The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-24
A NOBLE WORKING MAN OF OLDEN
TIMES.

9
One May morning. in the year 1889, the inhabi-
tants Of the little French town Of Saintes were
both astonished and angry to see that a poor
family had como 20 reside among them. They
would have rejoced to see well-todo household
come, but they had no welcome to give to these
poor people.
On inquiry the nelghbors learned that the head
Of the family was painter on glass called fami-
larly Bernard. As he was very quiet, indus
trious man, the fears that his family would be
charge on the town gradually sub,ided.
But there was something that they did not
understand. The man was always kneading clay
and baking II, and making various experiments
in trying 10 glaze il. Why should he neglect his
regular trade, and iniure his wife and family by
all this iruitIcss trouble which never seemed to
end in his making anything worth looking at {
But the silent Bernard was not man that could
be much intcricred with. He was very sober, a
keeper at home when others were at the wine
house Of an evening So the ucghbOrs were
content to call him an unsOcial fellow, and began
to eye him with distrust, IL not dislike.
How soon prejudice springs up in the mind,
and how bad are its effects If these suspicious
neighbOrs had been less hasty in Judging Ber-
nard, they would have found that he was man
to whom great idea had come; and that he
could not rest until he had worked it out. This
Bernard was very religious, aud his religion
showed itself in his being in earnest in all that he
] uld. lie DCIcVcd thdt GOu was nOnOrCd by every
faculty being dedicated to Him; and full of the
belief that IL was Gods appointment that he
should labor at his experiments, he continued to
work on, unmOved by the iecrs of some of his
ncghbOrs and the CCnsures of others.
There were, however, some who pleaded with
him that IL was difficult 10 resist These were his
wife and children, who, after they saw that the
husband and father had failed in many of his
attempts, implOred him 10 give up his plans, what
ever they were, and return to the pursuits that
would provide for the wants of the household
/ In vain Bernard told them that if he succeeded
in making what he was attempting thathe should
| confer n great boon on The world, and, by Gods
blessing, would enrich them: they mourned ovcl
| his truitess tolls as the deusions of a madman.
At length when, in order TO heat his furnace
| Bernard actually tore down the fence Of his gar
den, and also ripped mp the flooring for fuel,
there was an outcry that tho experimentalist was
! insane.
Just as their patience was quite exhausted, and
| they were ready to rush out and bring in those
! who would carry the head of the house to some
| place of restraint, Bernard uttered cry OF joy,
for lie brought out Of his furnace an enameled
| cup of a kind of pottery until then unknown.
This was the work he had been toiling TO achieve,
/ ana now success crowned his efforts
Directly the rumOr OF this discovery was made
| known the neghboTs saw az once It's Importance
and spread the tdngs far aud near. The king
/ (lienTy III, of FranCe) sent for the ingenious
workman, and having assured himself OF the
| great value Of the discovery, gave him patent,
and put him at the head Of an establishment
called the Royal Rustic Pottery, and the in
vcntor became known rs Bernard Palissy, Of the
Tuiiercss
The projudices Of his neighbors and the
poverty Of his family now all passed away.
BY his useful invention OF endmelled pottery, he
was the means of giving employment TO hun
dTeds, and increasing the cOnyeniences Of dOmes-
tic life. For all the articles in use in the home,
none are more conducive TO cleanliness aud COM
fort than good, useful pottery. In the possession
OF this, we English people surpa,s the world,
thanks to our WedgewOOds SpOdes, and Cope
lands, Mintons, and others. But in the times we
speak Of, Bernard Palis.y was the inventor and
beneiaCtOr who first gave TO modern Europe
specimens OF improved pottery.
But Il was not permitted TO this earnest man Ia
enjoy in quietude the results of his long career
OF toll. When he was old and lonely he had "a
bear his testimony to the faith that he prOfessed
IL was time of terrible religious persecution
! and the aged potter was shut up in the BaStle
! The king, who professed both to admire and like
the ingenious workman visited him in prison
and finding that be could not alter Palissys OPT
MON, he said, as he was about TO take leave o
him -
I THAT he was afraid he should be obliged 4
/ leave Palissy In the hands of his enemies"
| The old man replied to the monarch -
"You have said repeatedly, sire, that you pitt
me. But sincerely pity you. Be obiiged-tha
. is no royal expression l will teach you u kingl,
language. Nor you, nor all your people shal
Oblige me TO deny my faith. No, l will di
| first"
Surely among the honorable class Of worker
thas man deserves to be had in grateful remem
bTance.-Britih Workman.
sIhe wei known name Of the Chief Royal Palace
Paris, Is taken from Iilo-WoTks.