacle was presented. Poor Robert lay in 
 his father's arms, his pale face spotted with 
 blood, which was still streaming from a deep 
 gash in the forehead. His clothes were torn 
 into strips in the struggle to detain him ; while 
 his father was frightfully pale, and almost sense- 
 less as himself. Victor loosened the poor boy's 
 vest, and he respired faintly. The sufferer was 
 soon conveyed to a neighboring hotel by the 
 attentive strangers, who called a physician ; 
 while Victor ran home for Mrs. Gray and Ed- 
 nah. A carriage fortunately stood at the cor- 
 ner ; and they were not long in reaching the 
 place.
 
 THF. MECHANIC. 135 
 
 I pass over the particulars of this scene ; for 
 what pen what art can delineate truly, the 
 bitterness of a mother's and a sister's anguish, 
 when, not only the physical life of the dearly 
 loved, though erring one, is seen to hang on 
 the merest thread ; but, at the same time, there 
 is felt, within this, a moral death, infinitely more 
 frightful infinitely more heart-rending. 
 
 The poor boy was pronounced unfit to 
 move that night. Indeed, on examination, 
 the contusion, and the cut, were found much 
 worse than they had at first appeared to be. 
 Sorrow, heavier and bitterer than the sorrow of 
 death, gathered upon that little band of watch- 
 ers, as they hovered round the sufferer, who 
 continued wild and restless through the night, 
 notwithstanding a powerful anodyne had been 
 tdmioistered ; and in the morning he was found 
 to be in a decided brain fever. For several 
 days he lay in a state of extreme danger. At 
 times he raved frightfully, calling for Victor, 
 and his forgiveness, in the most moving 
 
 terms ; then, telling him to beware of Rankin. 
 On tin; eveiiini: of the fifth day of his illness, 
 he lay in a profound sleep, which had lasted 
 for several hours. Not a breath could he heard 
 in the room, so intense was the anxiety with 
 which all were watching the event of hi>
 
 136 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 waking ; for the physician had pronounced the 
 crisis at hand ; and he, himself, had waited 
 with the afflicted friends. If the last medicine 
 given proved to have a good effect, the turn 
 would be favorable ; if not, he assured the 
 family they must be prepared for immediate 
 death : and the intense interest he manifested, 
 showed that his fears were stronger than his 
 hopes. The patient stirred slightly. All gath- 
 ered softly round the bed. The physician was 
 holding his pulse. By his side stood Mr. 
 Gray ; on the opposite side Mrs. Gray and 
 Ednah ; while poor little Annie, with Victor, 
 stood at the foot. Robert slowly opened his 
 eyes, as if oppressed with extreme weakness ; 
 but the wild light of insanity was gone. He 
 was perfectly conscious ; and a look of recog- 
 nition slowly passed from one to another. He 
 made a faint attempt to lift his arms to his 
 mother, who hung over him, in the intensity of 
 maternal anguish ; but he could not. Mrs. 
 Gray could resist no longer ; but, sinking be- 
 side her son, she strained him to her heart ; 
 and the first tears she had shed during his ill- 
 ness, gushed over, and bathed his burning 
 cheeks and forehead. The physician gently 
 interposed ; and, leading her from the room, 
 beckoned to the weeping sisters to follow. As
 
 THE MECHANIC. 137 
 
 the door closed, Robert looked earnestly at his 
 father. Mr. Gray bent his ear close to him, 
 and he whispered feebly ; " Father, if I die, 
 let Victor be your son. He will be better than 
 I have ever been. O, if I had only listened to 
 him ! " He paused, with a groan so deep, so 
 bitter, it seemed to be wrung from his inmost 
 soul ; then added, " Father, he would have 
 saved my life ; but he has saved my soul. I 
 have not been unconscious for the last I 
 know not how long it seems an eternity 
 but my mind has been busy with itself, I trust 
 I have repented. If I live, I shall be a differ- 
 ent person. If I die, I shall die happy ! Fa- 
 ther, tell mother, tell my sisters, how much I 
 owe Victor, that they " Apparently in the 
 !:i-t effort of exhausted nature, he stretched 
 himself back ; and, for a moment, they thought 
 that he had ceased to breathe. 
 
 The physician took his hand ; and, after an 
 in-iant of agonizing suspense, announced that 
 hi> pulse beat feebly, indeed, but gently: 
 by which he knew that the crisis had passed 
 by. After several hours of sleep, so deep and 
 tranquil it seemed almost breathless, he awoke, 
 enquired for his friends, and embraced them all 
 alleetionately ; but when he came to Victor, 
 the poor boy clung round his neck, and \n-> 
 12*
 
 138 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 tears poured out like rain. " Go, " he whis- 
 pered, " Leave me ; I cannot bear this now. " 
 The physician requested all but his sister Ed- 
 nah to leave the room ; and, having adminis- 
 tered some slight nourishment, he withdrew. 
 
 When the Angel of Mercy gives back our 
 cherished one from the arms of Death, there is 
 a holy rapture of the soul, so exquisitely ten- 
 der, so hallowed, that it approaches perhaps, 
 more nearly to the joys of pure, disembodied 
 spirit, than any other human emotion ; for the 
 mind becomes exalted and strengthened, by a 
 closer communion with the spiritual, both with- 
 in, and exterior to itself; and, casting aside the 
 vapor, misnamed reality, it passes through the 
 Superficial, and arrives at the Actual. High, 
 then, must its joys be ; and akin to the rapture 
 of Heaven, when, going up, as it were, into the 
 immediate presence of its Father, to whom it 
 had consigned, with perfect confidence, its be- 
 loved, it receives back again the treasure, with 
 the assurance of renewed life, as from the very 
 lips of God. Does not such a state of the 
 soul give an earnest of the final triumph over 
 Death ? 
 
 In a few days from this time Robert was 
 removed home ; and as he began to amend, the 
 most favorable change was observable in his
 
 THE MECHANIC. 139 
 
 character. Ho was thoughtful, gentle, kind ; 
 while his affection for Victor seemed absolutely 
 without bounds. He was uneasy if the latter 
 left him, even for a short time ; for he began 
 to perceive the beauty and truthfulness of his 
 character ; and he seemed to be conscious of 
 gathering strength by associating with him. 
 With a pleased eye his friends marked this pre- 
 dilection ; for Robert being of an exceedingly 
 ductile character ; it was more essential to his 
 \vell-l>eiii'_ r , than to that of many others, that 
 his friends should be true, both to him, and to 
 themselves. 
 
 As he gathered increasing strength, his moth- 
 er most tenderly, yet earnestly zealously 
 endeavored to set the truth before him. She 
 carefully unfolded to him the power of habit, 
 and the consequences of sin. No reproach 
 fell from her lips ; yet she spared neither the 
 offence, nor the offender ; and she soon cher- 
 ished a reasonable hope, that her son had been 
 arrested in his desperate course, to go no more 
 astray. 
 
 Victor, on his part, was imremittini: in his 
 
 attentions to the invalid. He spent every 
 
 leisure moment in his chamber. He read to 
 
 him, collected for him all the little inteiv-tini: 
 
 :\. and taught him a variety of
 
 140 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 amusing games ; until, after a long, and very 
 gradual convalescence, Robert began to feel 
 well again. Then how grateful was he to 
 those who had so gently won him back! Some- 
 times he would look upon the happy faces of 
 those 'about him, thinking how much anguish 
 he had caused them, until the tears gushed into 
 his eyes, and he would be obliged to leave the 
 room. 
 
 The next day after Robert's accident Ran- 
 kin made his appearance ; and was by Mr. 
 Gray, paid off, and dismissed from his service 
 an act of justice to his son, which, if it had 
 been done before, would have saved them all 
 much sorrow. 
 
 Through the spring and summer nothing of 
 importance occurred. Mr. Filbrook,' who re- 
 sided with his oldest daughter, about 20 miles 
 from the city, often visited them, with Mr. Har- 
 rison. Both of these gentlemen continued to 
 feel, and to express, the strongest interest in the 
 welfare of Victor. They lent him many valu- 
 able books ; and, in their society, his character 
 expanded into the fair and noble proportions of 
 perfect manhood. He and Robert became like 
 very brothers. They were almost inseparable ; 
 and the improvement of the latter justified the 
 most sanguine hopes of his friends.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 141 
 
 " There is one thing more to do, " said 
 Robert, as he threw himself on the sofa ; after 
 having taken a longer walk than usual ; " there 
 is one thing more, father. I wish you to have 
 my name stricken from the books of the DRIXK- 
 IN-SPITE-OF-THE-DEVIL SOCIETY. " 
 
 All looked at each other with a curious ex- 
 pression, half comic, half sad, as Robert drew 
 forth a badge inscribed with the mystic char- 
 acters. 
 
 " I have often thought 1 would ask you, " 
 said Victor, the meaning of those initials. " 
 
 " Perhaps I ought not to have mentioned the 
 name, as it is a secret, " said Robert, " but I 
 have so long been free from the thraldom of my 
 former tyrants, that I really forgot myself. 
 But I would still be honorable. I know there 
 are none here who would take an ungenerous 
 advantage of my inadvertency. Here, father," 
 he continued, giving the badge, " you will 
 
 please take this to Mr. , the president of 
 
 the soriety. with my abdication. I lux- also is 
 a letter, which I \\ish them to read at one of 
 their meetings, if agreeable. I expect to work 
 no miracle of reformation ; but if it arou>< 
 good thought one pure, hone<t f- el ing, I 
 shall not have written in vain. And do, father, 
 enquire if they know any thing of George. I
 
 142 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 believe I am now strong enough, both in body 
 and mind, to see him. There is good in him, 
 father ! I know there is good in him ! I loved 
 him, and cannot bear that he should be lost ! " 
 The poor boy covered his face with his hands, 
 and wept bitterly ! 
 
 " O, you don't know, " he continued, " you 
 have no conception of the anguish, and the 
 remorse, of the drunkard ! Sometimes it used 
 to seem as if a living serpent was gnawing 
 within me as if unquenchable fire was burn- 
 'ing at my very vitals ! I want to tell all my 
 old companions how happy I am now ! I want 
 to tell Rankin of the peace and joy, which 
 passeth all understanding, except to the peni- 
 tent, and reformed inebriate ! O, mother, father, 
 and dear, dear Victor ! you may think I am un- 
 grateful for all your kindness, because I do not 
 say much ; but when I look at you, sometimes, 
 it seems as if my heart would burst, with its 
 gratitude, and its love ! and when I feel so 
 much, I cannot speak ! " He sprang from the 
 sofa ; and, clinging round his mother's neck, he 
 sobbed so fearfully, so convulsively, that they re- 
 ally feared that it might induce a relapse of fever. 
 But no one could speak to calm him ; for all, 
 father, sisters, and Victor, pressed around him, 
 on their very knees, and wept. But these tears
 
 THE MECHANIC. 143 
 
 were healthful. They were such as the Re- 
 deemed miidit shed over tho returning sinner. 
 This was the first passionate burst of feeling 
 Rohert had given way to since his illness. 
 
 " I shall feel better now ; " he said, after the 
 violence of the struggle was over. " These 
 thoughts and feeling have been long lying here 
 they have pressed upon my heart, as with a 
 leaden weight. But now I am relieved. Moth- 
 er mo/her often when you have been talk- 
 in <_ r to me I could not speak ; for my heart was 
 too full but you will believe me, now that 
 1 am truly penitent that I will, from this 
 hour, strive to the utmost of my power to 
 be what you wish me to be ALL you wish 
 me. I know I am forgiven ; but I now feel it 
 a duty, both to myself, and to you, to ask your 
 for . I have often deceived and diso- 
 
 beyed you I have followed cour.-es which I 
 knew would overwhelm you with anguish." 
 He drew himself from his mother's arms ; and, 
 embracing, he ahked the pardon of eacli indi- 
 vidual : which, you may be sure, was given 
 with hle-ini:-. and \\ith t- 
 
 But when he. rame to Victor, he said, "This 
 is the hardest. How shall I ask you to for 
 
 . my more than brother ! my friend ! my 
 pr< .vhen I remember that I have in-
 
 144 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 suited you, ridiculed you, cursed you, and 
 joined in repeated plots to ruin you ; and, all 
 this, not only without offence on your part, but 
 in defiance of the most persevering, and entirely 
 undeserved kindness. O, Victor ! I do not 
 wish to think you are guilty of wrong ; but if I 
 could remember one ungenerous act of yours, 
 my reflections would not be half so bitter ! 
 Will you can you forgive me ? " 
 
 Victor struggled with himself to speak calm- 
 ly. " I have nothing to forgive ; " he said ; 
 but he could say no more. The two embraced, 
 and wept in each other's arms. 
 
 " I have a word to speak, " said Mr. Gray, 
 as Robert was led, quite exhausted, to the sofa. 
 " I have neglected a father's duty, I now clear- 
 ly see. Forgive me, my son. I have erred 
 greatly sinfully. I trust I shall do so no 
 more. " He withdrew hurriedly from the room ; 
 and, after a time, calmness was restored. 
 
