The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-10-24
THE AMERICAN BLACKSMITH &
ENGLISH MAILER.


uavels through its lanes and by fields, con
yersing with the people, and is making him
self master Of the subjec, of 'heir condition
and feelings. While on one of his usual
excursions, Mr.. Burrin says:
was suddenly diverted from my con.
temptation OF ,hiS magnificent scenery by sl
fall Of heavy rain drops, as the prelude OF
an impending shower. Seeing gate open
and hearing familiar clnking behind IheI
hedge, | stepped through into lille black
smiths shop, about as large IS on AmeIicsuI
smoke house for curing bacon. The lirslI
grown man, nine years Of age, and nearly
three feet high, perched upon a stone Of halt
that heghlh, To raise his breast to the leve
Of bis fathers anvil at which he was a
work. with all the vigor of his lillle arms
making nails. lsay a fM- grown man, for
| fear he can Fever grow any larger, physi-
caIIy or mentally - AS put my hand on
his shoulders in familiar way, to make
myself al home wiIh him, and 10 remove
The umidiiy with which my sudden sppear-
ance seemed TO inspire him, by a pleasant
word or two Of greeting, his flesh felt case
harded into all the induraiion ofloillng man.
hood, and ss unsusceplible of growth as hl-
anvil block. Fixed manhood had set in
IN in ,ba n his no, a
there ne was. by his fathers side, II slinted
Ipiemoture man; with his childhood cut of;
with 10 space tO grow in between ths era.
| dIe and lhe anvil block; chased, as soon as
he could stand on his llrIe legs, from The
nearIhsIone 10 lhe forge stone, by iron ne
cessi'y, that would not stop long enough TO
pick up 'eucr Of The English alphabet 90
the way %, Lord john Russell think OF
Inl OF This EngllshLan's son, placed by
mis- mother, scarcely weaned, on high cold
stone, barefooied, before The anvil; shere to
haiden, scar, and blister his young hard.
by heating and hammelug ragged nailrods,
for the sustensnce her breast can no longer
supply Lord JOhn look at those nails,
as lhey lie kissing on The block, Know
you their meaning, use and languagt'
Please your .ordship, let me tell you!
have made nails before now they are iron
eap mGtion points, which This unlelIered,
dwsrti.h boy is unconsciously arraying a.
gslnsi you, against The British Government
and The ministry of BRUSH literature, for
cuung him off without letter Of the Eng,
lish alphabet, when printing is done by
steam for incarcera,iGg him, for nothing
on his or his parents side, but poverty, in
10 dark, six-5y.eis lat prison Of hard labor
a yoWhlcSS belng-think Of 1t! an infant
hardened. aImogI in iIs molheT's arms into
q man, by toll Iha, bows the slu;diest of the
worlds laborers who come 10 manhood
through intervening years Of childhood.
The boys fa'her was at work with his
oack towards Gae. when entered. Al my
first word OF salulatiOn 20 the lad, he turned
round and accosted me livle bashfuIly, as
If unaccustomed to lhe sight Of strangers il
Ithst place, or reluclsn, TO lei ihem inlo Iht
scene and secret Of his poverty. | sat down
upon one end Of his nail bench and told
him / was an merican blacksmith hy trade
and that had come in to see how he go
on in the world; whether he wgs earning
pretty good wages al bis business, 50 iha'
he could live comfortably, and send his
lchiIdren TO school. As said lhis, glanc-
led inquiringly towards The boy, who was
locking steadily at me from his sIone sloo
10y the anvil Two or three liuIe crock
faced girls, (rom two TO five years of age
lhad stolen in Iimidly, and a couple Of youal
frightened eyes were ?eeping over the doc
sill al me. They sll looked as if some last
were daily allotted Them 10 the sooI an,
{ cinders Of their fathers forge, even TO III,
sharp eyed baby 4, the door. The poo
Engilshman-he was as much an Englsh
man ds The Duke Of Welington-I looked q
q his bushy headed, bare footed children, an,
said softly, with a melancholy shake Of M
- head, ilal The lines were rather hard wiz
, him. II troubled his heart, aud many hour
nj of Ihe ngh' he haG been kept awake by ,h
Thought Of it, that he could not send hi
Iphillrpp in ecknoI p,s ta.,h 49,,