American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-09-24
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RELIGION in THE WORKSHOP.
BY t. S. ARTHUR.

tA BY i. .. ARTHUR.
i "You are not going to put in that
piece of wood, Richard?" said one
Workman to another. ag
! eyes, | am. No one will be the wi
ser for it., was answered.
"But some one may be wrongcd by
| "Novery serious wrong. The worst
that can happen will be a rickety draw
"But Richard. if you will take the
trouble 70 go up into the third story,
and select better seasoned piece Of
wood, you Will then be able to furnish
drawer that will always run smooth
Ily."
81 am not going to take that trouble.
Mrs. Thompson would be very far from
putting herself out SO much for me-"
cit doesn't strike me that you have
anything to do with Mrs. Thompson 5
disposition towards you in the case
1t is simple question of right and
wrong. You are at work on a bureau
for which she has agreed to pay our
employer a certain price The under
standing is of course that the wood and
workmanship are to be Of good quality.
Now if your put in that piece of wood
you will wrong both Mrs, Thompson,
and our employer. She will receive a
defective, troublesome article, and he
will be injurcdm his busines; for Mrs.
Thompson would hardly engage him to
make another piece Of furniture after
finding herself deceived in this. Your
doing this thing, Richard, is, according
ito my notion, Il violation of Christian
Charity.
81 dom. sec that Christian charity
has anything to do with the matter
Mrs. Thompson crowded down in the
Eprice, and / am not too we'll paid for
my part of the work. So you see,
can't afford to be hunting about after
seasoned wood. This piece comes
nicely to my hand, and am going to
use it,.
:. 81 have nothing more to say" "repli-
ed, the fellow workman, "except to re.
peat my Judgment of your act, and call
it violation Of Christian charity. Our
praying, singing and Bible-reading,
Richard will not help up heavenward,
unless we are just between man and
man. The Christian is nothing with
out the Christian life. Our religion,
In order to change us radically, must
descend into all our commoncst du-
ties. 1t belongs as much to the shop
as to the family, and as much to the
family as to the sanctuary. If you
put in that piece of wood knowing as
you do, that it will render the bureau
you arc making permanently defective
you will hurt your own soul"
"Don't trouble yourself about my
soul" was the rather short reply. 81
will take good care of that. If you
hadn't said SO much about magni.
fed molehill into a mountain
might have selected better piece OF
wood. But this shall go in now III
risk the consequences"
"The risk may be greater than you
imagine. 1t generally is in all such
cases." was the grave reply.
And hero the remonstrance closed
Richard Wheeler, the journeyman cab
met maker, worked in the unscasoned
piece of wood and went on to finish
the bureau, which was send home at
the time agreed upon, and price paid.
We do not know whether the sugges
tions of his fellow workman remained
with him or not; or whether the un.
seasoned piece of wood in anywise
, troubled his conscience.
Time passed on. The bureau, which
bad been placed in the chamber of Mrs
Thompson, gave good satisfaction foi
time; but the unseasoned piece oi
wood at length failed to do it's proper
duty, and the drawer began faultina
in its work. The disproportionatc
shrinkagc Of one side of the drawer
bent all the parts out Of line, so that
the opening and closing thereof wac
, always attended with more or less diff
, ficulty.
, Richard the journeyman, who made
: the bureau, was in the warc.room ono
+ day when Mrs. Thompson came in
. and with some warmth Of manner, saiC
: 70 his employer:
, 81 Cont think you have dealt fairly
by mo in the bureau, Mr.. Cartright.
Rather grave charge, Mrs. Thomp
/, son" replied the cabinct.makor.---
"Why do yor say so?"
"You have not made it of proper1y
: seasoned wood, a thing for which pai.
t ticulorly stipulated" said the lady.
(, III beg your pardon, madam" Mr.