 Nothing could be found of Rankin. It was 
 supposed he had left the city ; and, for a long 
 time, nothing was heard of him.
 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 " Onward, onward, will wo press 
 Through the path of duty ; 
 
 VlRTPK IS TRUE HAPPINESS, 
 
 EXCEI.I.KXCK TRUE BEAUTY ', 
 
 Delve we now for richer gems 
 Than the stars of diadems. " 
 
 MOHTGOMERY. 
 
 " Victor, " said Mr. Gray, as they rose from 
 the breakfast table, one morning in the begin- 
 ning of winter ; '' I want to speak with you 
 a few minutes. Go to my chamber, if you 
 please ; I will be there in a moment. ' : 
 
 " You know, I suppose, " said Mr. Gray, as 
 he entered, and shut the door, " that by the 
 terms of my agreement with your mother, I am 
 to give you six months of schooling, in addition 
 to that you have already had. Now I am so 
 well assured of your good influence over my 
 son, that I wi>h you to attend school with him. 
 Therefore I shall not send you to the public 
 school. You are now nineteen, I believe ; ami 
 you will attend to such studies as will be most 
 useful to you, in the business you intend to fol- 
 13
 
 146 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 low. I owe this to you, Victor ; and more 
 than this. Indeed, I shall always feel that any 
 opportunity to serve you, will be a privilege ; 
 for never, never, Victor, shall I cease to be in- 
 debted to you. " He paused as if utterance 
 were checked by strong feeling ; and then ad- 
 ded, " You are very near, and dear to me, 
 Victor. You have talents of a high order. 
 You will rise to eminence in your business ; 
 and a proud thought will it be to me, that I 
 have so far served my country, and the age in 
 which I live, as to have been of the smallest 
 assistance to you. " 
 
 Victor was more touched by the kind expres- 
 sion of esteem, and encouragement, than by the 
 extravagance of the eulogy. 
 
 "Mr. Wilmot, the teacher, I have chosen fop 
 you, " resumed the other, " is a proficient in 
 drawing, and thoroughly understands the sci- 
 ence of Architecture. He has been a practi- 
 cal mechanic ; but was obliged, on account of 
 ill health, to relinquish the practice of the art 
 he loved, for a less laborious profession ; and 
 may his mantle fall upon you, my dear boy. " 
 
 " I hope I shall be grateful, as I ought to be ; 
 returned the delighted youth. " Indeed, I think 
 my happiness my good fortune is greater 
 than I deserve. "
 
 THE MECII \MC. 
 
 147 
 
 The good which our own merit fairly earns, 
 should not be called fortune, Victor. I believe, 
 unless the event becomes inverted by accident, 
 that good causes will always produce good ef- 
 fects. You have earned all I can do for you 
 and more nobly earned it. But if you think 
 there is yet any thing due to me, shew your 
 gratitude in the improvement you make in 
 the example you <_ r ive. Your term commences 
 on Monday. " 
 
 Nothing could exceed the delight of Robert 
 when he learned this arrangement. He sang, 
 danced, embraced his father, kissed his mother 
 and sisters ; and, finally, put the climax on his 
 -. by turning a complete wait/, with the 
 happy Victor ; bumming all the while, to the 
 nni-ic of his own grateful and loving heart: 
 
 ' " \Vf liavr lii'i-n .'ml togelluT, 
 Oil ! \\ hat shall part us IM\V. 
 
 The school into which our hero was intro- 
 duced \\;i.s composed of youth bi'lniuring to 
 the very (file of the city ; but Mr. Gray had 
 taken care that lh teach ;-, at h a,t. should be 
 favoiali' d towards the apprentice boy. 
 
 Those who wen- at first inclined to (real him 
 with contempt soon found that he was fully 
 able to -iHta'm him-elf ; and that he stood upon 
 more than equal terms with the very best of
 
 148 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 them ; and Mr. Wilmot himself was not long 
 in perceiving that his new pupil had character 
 and genius of no common order. Some there 
 were, who, for a time attempted to look down 
 upon our hero ; but he was always so lofty in 
 his own consciousness of right so perfectly 
 erect and true-hearted, as to render this exceed- 
 ingly difficult. Victor was too entirely engaged 
 in his own pursuits to heed them ; and when 
 obliged to notice any thing, he cast aside their 
 futile attempts at ridicule, with as much quiet 
 dignity as was manifested by Uncle Toby, 
 when he brushed the impertinent fly from his 
 nose. He did not, for some time, attempt to 
 join in their sports ; but during recess, enquired 
 more particularly into his lessons, conversed 
 with his teacher, or took a short walk with 
 Robert, who generously determined to share 
 his friend's fortune, whatever it might be. 
 There was a gymnasium at the academy of his 
 native village ; and in every exercise taught 
 there, Victor had excelled ; but now, if he 
 went out with the boys at all, he was content 
 to be a quiet spectator ; for he saw that some 
 of them considered him an inferior ; and, being 
 a stranger, his own pride compelled him to 
 keep aloof, until their opinion should be cor- 
 rected.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 149 
 
 However, the little state within a well con- 
 ducted school (I say WELL conducted) must be 
 a Republic ; for there every one must stand 
 upon the foundation of his own merits, and 
 upon nothing else. Our scholars, too, are gen- 
 erally, pure democrats, except perhaps the mere 
 shadow of some prejudices caught at home : 
 for the very reason, that, from their age, the} 
 have not, as yet, been called upon to set their 
 names in the False Statute Book which the 
 world imposes. They have not, as yet, sur- 
 rendered their honest individuality, to be shaped 
 according to the selfish policy of ambitious, but 
 narrow-souled parents, in the distorted mould of 
 Fashion. They have not as yet bowed them- 
 selves down, and laid the rights of Free Will, 
 of Independent Thought and Action, upon the 
 altar of the Modern Dagon, FASHIONABLE So- 
 (. IJ:TY. which, like the fabled Hydra, thrusts 
 forth its many heads, hissing now this way, 
 now that, at every thing which has one particle 
 of Nature, or of Truth. 
 
 Character will, sooner or later, always assert 
 its proper sway, and attain its just due ; and 
 the tendency to this will be strong, in propor- 
 tion to the truthfulness of the parties. Now 
 this state (that of truthfulness) to our shame 
 btj it spoken is, and I fear must be for a long 
 13*
 
 150 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 time, purest in tbe young. Therefore it was 
 not long before Victor was not only admitted 
 as an equal, but welcomed as a favorite. 
 
 The character of Robert, thus intimately and 
 lovingly subjected, as it was, to good influences, 
 began to be developed in an entirely new, and 
 most favorable direction. He had always been 
 remarkable for great quickness of parts, which 
 enabled him, hitherto, with very slight applica- 
 tion, to hold an equal place among his young 
 competitors ; but now that he was warmed by 
 a newly created taste a pure love of science, 
 and nerved by conscience, to redeem the time, 
 and the character, he had thrown away, and 
 lost ; his progress was truly astonishing. But 
 with these habits, was developed, also, a ten- 
 dency to disease, founded in the delicate organ- 
 ization, which is too often the concomitant of 
 genius ; that, along with the pride, the admira- 
 tion of his -friends, awoke, also, their most anx- 
 ious fears. 
 
 It may be proper to mention here that the 
 promise made to the venerable Mr. Handy, 
 was redeemed. Parkhurst, either through fear 
 or shame, was prevailed upon to pay the whole 
 debt he owed him ; and the money was care- 
 fully deposited by Mr. Filbrook. Nor was this 
 all ; the family of the good old man, his worthy
 
 THE MECHANIC. 151 
 
 wife, and lovely grandaughter, were called upon 
 li Mr-, and Miss Gray, and invited to visit 
 them not in a patronizing, but in a truly 
 social and friendly manner ; for it was a princi- 
 ple with them nay it was a spontaneous 
 mode of action to encourage, and love, and 
 honor, real goodness, irrespective of the acci- 
 dental circumstances which might surround it. 
 
 The winter, in passing, left its full fruition 
 of good to our hero. With a craving earnest- 
 ness of appetite for knowledge, he gathered up 
 even the fragments ; and nothing was lost. 
 But as the reasoning powers were more and 
 more developed, his Religious Belief hecame 
 somewhat unsettled. Many things which had 
 always appeared well established, now seemed 
 doubtful. In longing earnestness of soul he 
 sought the Reasons of many things ; but no 
 satisfying response came from the deep chasm 
 of Doubt, which he had uncovered within him- 
 self. Yet in this, also, he was true ; and the 
 whole process of emnJry was so gradual, that, 
 for a long time, it did not all, or at least sensi- 
 bly, all'tct his happiness. It was merely the 
 action of a strong and energetic mind seeking 
 the seal and signature of Truth ; yet in doing 
 this penetrating, it may be thought by the
 
 152 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 common mind, somewhat too deeply scanning, 
 perhaps, somewhat too closely. It should be 
 remembered, in pronouncing upon the honest 
 Doubter, that what is conviction to one mind, 
 can, by no means, be such to another ; and 
 this last may be, in all things, by far the higher 
 order. The grand mischief with the mass of 
 unbelievers is, that they are NOT honest that 
 they are not seeking Truth, but Error that 
 they do not, conscientiously, wish to find out, 
 and embrace the True ; but merely to pick 
 out flaws and patches on the fair face of Real- 
 ity, watching always, lest, peradventure, False- 
 hood may be concealed there ; which is a spirit 
 of Paul-Pryism so entirely unworthy the mo- 
 mentous question it is brought to bear upon, 
 that it can never result in good : neither will it 
 ever be practised by the true, honest, upright 
 soul. But of these things no man may judge 
 of his brother ; but only of himself ; for has 
 not each a Thought, and a Conscience of his 
 own ; and who shall say if he be true to these, 
 or not, save himself only ? If he be true, shall 
 he not stand? And if he be NOT true, let us 
 leave him with an Unerring and Righteous 
 Judge. The sanctuary of another man's Opin- 
 ion, no foreign power has a right to invade ;
 
 THE MECHANIC. 153 
 
 but let us each look to his own, and measure, 
 and weigh it, carefully ; to see if its propor- 
 tions are just to learn if it be true. 
 
 We now pass over a gap of several years. 
 Tlii^r had gone by clad in the variously cheq- 
 uered garments of weal and wo, which this 
 Proteus- World is wont to fashion. The ripen- 
 ed manhood of Victor had more than redeemed 
 die promise of his early youth. With mind, 
 and heart, and feelings, strong, deep-toned, and 
 vigorous with physical, mental, and moral 
 capabilities, developed in due proportion, came, 
 naturally enough associated, genius of a high 
 and healthy order. Regarding labor not only 
 as a duty, but as a privilege and blessing 
 being that condition which is absolutely essen- 
 tial to the developement of the perfect man 
 lir lo\vd his art, and labored in it with the 
 fervor of a free and true soul. A few noble 
 spirits, who, having detected the Reality in 
 theniM-lves, were capable of understanding and 
 appreciating it in others, were gathered about 
 him a charm-ed circle, wherein the morning 
 Sun of Truth, shone, with the promise of yet 
 reveal! n" himself in the, fulness of his noontide 
 
 O 
 
 splendor ! For there are a few, thank Heaven! 
 a noble few! even now even here who 
 have not bowed down to the popular Divinities
 
 154 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 of Fashion, nor worshipped the Images which 
 are set up in the temple of the modern Baal 
 ARISTOCRACY. These have not offered the 
 God-enkindled incense of their MANHOOD, be- 
 fore an Indian Ship, a Yard-stick, a Gallipot, a 
 bundle of Briefs ; nor even a Pulpit-Cushion ! 
 A few there are who now believe what the 
 Many what All must, ere long, believe and 
 see that the Living Spirit of Man, which 
 God fashioned, is better than a heap of Yellow 
 Dust, though it bear the name of Gold better 
 than a pile of Brick and Mortar, though it rise 
 above the height of Babel better than any 
 square measure, pf Earth, be it small or great ; 
 believing this, they have no place in their affec- 
 tions for perishable matter ; but grasp with the 
 far-reaching arms of undying Love the one 
 Actual Truth THE BROTHER SOUL ! Can 
 such a one feel any resentment towards the 
 poor mistaken one, who undervalues, possibly 
 despises him, simply because he cannot reach 
 he does not know him ? Who would not 
 pity that visual hallucination, which could mis- 
 take the dark spots, or even the brilliant clouds 
 which sometimes overshadow the Sun, for the 
 Sun himself? 
 
 Beautiful, in its entire truth, and trustingness, 
 was the friendship between Victor and Robert ;
 
 THE MECHANIC* 155 
 
 and with singular felicity were the excesses of 
 one character, adapted to the wants of the 
 other. The genius of Victor was, unquestion- 
 ably, of the most healthy and vigorous order ; 
 for his mind was more truly balanced than that 
 of Robert ; but he had not the far-reaching 
 imagination which distinguished the latter ; 
 while lie had the great advantage of superior 
 reasoning and controlling power. Robert had, 
 in short, the loftiest poetic feeling not that 
 he wrote verses, for to the deep, and wild, and 
 beautiful Thoughts within him, no words could 
 give utterance. He wrote not, indeed, but he 
 interpreted he read he felt what is writ- 
 ten in the Book of Nature, which was to him 
 an infinite Volume of Mystery and Beauty. 
 The loftiest and the purest poetry, though it 
 has never been written, yet it cannot be lost ; 
 but when the grossness of mortality shall have 
 melted away, it will be revealed, wrought upon 
 the elements of tin- undying soul, in the mystic 
 characters of Eternity. 
 
