Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-09-13
BEING SOMEBODY;
A Good Story for Young Men and Boy
BY ELIZA A. CHASE.

BY ELIZA A. CHASE.
"Come, William. will you go with us
this afternoon ?" said James Gray to his
cousin.
mo, James, l have already given you
my reasons for refusing" was The reply.
- A fg for such reason you can't af-
ford the time Why, manor boy, ra-
ther. for you will never be man-what
is one afternoon that you are SO afraid Of
spending ?"
" Much, very much. James. 1 have a
difficult plan almost completed and wish
to finish it while the idea is fresh in my
mind
THAT everlasting plea again. Some
old machinery. enough 10 puzzle the brain
of Archimedes himself. Are you going
TO invent a perpetual motion? 1 do de-
clare. you are enough TO provoke the pa
UcDce of saint Forever mOping over
plans, diagrams and models. and heathen-
ish machinery, that make one think YOUR
room a pagan temple. / expect you will
apply for pateuL for an Improvement in
the car of Juggernaut. But it is of no
use to talk to you, for you are joined to
Your idols"
Il would try to be somebody" he pet
lishly continued, as he turned toward the
door.
"Would YOU, James ?" was the quiet
reply of William, well, l am trying to be
somebody"
"You take strange way for it though.
Here you are shut up in this dismal room,
night after night. never enjoying harm
less trick with the rest us, or giving your
self any Of the indulgences that make life
pleasant. Even holiday makes no diff
ference with you. One would suppose
you loved the very sight of the workshop
and tools, for you have them forever with
you"
Don't get excited, James," said vii.
liam, smiling, "come be serious now
Do neglect any of my duties? Do
not perform as much labor. and succeed
as well in my trade as any Of you? And
rs for enjoyment; no one loves pleasure
better than l do. / should enjoy sal
with you this afternoon very much, bu
means for improvement are limited
and but little of my time can l call my
own"
James, we are machinists, causing
gross material substance to assume shapes
Of beauty and fitness, under the myste
rious supremacy Of our wills. Some cal
this a low, common business, mechani
cal operation but it is not so. There is {
mental power to which matter must bow
and there is nothing higher than 10 eIe
yate and enuoble our conceptions so as Il
make this plastic matter subservient TO th
interests or man. It is thus impairment t
are made. First the ideal then the cor
responding outward form. In my mine
there is shadowed forth, though but dim
ly-
Save me from such learned infic
tions p exclaimed James. 81 have n
taste for what cannot understand. Well
William, be dreamer if you please
am for active life and its Pleasures
Hurrah for our sail, and goodbye to I'll
second Fulton"
"Pcor James A mere newer of WOO
and drawer of water" said William, a
be closed the door and resumed his occu
patton.
Where's Will ?" cried several voice
as James joined his companions in tn
street.
"Oh, in his room, Of course, calcula
ting how much beetle power it will TAX
to draw an acorn up an ant-hill."
Couldn't you prevail on him to come
He is one of the best rowers we have"
owe mi, ,ht as well try to prevail o
an oyster to leave his shell. was reall
-vexed. and gave him short piece of NJ
mind. told him at length, that woul
try aud be somebody" said James, light
ing his cigar. and twirling his cane afte
the most approved fashion.
"Good, said Harry Gilbert. "I an
glad you showed your spirit. He is
good hearted fellow. if he is full of oddi
ties. and it may, perhaps, start him Iror
his burrow. But what did he say ~
ooh. after arguing awhile. he went o
in a learned dissertation, in the midst
which made my escape. He will neve
be anybody in the world, that is the Ion
and the short Of it,
James and William Grey were cousins
and were apprentices in machine shop
where various kinds of machinery wa
made. James. as may be inferred by tn
foregoing conversation, looked upon hi
employment as necessary evil. To hir
it was manuel labor; given number c
blows; requisite degree of heat; Gel
tain expenditure of strength-in WORD
it was manuel in its most literal sense.
William, on the contrary, viewed it wit
the eye of an artist. There was not mere
ly the rough iron to be moulded into som
uncared for machine, but as he told Jane
plastic material assuming beauty by th
will of man.