Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-04-04
THE LAB0RER.
BY CHARLES DICKENS;

He lived on the banks Of lightly
river, broad and deep, which was always
silently rolling on TO vast undiscov.
cred ocean. 1t had rolled on, ever
since the world begun. 1t had changed
its course sometimes, and turned into
new channels, leaving its old why's dry
and barren; but it had ever been upon
the flow, and ever was to flow until
Time shall be no more. Against its
strong, unfathomable stream, nothing
made head. No living creature, no
flower, no leaf, no particle Of amin ate
or inanimate existence, ever strayed
back from the undiscovered ocean. The
tide Of the river set tlesistlessly toward
it; and the tide never stopped, any more
than the earth stops in its circling round
the sun. ....
He lived in a busy place, and he
worked very hard to live. He had no
hope Of ever being rich enough to live
month without hard work, but he was
quite content, God knows, to labor
with a cheerful will. He was one Of
an immense family, all of whose sons
and daughters gained their daily bread
by daily work, prolonged from their ri.
sing up belimes until their lying down
at night. Beyond this destiny he had
noProspect, AMI he sought mono.
There was over.much drumming,
trumpe,ing and speechmakng, in the
neishborhool where he dwelt; but he
had nothing to do with that. Such
claih and uproar came from the Big.
wig family, at the unaccountable pro-
ceilings of wich race he marvelled
much. They set the s.ranscst statutes
in iron. and dark bronze, and brass, be-
fore his door, and darkened his house
with the uncou,h images Of horses. H,
/ wondered what it all meant, smiled ir
in rough soodhumored way he had ,ans
t kept a, his hard work. d" ~
=, The Bigwis family Composed Of al
5 the stateliest people thereabouts, and al
the noisest) had undertaken 10 save hin
the trouble Of thinking for himself ant
e to manage him and ais affairs. "Wh,
e truly" said he, II have little time upol
I my hands; and if you will be so good a
+. 10 take care Of me, in return for tn
;, money l pay over"-for the Bigwi
a family was no, above his moneys
h shall be relieved, and much obliged
|. considering that you know best" Honc
I the drumming, trumpeting, and speech
t making, and the ugly images { { horse
6 which he was expected to fall down an
It worship.
~ don't understand oil this" snid h
e rubbing his furrowed brow confusedly
|. "But Il has meaning, may be, if
IS could find it out"
r, "lt MEANS" returned the Bigwig fam
ly, suspec,ing something Of what he sal
le "honor and glory in the highest, to tn
Y, highest merit"
ID "Oh!" said he. And he was glad
h! hear that.
m But, when he looked among the ia
he ages in iron, marble, bronze and bras
+ he failed to find rather mystsrio,
lie countryman Of his, once the son Of
re Warwick shire wool dealer, or any 81
er glo counlryman whomsoevef Of tn
{ kini. He could finl none. Of the M
ri whose knowledge had rescued him al
his children from terrific and ,lisfguri
y, disease, whose boldness had raised |
lforeiathefs from the condition Of ser
whose infancy bad opened q new q
id high existence to ihe humblast. who
;e, skilt had filled The working mans woi
with accumulated wonders. Whete'
q ~ s,ssIe z n, ri t.sls x IL - u. 49,