 Though Robert seldom attempted to embody 
 his thoughts, lie created to himself a world of 
 free and happy existences of pure and exalt- 
 ed spirits until his own soul, won, as it were, 
 from the Sensual, and absorbed in the Spiritual, 
 held by a very slight tenure, the bond which is
 
 156 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 miscalled Life. Meanwhile his health was so 
 delicate that no profession was even thought 
 of ; until, at length, a voyage at sea was pre- 
 scribed by the physician, whom his anxious 
 friends had consulted, as the only probable 
 means of saving, or even of prolonging his exis- 
 tence. Then it was that the long cherished 
 hope of Victor that of studying the deeper 
 mysteries of his art among the classic models of 
 Greece and Rome ripened into a determina- 
 tion. He had, during the two years of his 
 majority, accumulated a sufficient sum to defray 
 his expenses and, prompted alike by friend- 
 ship, and the hope of improvement, he gladly 
 accepted Mr. Gray's earnest request for him to 
 accompany his son. In short, the voyage was 
 determined on, and the passage engaged : but 
 we must go back to a period about six months 
 prior to this, in order to relate circumstances 
 which are essential to our story : all or a 
 part of which may be found in the next chapter.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 " If to her share some female errors fall, 
 Look on her face, and you'll forget them all. " 
 
 POPE. 
 
 WITH your permission, gentle reader, we 
 introduce again our old friend, Thomas Stan- 
 ton ; not now a green boy, but a full-fashioned 
 man ; and what is more, to most persons, a 
 physician of high standing and great promise ; 
 he having changed the profession of the Law 
 for that of Medicine. It was plain that some 
 serious reflections occupied his mind, as he 
 passed through the busy streets of M., which, 
 from a small manufacturing village, had rapidly 
 grown to be a thronged and populous town. 
 The locality of M. was, or rather had been, 
 one of those quiet, picturesque spots, where 
 the wood-nymph might wreathe her bower 
 seeing nought to make her afraid, or the 
 Naiad gern her grotto, hearing nought but the 
 liquid melodies of her own delicious warblings, 
 accompanied by the ever-breathing harmony of 
 her tributary waters. But the envious eye of 
 14
 
 158 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 Utility saw only a fall in the dashing and foam- 
 ing waters ; when lo ! as if at the touch of an 
 enchanter's wand, huge piles of brick and stone 
 arose amid the beauty man usurped the do- 
 minion of Nature, setting up his works where 
 had been only those of God ; and his clanking 
 hammers, and sounding anvils, and dashing 
 wheels profaned the lovely solitude. The syl- 
 van deities fled, giving place to mere spinners 
 and weavers, and the banks where naiades had 
 sported became thronged with pale and meager 
 children, whose tufted locks, and linty garments, 
 told they were of that unfortunate, but, as it is 
 believed, necessary class of wights, who minister 
 in cotton mills. In short our village was fast 
 getting to be a town of no mean aspect ; and 
 among those who had grown up, and strength- 
 ened with it, one of the most fortunate was 
 Anthony Thompson, Esq. This gentleman, in 
 early youth, had been apprenticed to a black- 
 smith, in whose business he became a proficient. 
 Afterwards he added the machine-making busi- 
 ness to his original calling : and, subsequently, 
 be entered largely into manufactures ; in which 
 he was successful beyond his most sanguine 
 hopes. At the age of fifty he had the singular 
 good fortune (so the lady, herself, then, and 
 afterwards, assured him) to find, what is so
 
 THF. MKfHANlC. 159 
 
 seldom found hero, a young lady of family. 
 So, he married the daughter of an unfortunate 
 English gentleman, who died on a visit to this 
 country, leaving his t\vo daughters penniless. 
 Young, I said the lady was so she called 
 herself; though on the verge of forty; and 
 with JUT came a sister some five or six years 
 younger, who had not married, as she often 
 said, because, in this most unfortunate country, 
 there was not a single gentleman of rank, so 
 high-minded, and chivalrous as ever to pro- 
 to the lady a change of names, we may 
 add. She fell into hysterics at the first intima- 
 tion of her si-ter's engagement ; and she wept 
 three consecutive days and nights before, and 
 
 lany after the wedding, \ot\\ithstanding 
 all this, she became, very soon, so far recon- 
 ciled, as to honor the house of the Ex-mechanic,* 
 by residing in it ; and himself by accepting a 
 support. Hut of these matters anon. 
 
 Tliom;i> Stanton drew near the house of this 
 same Anthony Thompson, of whom his mother 
 
 the yoti:i_> ~; ~Ut>T. It WU a truly mag* 
 nilicent edifice, worthy to be the dwelling of a 
 prince, and was situated in the suburbs of the 
 to\vn, where .Nature still vied with Art, and, in 
 some de^ rted her ancient s\\ay. But
 
 160 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 now all things were shrouded in the garments 
 of winter ; and the house, itself, was far the 
 most interesting portion of the scene. Beauti- 
 ful piazzas of Doric architecture were on the 
 eastern, western, and southern fronts ; and the 
 fine white. columns still sustained the leafless 
 stems of the many creepers, which, in more 
 genial seasons, wreathed them with bonds of 
 beauty. But we detain our friend too long this 
 cold morning, from the hospitable fire. We 
 will presently admit him, and thee too kind 
 reader, if it be only to warm thy fingers after 
 the cheerless way we have been taking thee 
 and prating of scenery, too, when thy ears, 
 despite of fur and exercise, were stinging with 
 this whistling north-wester. 
 
 The cogitative mood in which we have hint- 
 ed Stanton was indulging, seemed to strengthen 
 as he drew near the house ; and a feeling of 
 uneasiness of doubt, of fear, perhaps, became 
 mingled with his reflections. A somewhat hes- 
 itating pull of the bell, called a spruce servant 
 to the door ; and the enquiry of, " Is Miss 
 Thompson at home ? " was answered in the 
 affirmative. The next moment a light step 
 came tripping down the spiral stairs ; and, " Is 
 that you, coz ! " said Bella Thompson, before
 
 THE MECHANIC. 161 
 
 she came in sight ; and when she did appear, 
 even her cousin was struck with her dazzling 
 beauty, familiar as it was. 
 
 ' Why, Bell ! you have grown very upon 
 my word you are you know what, Bell, as 
 well as I do ! " 
 
 " Fie, Tom ! I had rather shake your fur 
 mitten, than such an icy hand ! You freeze 
 me ! " 
 
 " Then I'll warm you again, by giving a 
 harder shake ! " and the action was speedily 
 suited to the word. 
 
 " Be merciful, gentle cousin ! Remember 
 dislocated joints would be very bad at the party 
 to-morrow ! This is what I get by waiving 
 ceremony, and running down stairs in my 
 morning dress ! But I'll pay you for it, some 
 time never fear ; " and she tossed back her 
 pretty head, flinging away from the glowing 
 cheek, and fair hands, a cluster of dark ringlets, 
 discovering by the act, two eyes of as deep 
 and melting blue, as ever played at hide-and- 
 seek with the touched and stirring heart. Mis- 
 chievous they were, and naughty-looking at 
 times ; with perhaps a light shadow of wilful- 
 ness : and yet, beneath all this, lay a spirit of 
 tenderness forever welling up amid their depths 
 14*
 
 162 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 of liquid azure, that might touch and soften any 
 heart. 
 
 " I claim my right, Bell ! said Stanton. 
 " Remember my good old rule, cousins may 
 kiss any time ; but when they meet most 
 especially. " 
 
 " Nay, Tom, you stretch this cousinly pre- 
 rogative almost too far and I will run 
 away ! " 
 
 No, no, you must not ! " said he, gently de- 
 taining her. " I have some news to tell you. " 
 
 ' Well, what is it ? Has aunt's tortoise-shell 
 tabby had another fit ; or has some mischance 
 alighted on your beautiful iron gray ? " 
 
 "Pshaw! no. I have been thinking " 
 
 " That is news indeed ! Pray what has 
 occasioned so wonderful a phenomenon ? " 
 
 " Fie, Bell ! you half put me out of pa- 
 tience ! I have something to say to you. May 
 we be alone a few minutes in the parlor ? " 
 
 " No ; father, and mother, and aunt, and 
 Leon, and Pruny, and Polly, and the gold 
 fishes, and all the rest of the family are there ; 
 so if you would really be particularly private, 
 come to the library. But if you mean to offer 
 yourself, Tom, I can save you the trouble of 
 going up stairs. Just step in, and speak to
 
 THE MECHANIC. 163 
 
 father ; for you must know, coz, that my con- 
 sent would come, free, gratis, for nothing, as 
 Mr. Synonyme would say. " 
 
 "And pray, how is your old lover? since 
 you have forced the enquiry on me. " Thus 
 saying he drew her arm through his, and as- 
 cended to the library ; which the reader will 
 please to believe was fitted up in a style of 
 simple elegance according well with the char- 
 acter of its mistress, not forgetting the beauti- 
 fully arranged herbariums, the exquisite little 
 cabinet of shells, and the valuable one of 
 minerals, with various minor matters in the 
 shape of curious productions of nature, or of art ; 
 we must add to thi-^ some pictures selected witli 
 much taste and judgment, a guitar, and a harp. 
 
 " Shall I play an air while you are collecting 
 your tin id. taking down her 
 
 guitar, and running her fingers over the strings. 
 
 \o, not now. I am not in musical mood 
 sorry to be so ungallant. But never mind 
 -it you down by this good fire, and we will 
 talk over matters in a social, cousinly way. 
 Do you remember VictoV Hyde. Hell ?" 
 
 Victor Hyile":" shelvpeatecl, witli a slight 
 blush ; and why should ILnot. He was the 
 finest scholar at A. unless T except my cousin 
 her.
 
 164 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " No exceptions, gentle coz. Victor Hyde 
 was the best scholar in school and the very 
 best fellow out of school, I have ever had the 
 good fortune to meet. " 
 
 "So you have often told me and, I may 
 add, the very best companion in a botanical ex- 
 cursion, that ever escorted me. Grew the plant 
 never so high, or never so far, it was reached, 
 and brought, as if his simple will, had been to 
 him an enchanter's wand. He would scale 
 cliffs, and compass floods, as determinately, and 
 as naturally, as if to surmount obstacles were 
 fulfiling a law of his nature. Many's the time 
 I have sighed for those good old days for his 
 quick foot, and ready hand, when under the 
 scort of a file of tightly laced, sandal-shod, city' 
 beaux. Then, too, he learned as if by intui- 
 tion. Botany was not a school study with him. 
 He took it .up merely for his own amusement, 
 and only pursued it during leisure hours ; yet, 
 for my life, I could not get before him. " 
 
 " Yes, coz ; and there were many sly jokes 
 among the boys, as there were, I doubt not, 
 among the girls, with regard to this same devo- 
 tion to the same stuuy, with all the tete-a-tete 
 rambles, it naturally enough brought on. It 
 was considered quite ominous, at least. " 
 
 " Fie, Tom J " she replied, again blushing.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 165 
 
 " I was a mere child then. Bui to what does 
 all this tend ? " 
 
 " I loved Victor. " 
 
 " I am aware of that. " 
 
 " I love him still. " 
 
 " I do not doubt you, " 
 
 We have corresponded for several years, 
 and he writes admirably. " 
 
 " So I should think. But for what is all this 
 preamble ? " 
 
 " Victor is in town. " 
 
 ' In town ? " 
 
 " Yes, his partner, Mr. Gray, has lately re- 
 moved here. " 
 
 " What is his business ? " 
 
 " He is a carpenter. " 
 
 " A carpenter, Tom ! you astonish me ! " 
 
 " It is even so. But why do you express so 
 much surprise, Bell } " 
 
 Why I thought his mother intended him 
 for a profession. " 
 
 " She did ; but Victor disappointed her by 
 choosing one of the fine arts as most inc-n 
 of genius do; and I know of no profession 
 that will give freer, bolder scope to his peculiar 
 talent than the noble science of Architecture. " 
 
 " You talk strangely enough, Tom. " 
 
 " I am sorry you think so, "
 
 166 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 i; Why ? " 
 
 " Because I have a favor to ask of you. " 
 
 " Name it. " 
 
 " I wish to introduce Victor into our circle ; 
 not that. I think he would he at all honored by 
 the admission ; but from a more selfish motive 
 than tbat I value his society more highly 
 than that of the whole company beside ; and 
 therefore I want to multiply the chances of 
 meeting him. " 
 
 " Are you crazy, Tom ? This, of all your 
 freaks, caps the climax ! So you have really 
 turned patron to a carpenter ! " 
 
 " Patron ! " he repeated, contemptuously ; 
 " whoever stands in the presence of Victor 
 Hyde would be able to think very little of 
 patronage ; unless, indeed, it were on his own 
 account. " 
 
 " You talk very strangely, Tom ! A car- 
 penter admitted into our society ! Impossible, 
 Tom ! Only think of it ! There is not one 
 of our acquaintances would consent to it ! " 
 
 " By Jove ! they shall consent to it ; or 
 their number shall be one the less ! " 
 
 " Is it possible, Tom, that you ! a young 
 physician of agreeable person, gentlemanly 
 bearing, fine talents, good family, and the pros-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 167 
 
 pect of a large fortune, should, voluntarily, 
 associate yourself with a carpenter? " 
 
 " Whatever I am, Bella Thompson, be 
 assured that I am proud to own Victor Hyde 
 as my bosom friend ; and where he may not be 
 admitted, there will I not go mark me if 
 it be to this very house ! But what intrinsic 
 advantage have I, which he has not ? In per- 
 son am not half his equal ; in talent far 
 inferior ; in family, even, not superior ; and, as 
 to fortune, Victor Hyde need look to no father 
 for that with a head to plan, and a hand to 
 do ; with industry, character, genius, he, him- 
 self, will ho the father to his own fortune. He 
 will not only win fortune, hut reputation, such 
 as our pui-ue puerile gentlemen never dreamed 
 of, much less thought of acquiring ! " 
 
 You an- enthusiastic." 
 
