Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-30
EVENING STAR.
THR MAHyC rrC

| Hague, Leyden, and other places nc bar;.s
been once nhabited by the most ingenious ar.
inst Holland ever produced-to say nothing "a
his daughter Blanche, the prettiest mai5en
ever born within the croaking Of a fro, H;.
profession was that of a surgical ipstrumsnt
maker but dis fame rested principally on the
admirable skill with which he construc.o5
| wooden and cork legs. Many a crippIe VIII
had looked upon his defomity as incurabje.
found himself so elegantly propped up by
Mynheer Turningvort, that he almost began 70
doubt whether timber or cork supporter was
not, on the whole, superior to a moro common.
| place and troublesome one of flesh and blood
And in good sooth, if you had seen how yery
handsome and delicate were the u,,dsrstaua.
angs fashioned by this skilfuI artifcor Won
would have beenpuzzled 10 settle the question
yourself; the more especially if, in your real
toes, you wero ever tormented with the pout
or corns. -..5r
One morning, just as Master Turnineyort
was giving its final smoothness and polisb N n
calf and ankle, messenger entered his ,t,,J,o
ana requested that he would immediately ao-
company him to the mansion Of Mynheer Won
WodenblOok, the richest merchant in Rotter.
dam SO the artist put On his best wig, and set
forth, with his three cornered hat in one
hand, and bis silver headed stick in the otber
so happened that Mynheer Won Wooden
block had been very laudabIy emnloved
few days before, in turning a poor relation nt
OF doors; but IN endeayoring to hasten the
odious wretch's progress down stairs, by
slight impulse, pvOsteri0rt, he had unfortn
nately lost bis balance, and tumbled headlono
from the top to the bottom he found, on re.
covering his senses, that he had broken his
right leg, and that lie was minus three teeth
He had at first some thought of hayinv his
poor relation tried for murder; but. being
naturally Of merciful disposition, he oply
sent him to gsol On account Of some nnnai3
debt, leaving him there to enjoy the comfort.
able reflection that his wife and children were
starving at home.
dentist soOn supplied the invalid with
three teeth, which he hsd pulled out of an in
digent poets head at the rate of ten stivar.
apiece, but for which he prudeptlv cbarccd
the rich merchant twenty guineas
Tne doctor, upon examining his leg. and
recollecting that he was Just ther rather in
want of subject cut it carefully off, and took
it away with him in his carriage, to lecture
upon it TO his pupils So, Mynheer Won Wod
enblock, aware that he he'd been hitherto ac-
customed to walk, and not to hor. and being.
perhaps, somewhat prejudiced i1i favor of tho
former mode of action, sent for our friend AZ
the canal basin, IN order that he might give
him directions about the substitute with which
be wished 10 bo supplied in the place of his
lost member. '.
The artincer entered the wealthy burrher's
hc was IoclD1IY on cOnch
with his left leg looking as respectable as eye-
but with his unhappy right tump wrapped up
In bandages, as If conscious of its own little
ness. -
" Turningvort, you have heard Of my mis-
fortune; it has thrown me into fever, and
all Rotterdam into confusion-hut let that
pass You must make me a leg and it mus,
be the best leg, sir, you ever made in your
life" Turningvort bowed "I do not care
what 1t cost"-Turningvor bowed still lower
a" provided 1t Outdoes everything you have vet
made Of a similar sort. am for none Of your
wooden spindle shsnks. Make il Of cork let
it be light and elastic, and cram Il as fulI of
springs as watch know nothing of the
business, and cannot be more specific in INV
directions; but this l am determined on, that
l shall have leg as good as the ono L have
lost. know such a thing is to be had-ald
II get 1t from you your reward is a thousand
guineas
The Dutch Promctheus declared. that 70
please Mynheer Won Wodenblock, he would do
more than human ingenuity had ever done
before and undertook to bring him. within
six days, leg which would laugh to scorn
the mere common legs possessed by common
men.
This assurance was not meant as an idle
boast. Turnlngvort was man of speculative
as we'll as practical science, and there was a
favorite discovery which he had long been
SuVOdfOIiuS W HlGhc, duC In ACCOMPLISHING
which he imagined he had at last succeeded
that very morning. Like all other M manufac-
turers of terrestrial legs, be had ever found
the CHIEF difficulty In his progress toward per-
fection to consist in its being apparently i'm
possible to introduce into them ANYTHING in
the shape Of joints capable of being regulated
by the will, and OF performing those import.
ant functions achieved under the present sys.
tenn by means Of the admirable mechanical
construction at the kpaa nd
losopher had spent years in endeavoring to OBJ
viate this grand Inconvenience, and though he
had undoubtedly made great progress it was
till now that he believed himself master of
the great secret. His first attempt to carry it
into execution was to be in the leg he was
about to make for Mynheer Won Wooden block
1t was on the evening of the sixth day from
that to which L have already alluded, that,
with this magic leg carefully packed up, the
acute artiZan made his appearance before the
expecting and impatient Wodenblock. There
was proud twinkle in Turningvort's gray
eye, which seemed to indicate that he valued
even the thousand guineas, which he intended
for Blanche's marriage portion, less than the
celebrity, the glory, the immortality, of which
he was at length 50 sure. He united his pre-
cious bundle, and spent some hours in dis
playing and explaining TO the delighted bur
CHER the number of additions he had made
to the internal machinery and the purpose
which each was intended to serve.
The evening wore away in these discussions
concerning wheels within wheels, and springs
acting upon springs When it was time to
retire to rest, both were equally satisfied with
the perfection of the work and at the en-
ployer's earnest request the artist consented
10 remain where he was for the remainder Of
the night, in order that, early next morning,
he might fit on the limb and see how it per-
formed its duty.
Early next morning all the necessary ar
raBgements were completed and Mynheer
Won w odenblock walked forth to the street in
ecstacy, blessing the inventive powers of one
who was able to make so excellent a hand Of
his leg. 1t seemed, indeed, to act to admira-
ton. In the merchants mode of walking
there was no stiffness, no effort, no constraint;
all the joints performed their Office without
the aid Of either bone or muscle Nobody,
not even a connoisseur in lameness, would
have suspected that there was any thing un-
common under the full, we'll sloshed panta-
looms of the substantial looking Dutchman
Hal it not been for slight tremulous motion,
occasioned BY tho rapid whirling of about
twenty small wheels in the interior, and a