The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-01-02
TIE CAMBRIDGE LEATHER
DRESSER.

IN year, l have passed by the chop OF
diligcnt, industrious mechanic. whom
! have often seen busy at his trade, with
his arms bare, hard at work. His in
dustry and steadiness have been success
ful, and he has gained competency.
But lie still remains devoted TO his
trade. During the day you may see
him at his work or chatting with his
neighbors. At night he sits down in
his little parlor, by his quiet fireside.
and enjoys the company Of his friends.
And he has the most extraordinary col
lection Of friends than any man in New
England can boast of. William II.
Prescott, goe: out from Boston and talks
with him about Ferdinand and Isabella
Washington Irving comes from New
York and tells him about the wars of
Grenada and the adventurous voyage
of Columbus, or the Legend of Sleepy
Hollow, or the tale of the Broken
Heart. George Bancroft sits down
with him, and points out the map Of the
colonies and settlements Of America,
their circumstances and fates, and gives
the early history of liberty. Jared
Sparks comes down from Cambridge,
and reads to him the letters Of Wash
! ington, and makes his heart glow with
the heroic deeds of that godlike man
for the cause of his country. Alston
the great painter, steps in and tells him
story-and no one tells him a story
so well--or repeats so we'll lines of po
etry. Bryant comes, with his sweet
wood notes, which he learned among the
green hills of Berkshire. And Rich
ard II. Dana, father and son, come, the
one to repeat grave, heart-stirring poet
ry, the other TO speak Of his tro gear
before He mast. Or if this mechanic il
in n speculative mood, Professor Hitch
cock comes to talk TO him Of all the
changes that has befallen the soil O
Massachusetts, since the food, and be
fore--or Professor Epsy tries to prcdic
n storm. Nor is his acquaintance con
fined TO bis own country. In his grav,
hours he sends for Sir John Herclc
from across the ocean, and he comes tt
discourse eloquently upon the wonder
Of the vast creation, of all the world
that are poured upon our sight by thu
glories of starry night. Nor is it ac
ross the stormy ocean of the blue way,
alone that his friends come TO visit him
but across the darker and wider oceal
of time, come the wise and the good
the eloquent and the witty, and sit dow
by his table, and discourse with him a
long as he wishes TO listen.
The eloquent blind old man Of Scio
with beard descending to his girdle, still
blind, but still eloquent, sits down will
him; and as he sang almost thre
thousand years ago among the Grecial
Isles, sings the wars Of Troy, or tn
wanderings Of the sage Ulysses. Th
poe; Of the human heart comes from tn
banks of Avon, and the poet Of Para
disc from his small gardcn-house il
Westminster Burns from the cottag,
on the Ayr, and Scott from his dwell
ing by the Tweed and at any time 70
three years past, may have been seel
by his iireside, man who ought to hav
been a hero with school-boys for no on
ever felt so for them, man whom 81
many Of our neighbors in Boston latel
strove in vain 10 see---Charles Dickens
In the midst of such friends, our frien
the leather dresser lives a happy an
respected life, not less respected an,
far more happy, than if uneasy ambi
,ion had made him Representative I,
. Congress, or a Governor Of State
and the more respected and happy tha
he dsdains not to labor in an honorabl
calling.
Ny friends this is no fancy SKETCH
Many who hear me know as well as
do, Thomas Dowse, Of Cambridgepor
and many have seen his choice an
beautiful library. Bet ] suppose ,her
is no one here no knows neiehbor {
, his, who had in his early wears the sam
advantages, but he did not improv
r ihem---wbo never gained this love {
. reading, and who nov in consequence
, instead Of living tbi, desirable and hay
r Ply life. wastes his evenings in low con
, pany. or tayerns, or dozcs them ava
-, by his own fire. Which Of these live
will you live: They are both befol
you.--G. B. EMEEsoS.
. .