 " You will not think so, when you see 
 Victor. " 
 
 He was a beautiful and refined, as well as 
 intellectual hoy, I remember. Hut. associating, 
 as he must have done, with mechanics, must 
 have made him rough, vulgar, and low-bred." 
 
 You have sense, Bell. Let it have its 
 way. Do you call your father rough, vulgar, 
 and low-bred ? Forgive me, Bell ! " he said, 
 as she blushed, and was turning away, half
 
 168 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 angryly. " Forgive me, coz ; but the only way 
 to judge correctly in these things, is to bring 
 them home to us. Were this always done, we 
 should find so many sore spots on ourselves, as 
 to make us rather more careful than we are, of 
 wounding others. To speak plainly, then, I 
 see no reason why a blacksmith's daughter 
 should pretend to look down upon a car- 
 penter. " 
 
 " Well, Tom ! here's my hand. I had half 
 a mind to be angry , but now I think better of 
 it. I will consider your proposition. In the 
 mean time, I think that some allowance ought 
 to be made for the influences to which I have 
 been subjected. " 
 
 " But you have been subjected to enough of 
 good influence, to make you, even lovely as 
 you are. That noble aunt of ours is worthy 
 to train an angel ! " Stanton alluded to a sister 
 of Mr. Thompson, who had had the principal 
 care of the education of her niece. " But 
 listen, coz ! " he continued ; " Victor will be 
 at Mr. Filbrook's ; or rather at Mrs. Penning- 
 ton's to-morrow night ; and you must meet as 
 friends ; for the success of my plan, in a great 
 measure, rests with you. " 
 
 " How with me ? " 
 
 " My reason for thinking so is established on
 
 THE MECHANIC. 169 
 
 three pretty good pillars ; and your own will in 
 the matter will make the fourth. You are a 
 beauty, a belle, and a fortune. But nonsense ! 
 overy pretty, much more every beautiful woman 
 knows her power : the worst of it is she is 
 prone to abuse it. You know, Bell, that you 
 have the blessed privilege of acting your own 
 pleasure ; and if it should please you to be 
 civil to your old friend and school-fellow, who 
 may say you nay ? " 
 
 " But do be merciful, coz ! You surely 
 would not have me throw aside all dignity ! " 
 
 " By no means. I have always thought 
 digi.ity real dignity very becoming, es- 
 pecially in a fine young lady ; and now it will 
 enable you to meet some rebuff, without 
 shrinking. Shall I bring Victor here to-night, 
 or would you rather meet him first in a full 
 paru 
 
 " I hardly know. It will be less awkward 
 to me there ; and less awkward to him here. " 
 
 "Decide, if you please. I have an engage- 
 ment, and must be gone. Don't think I am 
 asking you to act the patroness. You would 
 find that pretty hard, I can tell you. Neither 
 do I ask it for his sake. He would spurn the 
 ttention that was not perfectly voluntary. 
 But I ask you to be civil to him, for my sake 
 15
 
 170 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 and for yours " he added, in a low and some- 
 what mysterious key " You would most cer- 
 tainly " 
 
 Would what Tom ? " 
 
 " Never mind. Shall T bring him to-night ?" 
 
 " Let me think. There is my mantua-maker 
 to attend to ; and I am partly engaged at a 
 concert ; and mother's cap I have promised to 
 re-model for the party to-morrow, and . " 
 
 " Well ? " 
 
 " I will see him to-night. " 
 
 " That's right, my sweet cousin ! Dare to 
 listen to the dictates of your own generous 
 heart attend to the counsel of your own good 
 reason call up, and cherish, the inspiration 
 of your better angel, that noble Aunt ; and you 
 will be safe, even amid the hollow mazes of 
 vanity and folly, you are doomed to tread. 
 Now, sweet cousin, I must run away ; but 
 sometime ere long, I will enact the confessor ; 
 and hear from your own true lips how fares 
 that gentle heart of thine, amid the many sieges 
 it has, of late, been called to sustain. " 
 
 "Free, cousin! mine free, as the moun- 
 tain winds free, as the freest thought ! But 
 stop a moment, and tell me of the bride. How 
 happens it, that when she has lived all her life 
 in Bostoni people never found out before, that
 
 THE MECHANIC. 171 
 
 she is the most beautiful, the most accomplish- 
 ed, the most elegant the most perfect lady 
 that ever blessed our longing eyes ; in short, 
 that slu; is lib> the poet's Miranda, 'made of 
 every creature's best. ' One would think, in- 
 deed, that all her acts were queens, such a 
 lustre accompanies whatever she does ; but 
 how is it that the world has just seen fit to 
 crown them, with its all-gracious approbation ?" 
 
 1 will tell you. Before her marriage, Mrs. 
 Talbot was a carpenter's daughter. Now, she 
 is a Lawyer's wife. " 
 
 " You astonish me more and more ! Your 
 friend Talbot one of the most unexceptiona- 
 ble matches in the whole country, descending 
 to marry a carpenter's daughter! '' 
 
 You have seen Ednah do you think it 
 really a descent to love, and marry her ? " 
 
 Why you know I thought her an enchant- 
 ing creature, as far as herself was concerned, " 
 
 Who eUe. pray, has any right to be con- 
 cerned : " 
 
 "You understand me well enough. What- 
 ever the girl might be, herself, if her lather was 
 a carpenter, I do not see how a gentleman ever 
 raine to think of marrying her." 
 
 How much worse is a carpenter's daughter,
 
 172 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 than a blacksmith's daughter ? It seems to me 
 that the Chip is much the nicer man . " 
 
 " There it is again. You know father never 
 never worked long. He has been entirely a 
 gentleman for these great many years. You 
 know it is very different, Tom ! Why will 
 you teaze me so ? " 
 
 " Because you deserve it. " 
 
 " Nay, now, I '11 retaliate ! I believe there 
 must be an under current of vulgarity, running 
 below all this fine appearance. I shall look 
 out. " 
 
 " Take care, Bell ; or I shall administer 
 truth in such doses as will not be agreeable, if 
 they are wholesome, I tell you, then, that the 
 advantages of home education (and they are 
 by far, the most important) which you have en- 
 joyed, may not compare with those of Ednah 
 Gray ; for the very reason that your mother, in 
 point of education, temper, talents, or real dig- 
 nity of character, does not deserve to be men- 
 tioned in the same day with hers. Forgive me, 
 gentle cousin. You have virtues ; and they 
 are all the better for being entirely your own. " 
 
 " I know I understand you, Tom, " she 
 replied, after having tried to pout a little. " So. 
 I am taking my first lesson in Radicalism ? "
 
 THE MECHANIC. 173 
 
 " In common sense, you had better say. " 
 
 " No, Tom, in the most uncommon sense. 
 But what kind of a scholar shall I make ? " 
 
 " Capital, I doubt not. You will surpass 
 your teacher, ere long, I dare say. But tell 
 me again, coz, is your heart really unpledged, 
 untouched, as yet ! " 
 
 " Entirely so. " And putting her hand in 
 his, as he rose to go, with that delicate confid- 
 ingness of manner, that goes so directly to the 
 heart, she added, " I have no secret for you, 
 coz : " and, imprinting, unforbidden, a kiss on 
 her fair cheek, he left her alone. 
 
 15*
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 " Think not of it, THY STATE is NOT THYSELF. 
 Let mean souls, highly ranked, look down on thee, 
 As the poor dwarf perched on a pedestal, 
 O'erlooks the giant. ' Tis not worth a thought. 
 
 ****** 
 Shame seize me, if I would not rather be 
 The man thou art, than court-created chief, 
 Known only by the dates of his promotion. " 
 
 JOANNA BAILLIE. 
 
 For some minutes after the departure of her 
 cousin, Bell remained silent. Both her hands, 
 (they, at least, in no-wise seemed to have any 
 memory of the blacksmith's shop,) were clasped 
 before her. There was an evident uneasiness in 
 her thoughts, which, presently, took the form 
 of soliloquy. 
 
 " What a strange fellow that cousin is ! He 
 is forever drawing me into some difficulty ; and 
 always with a plausible reason ! Victor was 
 handsome, intelligent, captivating ; as all the 
 girls knew ; and I remember with quite suffic- 
 ient distinctness. But what is all that now ? 
 He is a carpenter. He used to be aspiring. 
 How can he have so little ambition ? He must
 
 THE MECHANIC. 175 
 
 be changed. Tom says he is improved ; but 
 his opinion, in such matters, goes for nothing. 
 I remember once he discovered the highest in- 
 tellectual beauty, in a blind, itinerant fiddler ; 
 at another time he went into raptures over the 
 grace and elegance of a sweep ; and I verily 
 believe he was determined to make me in love 
 with a young dray-man ! Then he is so inde- 
 pendent so entirely free from the prejudices 
 that fetter other people. He is not fit for fash- 
 ionable life. But this old beau I have a 
 great curiosity to see him ! What if he should 
 presume No, he will never think of renewing 
 that childish partiality. Fie! I wonder if he 
 will see any change in me ! " and tossing off 
 her curls again, and lifting her fine head with 
 the air of a queen, she surveyed herself a mo- 
 ment in the pier glass opposite ; and a wiser 
 than she might be forgiven the brief exultation ; 
 for a fairer image has seldom been reflected in 
 mortal habitation ! Yet, most beautiful Isabel- 
 la, yet ait thou changed, and mournfully too 
 i more than in the perfection of thine own 
 lovely exterior. Truth and Nature, as in most 
 instances, have not been quite sacrificed to 
 Falsehood and Art ; for there was too deep sin- 
 cerity in thy own truthful and loving heart, to 
 be satisfied with the mere semblance of things ;
 
 176 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 yet much is there of mockery, much that is 
 quite hollow as the throned Monitor within, 
 is continually telling thee. But the refining 
 fire is coming to thee, also ; when the chaff, 
 and the tares, shall be burnt up together ; until 
 only the good wheat shall be left. 
 
 Bella Thompson had really many frailties 
 lurking in her sweet human nature ;.and if she 
 were not quite spoiled, in having been the ob- 
 ject of injudicious, almost unbounded indul- 
 gence, it only proves that genuine goodness, 
 like Gold, is indestructible. Nature meant her 
 for a lofty and noble for a right truthful char- 
 acter ; and although weak Indulgence, and idle 
 Vanity, were not strong enough to overthrow 
 yet they thwarted the design. Our heroine 
 was proud, dominating, perhaps vain, as a belle 
 at twenty might naturally be. But enough of 
 this ; character is best shown in action. 
 
 The evening came. Bell, without having 
 made her toilet with unusual care, still kept 
 finding the not perhaps unwonted thought, of 
 how do I look ? strangely enough intruding 
 upon her. Let us to the parlor. A magnifi- 
 cent grate, piled with glowing anthracite, gave 
 an air of comfort to the richly furnished apart- 
 ment. In a large, comfortable, lolling chair, 
 sat Mr. Thompson, with one foot' carefully de-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 177 
 
 posited on an ottoman ; for he was but just 
 recovering from an attack of inflammatory 
 rheumatism ; or, as his lady would have it, 
 the gout. He was a One-looking old man, 
 with the word of command, the power to shape 
 de<tinie-. written on his bold open brow. You 
 could hardly think him more than seventy. 
 On another ottoman, close by his well side, sat 
 his daughter his hope and idol reading the 
 last Review aloud to him. She was dressed 
 like a little Quakeress, rather than a belle, so 
 exquisitely neat was her attire a plain black 
 silk dress, surmounted by a white muslin caped 
 apron, trimmed with a narrow frill neatly 
 crimped, made a costume particularly becoming 
 to her finely rounded little figure, and fair com- 
 plexion. One arm rested on a richly carved 
 
 ood table; while a large argand lamp 
 threw it< beamy-giving lustre on her fair cheek, 
 and heightened the proud flush of her dark eye. 
 On the other hand sat Aunt Augusta, a piim- 
 looking, lady-like personage, uneasy in mind, 
 and re-tie--; in body, engaged in netting. Her 
 few gray locks were mostly hidden by two 
 large braids of false hair, (which False \va<. a 
 tru- -ymbol,) crowned by a large and elegantly 
 
 ht comb. You would set her down at 
 a glance, as numbering herself among the ex-
 
 178 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 clusives. Her father had been a born-gentle- 
 man ; and not one of her family had ever pro- 
 faned a finger by the touch of any implement, 
 for the purpose of what is vulgarly I should 
 rather say politely called work ; ' notwith- 
 standing her two profligate brothers had died in 
 an English almshouse. Back on a grecian sofa 
 sat Mrs. Thompson, her feet on a beautifully 
 wrought stool ; and her gloved hands folded on 
 her lap. with that nothing-to-do, and nothing 
 to-wish for expression, that showed she was 
 fully practised in the truly lady-like art, of per- 
 fect idleness. On the rug, at the feet of Bell, 
 lay old Leon, a noble Newfoundland dog, with 
 one silvery paw stretched out over the delicate 
 little foot where he nestled : and in the oppo- 
 site corner reposed a large Maltese Cat, on 
 another rug expressly devoted to her ladyship. 
 Presently Leon gave the long, low whine, that 
 announced a coming step ; and the next mo- 
 ment the door-bell rang ; but it was only Miss 
 Simpson the mantua-maker ; and Bella blushed 
 as if half angry with herself, for having risen so 
 hastily. She left the room to attend to Ladies' 
 state business the mighty matter of dress 
 Miss Simpson found her in a very accommoda- 
 ting mood. Several grave faults were not seen 
 several other quite aggravated ones, were
 
 THE MECHANIC. 179 
 
 passed over as hardly worth minding ; and the 
 important personage was dismissed, quite agree- 
 ably disappointed. 
 
