Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-04-27
5rIAtteo Alistellanp.
~
WIZ L LEFT THE ANVIL.
BY ELrHu RuBRIrT .

see i'll You would ask me what !
have TO say for myself for dropping the
hammer and taking up the quIil, as a
member of your profession. l will be
honest now and tell you the whole story.
was transposed from the anvil to the
editors char by the genius of machinery.
Don't smile, friend, 1t is even so. Istood
and looked for hours on those thoughtless
iron intellects, those iron-ingered, sober,
supple automatons, as they caught up u
ball of cotton and twirled it, in the twink
ling of an eye, into whirlwind of whiz-
zing shreds, and laid it at my feet in folds
of snow-white cloth, ready for the use of
the most yoluptuous antipodes. They
were wonderful things, those looms and
spindles ; but they cold not spin thoughts
there was no attribute Of divinity in
them, and admired them nothing more.
They we're excessively curious, but
conld estimate the whole compass Of theii
being and destiny in finger-powers SO
went away, and left them splnning-cot-
ton.
One day | was turning my anvil be-
meath hot iron, and busy with the
thought that there was as much intellec.
tual philosophy in my hammer as in any
enginery going in modern times, when
a most unearthly scream pierced my ears
/ stepped to the door, and there it was
the great iron-horse. Yes, he had come
looking for all the world like the grcat
dragon we read ofin Scripture, harnessed
to half living world, and just landed OIL
the earth, where he stood braying with
surprise and Indignation, at the +" base
use" to which be had been turned.
saw the gigantic hexagon move with ;
power that made the earth tremble fol-
miles. saw the army Of human beingl
gliding with the velocity of wind ovcl
the iron-track, and droyes of cattle trav.
cling in their stables at the rate of TWEEN
ty miles an hour towards the city slaught
er-house. 1t was wonderful The lit
tie busy, bee-winged machinery of tn,
cotton factory dwindled into insignif
canoe before it, Monstrous beast o
passage and burdenl 1t divorced til,
intervening distance, and welded tn,
cities together! But for its furnace
heat and snews. it was nothing but /;
beast, an enormous aggregation Of horse
power. And | went back to my forg'
with unimpaired reverence for the intel
lectual philosophy of my hammer.
Passing along the street one afternoon
| heard a noise in an old building, as 0
some one putting pair of old bellows
SO without more ado, stepped in, and
in corner Of room, saw the che
doagre Of all machinery that has eve
been invented since the birth Of Tuba
Cain. In its construction, it is simpl
as a cheese press. 1t went with lever
with lever longer, stronger than tha
with which Archimcdes promised to lii
the world.
!" 1t is printing PRESS" said bo
standing by the ink trough, with a care
! less turban Of brown paper on his head.
"a printing press r j queried mu
singly to myself. "A printing press
What do you print ?" J. asked.
Prlnt = SAID the boy, staring at m
r doubtfully why we print thoughts"
+" Print thoughts !" / repeated afte
him and we stood looking for momen
at each other in mutual admiration--h
in the absence of an idea, and / in pur
suit of one. But l looked at him tn
hardest, and be left another inkspot Of
his forehead, from pathetic motion 0
his left hand to quicken my apprehen
sion Of his meaning.
Why, yes" he reiterated, in ton
Of forced confidence, as if pressing al
idea, which thought having been curren
hundred years, might still be counter
felt, for aught he could show on the spot
I'VE print thoughts, 10 be sure
But, my boy" asked, in an homes
: soberness, "what are thoughts, and hoy
can you get hold Of them"
Thoughts are what comes out 0
peoples minds" he replied. "Get hol,
Of them, indeed Why minds ain
nothing you can get hold Of, nor thoughts
either. All the minds that ever thought
and al the thoughts that minds evel
made, would not make q ball as big a.