Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-04-20
Misrrllaueous.
From the CongregstiOnGlist,
Being Somebody.

t Being Somebody.
"Come, William. you will 60 with US this
afternoon" said James Gray to his cousin,
"No, James, have already given you
my reasons for refusing" was the reply.
"a fig for such reasons. You can't af-
ford the iimel Why, man, or boy, rather.
for you never will be man or boy, what is
enc afternoon thar you are so afraid ofspen-
dingit" ease.-a owes
much, very much, James, / have a diff
cult plan almost completed, and wish to
finish it while the idea is fresh in my mind. "
"That everlasting plan again. Some old
machinery. enough to puzzle the brain Of
Archimedes himself. Are you going to
invent perpetual motion? / do declare,
you are enough to provoke the patience of a
saint Forever moping over plans, dia-
grams, and models, and heathenish machin,
cry, that would make one think your roem
a pagan temple expect you will apply
for patent for an improvement in the car
of Juggernaut But it is no use in talking
TO you, for you are joined 10 your ideas. /
would be somebody, ,"he pettishly continued,
IS he turned towards the door.
Would you, James," was the quietEe-
ply of William; "well, | am trying to be
somebody" asssr r lla +
''You take a strange way for II, though.
Here you are shut up in this dismal room
night after night, never enjoying harmless
trick with the rest of US, or giving yourself
any of the indulgences that make life pleas
ant. Even a holiday makes no difference
with you One would suppose you loved
the very sight Of the tools and workshop,
for you have them forever with you"
"Don't get excited, James" said William
smiling. ''come, be serious now. Dol neg
lect any Of my duties? Do not perform
as much labor and succeed as we'll in my
trade as any of you? And as for enjoy
ment, nc one loves pleasure better than l
do. should enjoy sail with you this af-
terroon very much; but my means of i'm
provemeHt are limited, and bat little of my
time can / call my own" fu3' g.,
flames, we are machinists, causing gross
material substance TO assume shape and fit-
ness under the mysterious supremacy of
our wills. Some call this low, common
business, mechanical operations. but il is not
so There is a mental power TO which mat
ter must bow, and there is nothing higher
than to elevate and enoble our conceptions
so as to make this plastic matter subservi-
ent to the best interest Of Man. II is thus
Improvements are made First the ideal,
then the corresponding outward form. In
my mind there is shadowed forth, though
but dimly -"
- "Save me from such learned inhictions," f"
exclaimed James, "I have no taste for what
| cannot understand. Well, William, be a
dreamer il you please, l am for active life
and its pleasures. Hurrah for our sail, and
good bye to the second Fulton"
"Poor James mere newer Of wood and
drawer of waler5' said William as he closed
the door and resumed bis occupations.
"Where's Win ?" cried several voices, as
James joined his companions in the street.
d" Oh, in his room, Of course, calculating
how much beetle power it will take to draw
an acorn from an ant-hill"
Couldn't you prevail on him TO come ?
He is one of the best rowers we have"
"Prerall on him! you might as well pre-.
vail on an uFster TO leave its shell; was
really vexed, and gave him short piece Of
my mind I told him at length, would
TRY TO be somebody" said James lighting
his cigar and twirling bis cane after the most
approved fashion. .--F ~=.-
,1i" Good" said Harry Gilbert, 1 am glad
you showed your spirit. He is good
hearted fellow, if he is full of oddities, and
it may, perhaps, start him from his burrow,
But what did he ssy?"
oh, after arguing the matter for while
he went off into learned dissertation in
the midst Of which j made my escape. He
will never be anybody in the world, that is
the long and short Of it."
James and William Grey were cousins
and were apprentices in machine shop,
where various kinds of machinery were
made. James, as may be inferred by the
foregoing conversation, looked upon his EN-.
lployment as necessary evil To him il
war mere manual labor-a given number
of blows, a requisite degree Of heat, Ger.
tain expenditure Of strengthen a word il
was toll in the most literal sense. William,
on the contrary, viewed with the eye Of an
artist There was not merely the rough
iron to be moulded into some uncared- for
machine, but, as he tod James, as plastic
material, assumed beauty by the will ol
man. He studied, therefore, not only the
mechanical part of his trade, but hisinvent.