 " I have done well to be simple, to-night ; " 
 said the beauty, pausing as what beauty does 
 not before the glass. " I must be merciful ; 
 for. not having been accustomed to society, 
 it would be a thousand pities to disconcert him. 
 I shall be sorry for the poor fellow, I am sure. 
 How dreadfully awkward, and uncomfortable 
 he must feel ! What a pity it is he has seen 
 nothing but Mechanics ! " 
 
 With another quite approving look at her 
 own fair image, she descended to the parlor ; 
 but scarcely was she seated, when Leon started 
 on his feet ; and hiving his head across the lap 
 of his young mistress, uttered a long, thrilling 
 cry. Th -nun tiling peculiar in the 
 
 creature's tone and expression ; and Bell really 
 blushed, as if she felt that he had detected an- 
 other ear watching for a coming step. The 
 hell rang. Dr. Stanton entered, and the 
 girl's eyes berame riveted to the door by a 
 strange fascination : and when a tall, graceful, 
 very handsome, and singularly elegant young 
 man made his appearance, she thought Tom 
 had been quizzing her. The air of the stran- 
 ger was truly noble ; how, then, could lie be a
 
 180 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 Mechanic a mere vulgar working-man, that 
 was doomed to labor with 'his hands ? But, 
 at a second glance, she recognized the well- 
 remembered she had sometimes feared too 
 well remembered, outlines of form and feature 
 peculiar to Victor Hyde. She rose as Thomas 
 led him forward. 
 
 " Bell, I have the pleasure of bringing back 
 to you again, your old friend I need not tell 
 his name, I believe. " 
 
 Was there a coloring of rouge in that thought 
 of bringing back, that they both blushed so 
 deeply ? Bell gave her hand ; but they were 
 silent a moment regarding each other with evi- 
 dent surprise and pleasure. She then turned, 
 and introduced him to her father, as the old 
 friend of whom she had so often spoken. Alas, 
 poor Bell ! she blushed while confessing that 
 she had often spoken of him ; but the blush 
 was for the frequent thought, which she did not 
 confess ! The old gentleman received him 
 right cordially. Mrs. Thompson, as usual, was 
 stately ; and Miss Augusta extended her hand 
 with an indefinable kind of patronizing air, very 
 becoming in a lady of quality ; for she had un- 
 derstood that his family were plain country 
 people, who could support themselves honestly, 
 and, in extreme cases, could, in no wise, prefer,
 
 THK MECHANIC. 181 
 
 \vliat so many of our aristocracy do, a residence 
 in some public Asylum, rather than descend to 
 Labor. This ceremony past, the guests \\ere 
 seated : when Bell eagerly inquired of her 
 
 friends in A , and especially of her dear 
 
 Aunt Louisa, with whom she had resided while 
 there. 
 
 ' She is well ; " replied Victor, " and 1 am 
 happy to say I bring a letter for you. " 
 
 Bell took the letter eagerly ; and saying, 
 " With your leave gentlemen ! " broke the seal, 
 read, and handed it to her father. 
 
 .Mr. Thump-on soon engaged his young guest 
 in conversation ; and, on all the subjects intro- 
 duced, he expres-ed himself so understandingly, 
 and ev< n elegantly : that Bell, who had been 
 watching for some vulgarity, some technical, or 
 cant phrase, \vas thwarted. He did not even 
 r surprised at any thing he saw. He 
 behaved, in short, quite like a well-bred gentle- 
 man. It was i-u-ij ^trange! Mr. Thompson 
 appeared really pleased ; for Victor not only 
 entered into most of bis views, with great spirit; 
 but from that deep-seeing eye of his, reflected 
 ne\\ li-lit upon them. .Mr. Thompson liked 
 this hearty concurrence in most of his views ; 
 for he \va* of a very ardent temperament ; and 
 they did not ;i,e Opinion of Vic- 
 
 16
 
 182 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 tor, without compromising one jot without 
 bending at all, was, as it were, softened by that 
 respectfulness of manner, which goes so to the 
 heart of an old person. Miss Augusta, even, 
 forgot that he was a plain iarmer's son ; or 
 rather she conceived that she had detected the 
 innate and undisguiseable Nobility, which is 
 always supposed to accompany noble blood ; 
 as she very deferentially enquired, if he were 
 connected with the Hydes, of Hyde-Park, 
 England. 
 
 He replied that his ancestors, for several- 
 generations had dwelt in A ; and further 
 
 back he knew nothing of them, though possibly 
 his grandmother might be able to tell the lady, 
 were she alive, and present ; but she, quite 
 unfortunately, being not only absent, but dead, 
 the probability was that the great question of 
 our hero's ancestry would remain unsettled. 
 So was his claim to ancient blood, rendered, at 
 the least, questionable. Claim, did I say ? 
 He made none ; for he plainly told her that his 
 ancestry, and connections.tyere, all, so far as he 
 knew them, hard-laboring, but respectable and 
 very honest people. Miss Augusta turned up 
 her own very gently descended nose ; though 
 in the individual, it must be confessed, this fea- 
 ture bore rather questionable marks of gentle-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 ness. Mr. Thompson saw that unfortunate 
 turn : and, as lie was a lover of peace, and a 
 polite man, withal, he began making some en- 
 quiries of his own individual prospects ; finally 
 asking, " In what business do you propose 
 to engage ? Any thing in the manufacturing 
 line ? " 
 
 Another bad hit \ '' thought Tom, while 
 Bell really turned pale. " He will be severely 
 dashed now ! " thought she ; but nothing was 
 more foreign to Lim. 
 
 I am a carpenter sir ;" he replied, with 
 the air of a prince, Bell thought. It was, in- 
 deed, with that quiet dignity of manner, which, 
 being assured in itself, seeks no foreign seal. 
 1 am a carpenter, sir ; and I expect to work 
 at my tr ; 
 
 Mrs. Thompson moved in her chair, as if agi- 
 
 tated liv a very slight electric shock. .Miss 
 
 ta drew herself up to rather more than 
 
 her iiMial height ; while Mr. Thompson, liiin- 
 
 1 nfM^ght surprise ; yet he said, 
 
 That i<; a goo^j^Mess ; but hardly one that 
 
 a young man of your advantages, would be 
 
 likely to engage, in at this day. Perhaps it 
 
 our lather's wi<h. " 
 
 No, sir ;" replied Victor, rather proudly ; 
 for he saw the effect his communication had
 
 184 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 made. " No, sir ; my father intended me for 
 the bar ; but I chose my own business ; and to 
 be a finished architect is now the height of my 
 ambition. Architecture, sir, is a noble science 
 it is a divine art. I have had a passion for 
 it longer than I can remember ! and would it 
 not be a shame, for me to sacrifice this ability 
 for certain usefulness, to a miserable pride a 
 silly prejudice ! " 
 
 " True very true ; but the girls, now-a- 
 days, have but a poor idea of mechanics. 
 How is it ? Am I not right, Bell ? I can't 
 tell how it is, with you ; but when I was a 
 young man, my chief desire was to please the 
 girls. " 
 
 "I have chosen my profession for myself, sir, 
 and the community in which I live ; and I 
 shall not take the trouble to enquire who else is 
 pleased, or displeased ! The girl that I can 
 love will have too good a heart, as well as too 
 strong a mind, to admit such narrow views. 
 She must, have a generous and liberal Thought ; 
 a penetrating and truth-loving Eye, that can 
 perceive the excellence, the beauty, of true, 
 manly labor ! She will not look upon it merely 
 as a mode of getting bread ; but as the Gym- 
 nasium of this great Academy, which is called. 
 Life, wherein the Scholar-Soul may be exercis-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 185 
 
 ed, according to its various capacities, so it 
 may gather the truest and the noblest strength ; 
 and without which, strength is not. This sin- 
 gle principle, sir, of the dignity of man, his 
 innate tendency to goodness his univ<r-;il 
 capacity for greatness nay, the absolute 
 greatness of every human soul I would not 
 yield for the sake of being married to an em- 
 press, were I to be raised to an equal place on 
 the throne beside her. To me every true man 
 is invested with a dignity a grandeur 
 which no human agency could, either create or 
 destroy. Crowns, coronets, and mitres ; the 
 highest officers both of church and state are 
 
 D 
 
 made by men ; and of men they hold their 
 power ; but who has ever created A MAN, and 
 given him power, save God only ? " 
 
 As he paused the eyes of Victor met those of 
 Bell. There was a mutual flinh a mutual 
 lion of thought and their spirits stood, 
 a> it \\cre, lace tof^fe. They knew each other. 
 For a moment < <! into the other'- 
 
 with the piercing earnestness of a truth-seeker; 
 and was not that conscious blush, as a threshold, 
 when.- the kindred souls went forth, and met, 
 and recognized and embraced each other ? 
 Henceforth, they were not strangers. Powerful 
 16*
 
 186 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 is the influence of the true spirit upon the truev 
 With a principle stronger than any chemical 
 affinities, they rush together, and mingle and 
 beautiful most beautiful is their union ! I 
 have said that Bella Thompson had many 
 faults. Truly, had she. But the Actual had 
 not quite given place to the chimerical. The 
 central sun of Truth still shone ; obscured, it 
 may be, by the mists and shadows of Folly, 
 and Vanity, and Falsehood ; yet still it shone ; 
 and still it was Truth living, indestructible 
 Truth. And if the Lightning-Thought of Vic- 
 tor did not quite melt away and disperse those 
 vapors ; it still penetrated them, and reached 
 the corresponding Thought beneath. Mysteri- 
 ous is the action of Mind upon Mind ! 
 
 But we digress. Mr. Thompson smiled be- 
 nignantly, as he replied ; " All this is true and 
 right. You have made an honorable choice, 
 from honorable motives. I am a mechanic 
 myself ; and though I have long been engaged 
 in other business, all the sympathy of early 
 association is with that class of people. Mrs. 
 Thompson here, though come of gentle blood, 
 had the good sense to choose a Mechanic for 
 her husband." 
 
 " You were not a mechanic when I gave my
 
 THE MECHANIC. 187 
 
 consent, Mr. Thompson ! " replied the lady 
 rather tartly. " If you had been, your name, 
 sir, had never been mine ! " 
 
 Here the scene closes. The probability is 
 that Bell and Victor, dreamed of each other 
 that night. But, kind Reader ; inasmuch as 
 we profess to indulge no mere idle curiosity ; 
 we will not pry more closely into their affairs, 
 than they, themselves, are willing to shew. 
 
 We have little to do with ball and assembly 
 rooms ; and yet, dear reader ; if it be agreea- 
 ble to thee, we will take a stroll into those of 
 Mrs. Pennington, as they are now brilliantly 
 lighted ; and thronged by forms of the gay, the 
 lovely, and the gifted, in honor of the bride, 
 her niece late Ednah Gray, now Mrs. Tal- 
 bot. There stands tin- heroine of the night, in 
 the centre of that brilliant circle, " the admired 
 of all admirers ; " and so intrinsically lovelv. 
 that nothing not even this nonsensical pa- 
 rade, can hurt her. Lovingly twined with her, 
 arm in arm, stands Bella Thompson , whose 
 truthful spirit, though long exposed to much 
 that was sickly and sinister, yot promptly re- 
 sponds to the healthful and the true ; and now 
 drawn to the side, and the heart of Ednah, 
 by a new and irresistible attraction. She who 
 was yesterday, but a carpenter's daughter, or,
 
 188 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 it the best, a lawyer's wife, is now the acme of 
 every feminine grace and virtue. How myste- 
 riously opinions sometimes change ! At the 
 bride's right hand stands Victor ; and on her 
 left Mr. Harrison ; while advancing towards 
 her, is her happy and devoted husband. Hov- 
 ering round this little centre, is a circle of mag- 
 nificently dressed belles and beaux ; such as 
 pay their devoirs to Beauty, Wealth, or Gen- 
 tility. Farther on is a group of the extreme 
 fashionables. Yet farther is Mr. Filbrook with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gray, and Mr. Thompson ; who, 
 notwithstanding his lameness, has ventured out 
 on this joyful occasion, so interesting to his old 
 friend. Quite aside from these sits Mrs. 
 Thompson, with Miss Augusta ; the latter, 
 pale, cheerless, and deserted, well representing 
 the ghost of departed Aristocracy a solemn 
 mockery. There, Victor is now leading Bella 
 Thompson towards Mr. Filbrook, who salutes 
 her with a truly paternal kindness of manner ; 
 and Victor, himself, could not help observing, 
 amid that gorgeous blaze of splendor how re- 
 freshing was her perfectly elegant simplicity of 
 dress and manner. There were nods and whis- 
 pers among the Exclusives, near at hand, envi- 
 ous and malicious sneers and light titterings, 
 which, far more than "the loud laugh," "speak
 
 THE MECHANIC. 189 
 
 the vacant mind. " Hut these oracles of Fash- 
 ion are befrinnini: to speak. L>-t us listen. 
 
