Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-10-27
King soIomon,s Blacksmith

And 1t came 10 pass when ION, 70. thu
SOD Of David, had f0Ished the TEMPLE Of
Jerusalem, that he called unto him ,heir
chef artificers, and cunning workmen il
silver and gold, and 10 wood and ivory and
in stOne-yea. all who had aided in rearins
the temple of the Lord, aud said unto
them:
Sit Y" down at my table; Ihave pre-
pared a feast all my chief workers and
cunning artifcers. Stretch fourth your
hands, therefore. and eat and drink and be
merry. Is not the lab0rer worthy Of his
hire? Is not the skiIiul art.fcer worthy
of honor? Muzzle not the OK that treadeth
out the corn 2
And when Solomon and the chief work
ere were seated and the fatness of the land
and the OIL thereof were set upon the table
th're came one who Knocked loudly at the
doar, and forged himself even into the fes-
tai chamber. Then Solomon, the king,
was wroth, and said:
What manner of man art thou?'
And the man answered and said:
When m en- ~ish to honor me, they call
me Son IF the Forge; but when they de-
sire to mock me, they call me the black
smith and seeing that the toni IF working
IN ire covers me with sweat and smut, the
latter title, o king is not inapt; and in
truth thy servant deserves no better
But said Solomon, why came thou
thus unbidden to the feast, where none
save the chief workman of the temple are
invited
please We. nv lord, came rudsly,' re-
piled the man, because thy servant obliged
me to force my way but l came not un-
hidden. Was it MT proclaimed that the
chief workman of the temple we're invited
to dine with the Kirg OF Isreal?
Then he who carved the cherubim said:
This fellow Is no sculptor : and he who
iniaid the roof with pure gold SAID: Mel
tber is he workman in fine motsIs;' aud
he who raised the walls said: lie is not =
cutter of stone : and he who made the roof
cried out: He is not Gun irg ia cedar
wood , neither knoweth he the mystery OF
uniting strange pieces Of timber tOgeth-
err
Then said S, lomon:
What hast thou to say, Son of the
Forge, why l should not order thee to be
pIucked by the beard, scuurged with a
scourge, and stoned to death with stones 2
Ard when the Son of the Forge heard
this. he was in no sOrt dismayed, but ad :
vancing to the table snatched up and swaI-
lowed cup Of VINE, and said:
~ king, live forever! The chief men of
the workers Of wood and gold and stone
have said that ! am ~, one Of then, and
they have sad truly an their superior;
beiorS they lived wiS l crea:ei. | am their
master. and they are all my servsats.'-
And be saId t. the chief Of the carvers in
stone: Who made the tools with which
You carver
And he said: The black smith
Aud be said to the chief of the masous {:
Who made the chisels with which the
stones OF the temple we're squared p:
And be said: The blscksmEh.'
And he said to the chief Of the workers
10 who'd:
who make the tools with which you
hewed the trees IF Lebanon, and formed
them into the pillars and the roof of the
temple?'
And he said: The blacksmith
Then SAID he to the arufcer in gold and
silver and ivory:
Who made you. instruments by which
You work beautiful things tor my lyrd the
king?
Aud he said: The blacksmith
Enough enough, good fellow said S J.
omun, thou hast proved that I invited
thee, and that thou art a Chief ar'ificer in
art. SIT thou beside Us at the feast; and
be thou forever honored among men,