 " For my part, I think it quite time to put a 
 stop to these encroachments ! " said Mr. All- 
 short, a tall, meager, lantern-jawed son of 
 change. If we do not drop down the gate 
 upon these innovations, I tremble to think what 
 will become of society ! Who could imagine 
 that the talented, the rich Talbot, should marry 
 
 M ' hanic's daughter? '' 
 
 " And her Aunt, pushing her forward, and 
 expecting us to notice her ! " added Mr-. Tall- 
 man, a short, fat, pugnosed, and altogether 
 quite vulgar looking woman ! 
 
 Mr. Allshort," said Mr. Filbrook. whose 
 vicinity was not perceived in the crowd, " is 
 the son of a Barber; and Mrs. Tallman's father 
 the illegitimate child of a washwoman. " 
 
 I think it is really awful. Mr. Hownoit.-. 5 ' 
 
 Julia Almira Overlnvd. T' 
 that Mr-. Talbot lias really bf-n k'e)>in<: 
 school. Win n 1 was in (Jrrmany I knew 
 nothing of this vulgar mix! 
 
 I wonder who brought that fellow here. 
 
 and what In- turned the E\i|iii-it<>, 
 
 who uas one of the most delicate of all 'the 
 
 Diminutives, that ever took the name of Dandy. 
 
 ^ orse and worse!'' said Mr. Filbrook.
 
 190 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 Bownotte's father was a French dancing-mas- 
 ter ; and Miss Overbred's father was a Shoe- 
 maker, her mother a dress-maker. " 
 
 " Surely that chip cannot expect to become 
 one of us ! " said Mr. Clapwell, deliberately 
 raising his glass, and surveying our hero. 
 
 " Quite unlikely ! " said our old acquaintance, 
 Parkhurst ; " and yet, these sort of fellows will 
 push along, with impudence that could shame 
 the Devil your pardon, ladies ! " 
 
 " I should not be surprised if Miss Thomp- 
 son should elope with that mechanic ! see how 
 affectionate she looks on him, now he is speak- 
 ing ! I wonder any body can call her hand- 
 some ! " said Miss Orangecheek. 
 
 " La ! how strange it is he ever thought of 
 coming here ! " said Miss Uppercrust. 
 
 "Th.at Clapwell," said our aside, " is the 
 son of a carpenter, who, moreover, was known 
 to purloin, absolutely to steal, almost all 
 the stuff with which to build his first house. 
 Miss Orangecheek is the niece of a New York 
 milliner, who obtained her, when an infant, 
 nobody knows where ; and Miss Uppercrust is 
 the grand-daughter of a stage-driver. " 
 
 Mr. Filbrook was rather eccentric. He loved 
 a joke ; but it was never at the expense of one 
 particle of truth, or kindness. Suddenly he
 
 THE MECHANIC. 191 
 
 emerged from the little nook where he had 
 been stationed ; and with Victor supporting 
 him on one side, and Bell on the other, drew 
 near the group we have been listening to. 
 
 "Bl<-^ iii'-l tin-re is Filbrook the bride's 
 grandfather ! '' whispered Parkhurst. " He 
 must have heard our remarks. We shall get 
 it now. Let's oft', Crosby ! " and the two hon- 
 orable gentlemen, made a hurried exit. 
 
 " I have often thought, " said Mr. Filhrook, 
 appearing to address Victor, " that those whose 
 claim to gentility is the most questionable, are 
 tin- most strenuous in asserting that claim. 
 There is an old adage, " he continued, recog- 
 nix'mg his acquaintances around, that ' Those 
 who live in glass houses, should not throw 
 stone? at their neighbors' \\indows' to me, 
 as to you, without doubt, my friends, that say- 
 ini: ]\n< peculiar significance. Now, gentlemen 
 and ladies, I have a game to propose. As 
 we are, by no mean<. vulgar Mobocrats, or, in 
 other phrasi'. Ri-piiblican- : but genuine, whole 
 souled Aristocrat-, what do you think of making 
 of Armorial bearing, cofrespooding with 
 our several ancestral dignities : If there is any 
 one present skilled in drawing, let him be called. 
 Victor, you will do, I think. I have B< 
 
 us all ready for you. Mine, if 1 may be
 
 192 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 allowed to begin at home, shall be a good old- 
 fashioned spinning-jenny, in full operation ; 
 with a hand like that of Fortune, guiding and 
 amending the threads. The house of Thomp- 
 son would be well represented by an anvil 
 couchant, with a large sledge-hammer rampant. 
 How do you like that my dear little Bell ? " 
 
 The one addressed smiled archly ; but the 
 others, by no means, chose to avail themselves 
 of the good old gentleman's illustrations. The 
 caucus was dissolved, instontcr. By this time 
 several persons had caught the spirit of the 
 scene, and had drawn near ; among whom 
 was Robert Gray, now a young man of such 
 finished and singular elegance, as to be an ob- 
 ject of universal attention. His dark gray eye 
 had, generally, a pensive cast ; but when he 
 spoke with animation, its vivid flashes might 
 almost hurt one, as if they cut. 
 
 " If Shakspeare had heard these our fashion- 
 able oracles, " he said, " it were no wonder that 
 he exclaimed so eloquently, 
 
 'O but man, proud man ! 
 Drest in a little brief authority ; 
 Most ignorant of what he's most assured, 
 His glassy essence like an angry ape 
 I'lays such fantastic tricks before high haaven 
 As make the angels weep. ' ' 
 
 " The angels, I should think, " returned
 
 THE MECHANIC. 193 
 
 Victor, would, far rather ' laugh themselves 
 mortal. ' For my part, I have heen highly en- 
 tertained, I confess. " 
 
 " You have fairly exercised these troubled 
 spirits, Mr. Filbrook ; " said Harrison. 
 
 " Pray is not that young gentleman your 
 friend Hyde, Dr. Stanton ? " \\hispeied -Mr. 
 \ inton, a clergyman ; and, moreover, one of 
 the noblest of human intelligences. " Have 
 tin- kindness to introduce me. It gives me 
 great pleasure, " he said presenting his bund to 
 Victor, ' to meet one, of whose good report I 
 have so often heard. I hear you are going to 
 Europe, Mr. Hyde ; and, if agreeable, I will 
 introduce you to my liirnd, Mr. Gannett, who 
 has extensive connections abroad : and would, 
 I doubt not, be pleased to furnish you with 
 letters. " 
 
 " Do you hear that ? " whispered Dr. Stanton 
 to !><!!. "Did I not tell you that every person 
 essed of common MOM, must, and \\ould, 
 be attracted by Victor? See, now, with \\liat 
 mode-t dignity lie replies to Mr. Vinton, and 
 receive- the pioiiered services of Mr. Gannett, 
 to whom lie has no idea of being servile ; 
 though lie is one of the -tronue-t merchant- in 
 the eountu . " Then, turning to the latter, he 
 said, "do you not congratulate yourself, my 
 17
 
 194 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 dear sir, that there is one spark of common 
 sense left among us ? " 
 
 "I do, indeed;'" was the reply : "and I 
 have been thinking, while listening to some 
 remarks, that it is not strange ignorant Euro- 
 pean travellers, hearing such things, should 
 make the ridiculous reports, which they some- 
 times do. " 
 
 " Poor, miserable apes, that we arc ! " said 
 Mr. Harrison ; " to leave die solid, actual 
 realities of life, for a mere shadow ! : ' 
 
 " Any pretension to aristocracy, properly so 
 called," said Mr. Viuton, "is, at the best, an 
 absurdity ; for who among us can say he is not 
 descended from, or connected with, the com- 
 mon people ? " 
 
 " My father, " said Mr. Gannett, ' was a 
 cooper ; and though a good workman, he was 
 really so excessively benevolent (I use the term 
 in the widest sense) that he always kept him- 
 self poor ; yet I never blush to think of him. 
 I rather glory that I am descended from so 
 good a man ! " 
 
 " My father, " said Mr. Vinton, i; was a 
 wheelright, and my mother was a country 
 school-mistress ; yet it has never occurred to 
 me to be ashamed of these honored parents ! 
 They were poor, in what the world recognizes
 
 THE MECHANIC. 195 
 
 as wealth, and could not afford to keep me at a 
 'hool, when 1 was you no; : so durini: the 
 interval- of my necessary labor, (for I worked 
 with my lather at his trade 'till I \\as twenty,) 
 my mother fitted me for college. How many 
 of our fashionable ladies could do as much ? 
 .My mother's acquirem-'. <!. would have 
 
 been respectable in a university. Could I be 
 prouder of my parentage, were I entitled by 
 birth to the highest dignity ? " 
 
 \nd yet," said Mr. Harrison, "is your 
 family both honorable, and ancient j for is not 
 the FAMILY OF MAN, honorable ? Is not the 
 BLOOD OF ADAM, ancient? This is the true 
 Nobility! Its p.itent is graven by the hand of 
 (MM| '. It is indelible as the fixed La 
 
 n It seems to id Mr. Gannett, '-'that 
 
 the greatest impediment to the pi ' soci- 
 
 ety. i- the total want of manly independence. 
 
 which H so common an-.on^ the lo\\ er classes." 
 
 Ti::~ a a -n-at obsiacN-, but not th'- u' real- 
 
 said Mr. Vinton. "The grand diliiculty 
 
 it appears to me. lifs hnv. The mo-t inllue.n- 
 
 tial pi-ople, the le-i-lati _ r ni/.e. 
 
 the idea, that Manual Labor is 
 
 ;inrr ! They may. to be sure, have the 
 
 iiibodied in finely rounded peri-
 
 196 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 ods, garnished with high-sounding expressions ; 
 but their action, their practical teaching, goes to 
 establish this principle. This the poor craftsman, 
 who is left to freeze in the presence of some mer- 
 cantile or professional dignitary, well knows : 
 when a single word of kindness, which, so far 
 from detracting from the character of the gen- 
 tleman, only enhances it, would, by recognizing 
 his manhood, set him perfectly at ease. We 
 cannot, with impunity, seek to evade the pen- 
 alty ; ' In the sweat of thy brow shall thou eat 
 thy bread.' If any deems himself so fortunate 
 as to be beyond this law, still the penalty must 
 be required in the decay, or waste, of health, of 
 intellect, or of morals. But I can see that 
 this law is founded in the purest benevolence. 
 When we regard man as the subject of educa- 
 tion as a creature of progress is not THE 
 NECESSITY OF LABOR one of the most beautiful 
 features, in the philosophy of his nature? It 
 always appears to me I can detect an innate, 
 intrinsic vulgarity, in the man who looks upon 
 labor, as degrading ; however high a niche he 
 may have gained in the world's temple. " 
 
 " There is ; " said Mr. Harrison ; " for such 
 a one is content with the Superficial, and has 
 slight perception of the Real. " Here the 
 group separated.
 
 THE MECHANIC. 197 
 
 As if by an absolute law of nature, Victor 
 was seen ever at the side of Bell, during that 
 long, and yet, short evening. Are there not 
 souls so perfectly adapted to, so attractive to 
 each other, that they cannot approximate, with- 
 out mingling ? 
 
 But now, if it please you, gentle Reader, let 
 us make our bow to all the friends, and not 
 friends, whom we have been looking in upon. 
 Gentle and simple, Fashionable and Vulgar, 
 Aristocrat and Democrat, we wish you all, a 
 very good evening. 
 
 17*
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 " An anxious stomach well 
 May be endured ; so may the throbbing heart: 
 But such a dim delirium ; such a dream 
 Involves you ; such a dastardly despair 
 Unmans your soul ! " 
 
 ARMSTRONG. 
 
 I have said in a preceding chapter that Vic- 
 tor had, to his extreme sorrow, found that his 
 religious opinions were getting somewhat unsta- 
 ble. .This process had been a very long and 
 gradual one ; and thus it passed into a state of 
 feverish restlessness, of doubt, almost of despair, 
 Day after day were these doubts deepening and 
 darkening, until, at length, bright-winged Hope, 
 and pure-eyed Faith, who had been, forever, as 
 visible angels, walking before, and hovering 
 around him, clapped their wings and fled ; and 
 darkness settled, like a heavy shroud, over all 
 the world. Human voices spoke in unknown 
 tongues ; the familiar faces of his friends looked 
 strangely on him. He seemed not to belong to 
 the race of men and women ; for he had lost 
 the idea of oneness with them : the principle of
 
 THE MECHANIC. 199 
 
 affinity was gone. He strove to recall the 
 favorite and familiar texts of scripture ; but 
 Memory \vas palsied, and sat quaking on her 
 throne. He attempted to call hack the holiest 
 amulet of his faith, the memory of his mother's 
 teachings, her prayers, her parting words ; but 
 a nightmare sat upon his afl'ections ; and the 
 heart lay beneath hi; luxom, cold and lifeless 
 as a stone. He felt that he had no part, either 
 in physical or mental being. Every external 
 object lost its meaning, and its lesson. INothing 
 spake to him. He heard voices, indeed : he 
 beheld objects ; but they had no intelligence 
 for him. No spirit communed with his spirit. 
 The bond of brotherhood was broken the 
 cord of sympathy \\a- rudely torn asunder. 
 He was an alien a loose, floating atom a 
 part of nothing bound to nothing nothing 
 in the \\ide world. At times he crie.d out for 
 actual pain. He groaned in spirit for real suf- 
 ferinti ! He felt that he might hear to have his 
 limbs hacked oli'by inches that he miidit see 
 his mother die. without a pang that he might 
 see the earth open to swallow up all his kind- 
 red, without emotion. Indeed, he would have 
 welcomed any mode of phy-ical torture any 
 thing that could break that hideous apathy. 
 His kind fi lends marked the change, and strove
 
 200 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 to cheer him. They administered to his sup- 
 posed malady ; but he changed not ; neverthe- 
 less a change was working within him. If this 
 period had continued long he must have died. 
 No human being could sustain such agony, for 
 any great length of time. 
 
 A change came over him. He seemed to 
 wake, as from a troubled dream. The reaction 
 was strong. He was cold, collected, calm 
 perfect master of his reason, of himself. One 
 by one he took up the Articles of his Faith, 
 with their corresponding Doubts and Objec- 
 tions. He scanned them severely as candi- 
 dates for the seal of Truth. He tried their life, 
 their power, by the evidence of the Bible, 
 by the principle of Life within himself. He 
 was long in doing this ; for he felt that he was 
 deciding his future fate perhaps for Eternity. 
 He stripped off all that was meretricious, the 
 inconsistency of professing Christians the 
 clash of speculative opinions uncharitable- 
 ness, bigotry, superstition. He broke the thick 
 crust of Names and Forms, which envelope 
 Religion so closely, and weigh her down so 
 heavily, we know not if she lives. He cast 
 out all these things, as foreign ; and entered 
 into the inner Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies. 
 There he beheld Religion, herself, an existing,
 
 THE MECHANIC. 201 
 
 real, and all pervading influence. There he 
 beheld the great idea of JESUS, visibly written 
 
 THE O\r.Ni:ss OF GOD THE ONENESS OF 
 
 MAN, He listened with the ear of the under- 
 standing, to the words of Him " who spake as 
 never man spake. " 1 Ii> doubts were satisfied. 
 He believed -. and his belief wa- positive. But 
 not yet were his affections recalled to life. INot 
 yet was the benevolent Deity, the tender Father, 
 quite evident. 
 
 Victor, being on a visit to the city, had 
 wandered away one Sabbath afternoon, (as had 
 of late been his frequent habit,) to muse alone. 
 He stood by a retired and beautiful inlet of the 
 bay. The roar of the far-off ocean came soft- 
 ened in the distance ; and as the fresh wind 
 curled the spirited waves, they rose among the 
 rocks, and dashed upon his feet, like messengers 
 from Eternity ; so vast, so unsearchable, was 
 the bosom from whence they came. The 
 prt.-rel uttered a hoar-e scream, a-. plunging 
 beneath the waters, she sei/ed her gliding prey ; 
 and afar off the gull, resting on pinions that 
 seemed wrought from the. feathery -now. hung 
 silentlv above the excited Deep. The mind of 
 Victor was filled with the purest, the loftiest 
 emotions. He lost all cogni/ance of Time and
 
 202 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 place ; but with the images of his actual posi- 
 tion, he was carried back to the sea of Gallilee. 
 He stood on the shore, and beheld the tremen- 
 dous war of elements. The lashed and foaming 
 waves were dashing mountain high. By the 
 fitful gleams of lightning he beheld a ship, 
 borne like a feather upon the wings of the 
 storm now, riding into the very clouds ; 
 now, plunging into the fearful depths below ; 
 while the screeching prey-bird, and the vora- 
 cious shark, seemed to anticipate the horrid 
 event. Bitter, indeed, were the piercing 
 shrieks, wrung from human hearts in their 
 extremest agony! But, lo, a man, clothed in 
 the majesty of God, went forth toward the 
 ship, walking firmly upon the waves. Those 
 who beheld him fled in fear. He spake ; and 
 the Deep knew his voice. The storm heard 
 him. and was mute. "Peace. Be still. It is 
 I. Be not afraid." Ocean, like a tired war- 
 horse, obedient to the call of his master, lay 
 down quietly. The rebuked prey-birds with- 
 drew on noiseless wing : and the disappointed 
 monsters below, in mute astonishment, glided 
 away through the unsunned alleys of the Deep, 
 Stillness, profound as that which brooded over 
 the first midnight settled upon the scene ; for
 
 THK MKi'HAMC. 
 
 conscious Mature i'elt the jirc-.-ncc of a God ; 
 and she li>iened without breathing, lest, perad- 
 irc, lie should speak again. 
 
 Then broke foith light upon the soul of Vic- 
 tor. The Deity became once more evident in 
 all lie sa\v. The relation between himself and 
 the external world, was renewed. He felt 
 himself an integral part of intelligent being ; 
 and he turned a\\ ay from that lonely shore, 
 where he had lost himself, for hours, in sublime 
 muring, a free man. The presence of his 
 Heavenly Father, the voice of his Divine Mas- 
 ter, went with him, and eheeied, and ble- 
 him, whithersoever he went. All outward 
 things became intelligent, as they were mani- 
 festations of Deity revelations of the Divine 
 Power ; ami they were continually speaking to 
 him. in their sweet, low, stirring voices ; " It is 
 I. Be not afraid. " 
 
 It happened that, on bis return, Victor went 
 through an exceedingly poor and mean part of 
 the city ; and, in pa inu r a miserable tavern, 
 lie noticed something familiar in one of the lin- 
 gerers of the shabby portico. The house stood 
 on a corner ; and, in turning. \ ictor saw the 
 whole face, and instantly knew Kankin ; whom 
 he had never >ei.-n since the evening of Robert's 
 accident. The recognition was mutual ; and
 
 204 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 in the duskiness of a clouded twilight, Victor r 
 saw that a melancholy change had taken place 
 in his old acquaintance. His face, indeed, his 
 whole person, was fearfully bloated. The eyes 
 were red and inflamed ; and an expression of 
 conscious guilt had succeeded the free and 
 graceful manner, for which he had been for- 
 merly remarkable. He tried, at first, to avoid 
 an interview ; but, finding that impossible, he 
 came slowly down the steps, and gave a palsied 
 hand to Victor. The first feeling of the latter 
 was one of pure disgust ; but when he marked 
 the truly wretched aspect of Rankin ; and saw 
 him surrounded by such low wretches, as he 
 would once have scorned to mingle with, that 
 feeling gave place to one of heart-felt pity. 
 
 " Will you come in ? " asked Rankin. " But 
 no ; you must not. " His voice was dry and 
 husky ; and, as he spoke, Victor saw that 
 his whole face quivered with strong emotion. 
 " Come round the corner here ; " he .continued. 
 " Here let us stand under this shed, a while. 
 But perhaps perhaps you would rather go ; " 
 and he cast a look of shame over his own mise- 
 rable garments. 
 
 " No, " said Victor, interpreting that look, 
 " I want to talk with you, and tell you of Rob- 
 ert. "
 
 THE MECHANIC. V.'<)5 
 
 What of him ? " asked Rankin, quickly. 
 You would not know him. He is truly 
 one of the noblest works of God. But he is 
 not well. We fear he is going into a decline." 
 
 Rankin started, as if with horror. "Do you 
 think he ever fully recovered from the effects of 
 that blow ? " 
 
 " I verily believe that he never did. '' 
 
 Rankin started, as if stung by an adder. 
 " And is not this murder ? " he cried, lifting his 
 clenched hands, while his eyes shone, as with 
 the fearful gleam of insanity. 
 
 " He often speaks of you ; " continued Vic- 
 tor, soothingly. " He wants to see you, and 
 talk with you, to tell you how happy he is; and 
 how happy " 
 
 " 1 might be you were going to say. " 
 
 " Y 
 
 <; Impossible. I am lost lost, beyond the 
 power of Heaven, itself, to redeem. I have 
 nothing to do now ; but to go on, sinking 
 deeper and deeper." lie shuddered as he 
 spol 
 
 " Do not talk so. The worst " 
 
 " Again I say, impossible. This is the wa- 
 ges of my own work ; and, verily, I have my 
 reward. Hut hear me ; wretch as I am, 1 
 have some pride. It is not all sin that ha* 
 18
 
 206 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 brought me where you see me. Misfortune 
 has done its part. I had, perhaps you know, 
 quite a handsome sum when I left Mr. Gray. 
 This was stolen from me. Directly upon 
 the loss of it I fell sick. In this state I was 
 dragged to yon wretched hole ; where I linger- 
 ed a few weeks ; and then crawled out again, 
 to breathe, not live. I found myself surrounded 
 by a set of loafers of the very worst stamp. I 
 hated, despised the whole crew ; but still, being 
 from my desperate condition, cast aloof from 
 from every thing else, I associated with them. 
 A heavy discouragement, a bitter shame, took 
 hold of me, and crushed every particle of man- 
 hood. We generally work, and earn a little 
 money, then club together and have a carouse. 
 But low and vile as you now think me, Victor, 
 I am absolutely a better man than I was when 
 you knew raei I am not now a hypocrite. I 
 am abiding in guilt by a kind of compulsion ; 
 but I would deceive no man. During that 
 miserable sickness I had reflections, bitter 
 bitter, indeed ; but wholesome. Had a friend 
 come to me then, I might have been saved. 
 But now it is too late. I pretend to nothing 
 I am nothing nothing but a lost, miserable 
 drunkard ! " He laid his hand against his 
 forehead, as if to press down the blood that
 
 THE MECHANIC. 207 
 
 rushed to his throbbing temples, as he added : 
 '' Go, Victor. Leave me to my own destruc- 
 tion." 
 
 " Do not say so. If you know and confess 
 your fault, you may yet be saved you may 
 yet be happy ! " returned Victor, with the 
 strongest expression of pity and kindness. 
 " Be a man, George ! and say that you WILL 
 
 BE FREE ! " 
 
 " Impossible ! You had better Cleave me, 
 Victor. You will be disgraced should you be 
 seen in my company. You have character to 
 lose. Consider that. " 
 
 " I fear no disgrace ; but that of doing wrong. 
 I value no character that would prevent me 
 from doing good. " 
 
 "The same obstinate integrity. And even 
 this I have sworn to spoil ; but it was too 
 strong for me ! The stagnant pool might as 
 well attempt to corrupt a living sun-beam ! " 
 
 "Leave this place;" said Victor. Get 
 work of some respectable man ! " 
 
 Mas ! I am incapable of procuring even a 
 decent situation. I have no money to go away ; 
 and if I remain here, these pot-brothers would 
 dog me all over the city. " 
 
 " You must leave the city then. "
 
 208 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 " I cannot leave myself. You see what I 
 am. What honest man would trust me ? " 
 
 "Set all men the good example, by trusting 
 yourself; and so proving yourself worthy of 
 trust. Do not swear to reform ; for I think we 
 have a strong propensity to break oaths ; but 
 resolve that you will do so. " 
 
 " Victor, your kindness has opened the heart, 
 which I believed was sealed forever. Listen to 
 me. I must speak low, for I am jealous that 
 the very winds should hear me. There is one 
 objection to leaving this place. One single tie 
 binds me to life. In yon miserable dwelling, a 
 resort of the vilest profligates and drunkards, 
 there is one who has long been to me an angel 
 of mercy and love. Sarah Hopewell is the 
 niece of our landlord and an orphan. There 
 she lives in that vile abode ; for she has no 
 other home, and no other friends, suffering all 
 the bitterness of dependence on selfish and 
 brutal kindred. The wrongs she endures are 
 greater than you can imagine ; yet she bows 
 her head beneath them, with such gentleness 
 as would disarm the malice of a fiend. There 
 she lives, menial as she is, surrounded by the 
 grossest libertines ; yet she seems enveloped by 
 a hallowed atmosphere, which nothing bad can
 
 THE MECHANIC. 209 
 
 penetrate. All that look upon her, know that 
 she is pure as the light of day. If I have one 
 good thought, one good feeling, to her I owe it. 
 She came to my sick bed, and mini>tered ; and, 
 stniiiilit\\;iy. 1 became another man. I was 
 created anew. Every latent germ of good, 
 touched by her influence, sprang up, and grew. 
 She loved mr ; for she could not live without 
 sympathy ; and I felt for her I appreciated 
 her. I began to live in a new atmosphere. 
 Associated with perfect purity, I was kept pure 
 But a suspicion of our attachment entered the 
 mind of that old Jezabel, her aunt. With the 
 malice of a fiend she determined to ruin us. 
 Sarah was too profitable a servant to lose. She 
 spread a mare for me. 1 was entired away by 
 some of my old cronies. A drugged cup was 
 administered. I drank. I was carried home 
 dead drunk. Never shall I forget the, look of 
 that angelic uirl. when I first became conscious. 
 She was leaning over my lied, pale as marble. 
 Her larife. dui' v ere almost insufferably 
 
 bright ; but they \\ere lighted by despair. 'O 
 George ! ' she. cried, ' is this true ? ' Her lips 
 quivered, and In Tamo fixed. She fainted away 
 and fell upon my bosom. There she lay, as 
 one dead. Desperation gave me strength. I 
 rose and bore her to the window. I verily 
 18*
 
 210 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 thought she was dead. But in a few minutes 
 she recovered. Her whole aspect suddenly 
 underwent a powerful change. She withdrew 
 from my still-enclosing arras with the dignity of 
 an upright soul. ( Let me go ; ' she said, 
 gently, but firmly. ' I will endure any thing 
 every thing 1 can but die ; but I will never 
 marry a drunkard. Farewell.' I entreated 
 her to forgive me. ' I do forgive you ; ' she 
 said ; ' but I can do nothing more ; ' and, for- 
 saken by her, 1 abandoned myself. She is 
 miserable. I am a wretch ; yet would I give 
 my body to the torture, to make her happy ? 
 I would freely die for her ? " 
 
 ' You must live for her ! " eagerly interrupted 
 Victor. 
 
 " I tell you it is impossible. Every day 
 every hour, the gulf between us, is widening, 
 and deepening. She is sinking into the grave ; 
 and her meek, uncomplaining despair, is my 
 bitterest reproof. " ' 
 
 " Let not the guilt of murder be added to 
 your offences. You may be excuse me, you 
 must be saved ! You must save her ! Leave 
 this place now. You will never be better 
 able. " 
 
 " Where shall I go ? " 
 
 " To a respectable house, "
 
 THE .MECHANIC. 211 
 
 " I have not money enough, to pay even for 
 a night's lodging? " 
 
 " I will gladly supply you. " 
 
 " Do you think 1 would accept money from 
 one whom I have injured? No, Victor ; low 
 as I am, I have not come to that ! Go away. 
 Leave me. Every kind word you speak to me, 
 is a dagger ! I beg of you to leave me ! " 
 
 ' Do you suppose I would leave, in the hour 
 of his extremest need, one who has been my 
 companion my friend ? " 
 
 " Do not say that. 1 never was your friend ?" 
 
 Hut you will he you must be ; for 1 am 
 determined to be yours ! Do you think I could 
 lay my head, in quiet on my pillow, leaving 
 you as you are ? No Kankin ; I will not leave 
 you, until a remedy for this evil can be de- 
 I." 
 
 " You are obstinate. " 
 
 " I always was; butv.e an- not iretting on 
 with tlii- bu.-iiie--. I have a propo-al to make. 
 A friend of mine is going into business, and 
 wants to entire a (ini-hed \\orkinan. 1 \vill 
 get the place for you, upon condition that you 
 totally abstain from intoxicating liquors, 
 act no promise. I \\oiild put no fetter upon 
 your will ; for 1 believe that will be m\ 
 aid. It will, 1 doubt not, be true as it is strong.
 
 212 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 Go with me to the Temperance house, Mr. 
 
 the Landlord is my friend. Be my guest 
 
 for one night ; and when you have a cheerful 
 home, lighted by the smile of a loving and 
 happy wife, I will joyfully be yours. " 
 
 For a moment Rankin shook, as if an ague 
 had penetreted every particle of his being ; and, 
 with a groan that seemed wrung out by the 
 most horrible torture, he fell prostrate on the 
 ground, sobbing and weeping, as if the whole 
 burden of shame, remorse, and guilt, with which 
 his bosom had been so long laden, had melted 
 at once, and was pouring out in tears. 
 
 Victor raised and embraced him tenderly. 
 " Trust me ; " he whispered " Trust your- 
 self. Let us go. " 
 
 " Must I tell you ? These tattered rags are 
 all the clothing I possess. My last shirt was, 
 this very day, pawned for rum. " 
 
 " So much the better. Begin entirely anew. 
 There is still something ; believe me, George, 
 there is something yet in you, beyond all com- 
 parison, better than money, or aught that money 
 can purchase ; there is a quick and living soul. 
 Within this soul there is yet a love of good a 
 tendency to good. Shall there not be is 
 there not a determination also ? " 
 
 For a few minutes Rankin shook convul-
 
 THE MECHANIC. 213 
 
 sively. The simple was fearful. Suddenly 
 he was calm ; and, after a short period of per- 
 fect silence, he extended his hand, saying, 
 " You have conquered. Do with me as you 
 will. Only I have one favor to ask. Will 
 you see Sarah, and tell her ? tell her what 
 you think best. " 
 
 " I will, with pleasure. But first let me see 
 you safe. You will allow me to send you some 
 necessary articles of clothing ; and you shall 
 pay me, principal and interest compound in- 
 terest if you will whenever you please. " 
 
 Rankin only pressed his hand in reply ; and 
 by this time they had reached the Temperance 
 bouse. 
 
 The next morning Victor visited his protegee 
 at an early hour. He was in a state of extreme 
 irritation and intolerable anxiety. 
 
 "Did you see " he be^an ; but could go 
 no further. 
 
 " Yes ; and I think your eulogy was fully 
 <<! : \\liieh is more than can be said of 
 mo-t lover-' repo. 
 
 What did you tell her? What did >he 
 say?" a^ked Kankin, with the most piercing 
 cage 1 1 
 
 " I told her that you had iv.-olved to be a 
 better man that you still loved her that
 
 214 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 you were determined to be worthy of her. 
 And then she blushed, so sweetly, so modestly ; 
 and for a moment was overcome with confusion. 
 But her true woman's nature was the strongest. 
 Coming closer, she fixed her large, melancholy 
 eyes upon me, with an expression which I shall 
 never forget : ' Do you believe this ? ' she asked ; 
 and her whole eager soul flashed in the ques- 
 tion. ' I believe it ; ' I replied. ' I can almost 
 say I know it. She had been comparatively 
 calm, until that moment. Then she clasped 
 her thin hands together ; and as the tears 
 streamed through the closed lids, wetting the 
 long, dark lashes, she ejaculated, in a voice that 
 was half choking, ' Thank ! thank God ! ' I 
 think I never saw a more beautiful creature 
 than she was, at that moment. In addition to 
 exceeding delicacy of form, features, and com- 
 plexion, there was something so pure, so spirit- 
 like, in her whole aspect, that I thought she 
 might go down into the Pit, if such a place 
 there be, without contamination ; and I won- 
 dered not that those brutal men were awed, as 
 they evidently were, by her presence. But I 
 must tell you the worst. I fear she is ill. I 
 verily believe her life is in your hands. You 
 cannot trifle with it ! You will not throw it 
 away !
 
 THE MECHANIC. 215 
 
 "Never! Never. So help me God !" He 
 walked the room a moment, us if some thought 
 still possessed his mind ; then, stopping again, 
 he said ; " You say' truly that she is ill. And 
 must I leave her there, to be abused to suffer 
 to die ! She cannot live there without me ! 
 Bad as I was, I protected her. There was not 
 a man there, but knew I would stab him to the 
 heart, if he dared to lay hands on her nay, if 
 he so much as looked on her, too freely ! Even 
 her uncle, and the old hag, her aunt, were afraid 
 to treat her ill, if I were present. " 
 
 " Compose yourself. She will suffer no more 
 at their hands. I this morning procured a car- 
 riage, and called upon JUT with Ednah, Mrs. 
 Talbot. She is under her protection ; and 
 there she will remain, until you have proved 
 yourself worthy ; and then " 
 
 The face of Kankin flu.shed crimson, then 
 grew very pale. He tried to speak ; but his 
 lips quivered, and he was silent. He sank into 
 a seat ; and yieldliiL: to iireprdesible emotion, 
 he sobbed and wept passionately. 
 
 Victor grasped his hand. " 1 have engaged 
 you to my friend. You will begin to-morrow. 
 God bless you." Kankin could not reply. 
 He only wrung his benefactor's hand ; and 
 they parted in silence.
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 We have little more to say. The end of a 
 story, by us, Yankees, at least, may always be 
 guessed. The most interesting facts are, as 
 follows. Victor, previous to his embarkation, 
 of course, paid Bell a visit. Not to have done 
 so would have been a breach of common polite- 
 ness, considering what kind, nay, what intimate 
 friends they had been for the last three months 
 doing even all sorts of ungracious things, 
 from that quite numerous class of persons, who 
 are more gifted in the way of minding other 
 people's business, than in attending to their 
 own. It was a glorious October afternoon. 
 Who would not make love in October ; clear, 
 dreamy, beautiful, rain-bow-vested October? 
 There was. perhaps, a sympathetic principle in 
 the very atmosphere. Nevertheless, Victor had 
 formed a very wise resolution to be grave, and 
 calm, and dignified, in his leave-taking. How 
 could he be otherwise, considering the difference 
 in their positions ? Principle, self-esteem, for- 
 bade. It was strange Bell should have been
 
 THE MECHANIC. 217 
 
 quite alone, just then, in a summer-house, too, 
 in one of the most witching spots that Nature 
 ever cherished as her own. These things are 
 sometimes arranged for us, certainly better than 
 we could arrange for ourselves ! He drew near 
 unheard. The dear girl was in tears, and the 
 molten poarls were dropping fast upon a long- 
 since dried, and altogether quite faded hunch of 
 flowers ! Do you remember a fair purple clus- 
 ter, plucked by a chivalrous boy, and presented 
 to a merry maiden ? Reader, inasmuch as we 
 are sober-minded persons, we will not enquire 
 aught farther ; nor even guess if Victor lingered 
 so long (even to the verge of losing his passage) 
 to kiss away the tears she wept at parting. 
 
 In two years from the time of his depar- 
 *ture, Victor returned, an accomplished Archi- 
 tect a finished man with an undisputed 
 title to the highest place in society : yet 
 far di-:ivi- to him was the gentle whisper of 
 affection than the loudest note; of praise. On 
 just such an October day as had whin^i-d their 
 plighted love, were confirmed the nuptial vows. 
 Victor and Bell were united all, Aunt Au- 
 gusta, even, forgetting his vulgar origin. Or, 
 rather she denied this altogether ; for, on the 
 wedding day, she told with u most convincing 
 smirk, that her new nephew was, undoubtedly, 
 19
 
 218 THE MECHANIC. 
 
 a lineal descendant of Edward Hyde, Earl 
 of Clarendon, whose daughter, Ann, married 
 James, Duke of York, afterwards James II ; 
 but one of whose grandsons, a son of the unfor- 
 tunate Henry, Earl of Clarendon, fled to this 
 country, after his father's death, where he set- 
 tled, and left a numerous family. A dignity so 
 far brought must have been very flattering to 
 Victor. 
 
 The highly-gifted Robert returned not with 
 bis friend. He was left, sleeping his last sleep 
 beneath the glorious skies of Italy ! 
 
 Rankin, thoroughly reformed, had become a 
 happy husband. He had prospered and risen 
 in the world ; and on the eve of our hero's 
 marriage, as he presented his beautiful and in- 
 telligent wife, who was leading her little Victor 
 by the hand, he said : " These blessings, my 
 friend, and every thing of good, I owe to you, " 
 
 Now, a word in parting : be honest, self- 
 relying, truthful. Fear no man, envy no man ; 
 hate no man. RESPECT THYSELF; and if any 
 one despises, or neglects thee, pity him. Learn 
 that external things are mere shows, contin- 
 ually changing, and passing away ; and that all 
 absolute greatness is in the human soul. " The 
 gateways of a thousand palaces " have crumbled 
 into dust, and are scattered by the winds ; but
 
 THE MK< HANIC. 219 
 
 every foot-print of Mental Being is a type and 
 image of Eternity. Cherish, then, in thyself. 
 this SOUL. Educate and perfect it, as far as in 
 thee lies, doing homage to no man, unlevs he 
 havi- a loftier mind, a purer heart than others ; 
 bending the servile knee to none trembling 
 before none, save God only. 
 
 Now, dear Reader, whom I have led by the 
 hand, pleasantly enough to me ; although it 
 may have been to thee somewhat a wearisome 
 road : here, our ways separate ; yet, if it so 
 please thee, we may meet again. -My object 
 was not merely to te'.l a story least of all a 
 love-story, but TO TKLL THE TRUTH ; and 
 having uttered my TIIMU<;HT, though it be im- 
 perfectly, I have nothing more to say. Fare- 
 well.

 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL UBRARY FAQUTY 
 
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