Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-07-04
For the Spectator.
The Mechanic.

See how that ycung lady tosses her head
and turns the other way, at the same time di-
recing her nasal protuberance heavenward,
when she passes tliat young man who Is an
honest mechanic.
''Ah mel" ste eyclaims to the young man
by her side, how offensive such people are -
He observes her and says--"Did you ever
reflect, Mis-. Ellen, how much we and our en-
tire race arc Indebted TO that class OF persons
for all our comforts aud luxuries? Indeed,
we could not live without them. l think you
take the wrong view Of the subject. They are
entitled to the most honor Of all our race. It
is among them that we ind the most genius -
You look very beautiful Miss Ellen, and you
are entirely dependent upon tbs mechanic for
that beauty. [ have said entirely dependent,
which, perhaps, you may deny, and reply that
you possess natural beauties that the mechanic
could not possibly have had any hand in. Now
let us see how this is. We will commence with
the first mechanic that ever come into exis-
tence.
You ask, who was he? BY answer is, the
maker of all things, and 1t follows that the
maker OF ali things was your maker; there
fore, you are indebted to him for that bcauti-
full complexion that massive suit OF hair
that graceful fgure-that eye that rolls so
calmly n glossy blue, aud that smile that now
examine the six muscles that are attached by
one extremity to your eyebal, and by the 9TH
er to the adjacent hone, and see the mechani-
cal arrangement manifested in them, their le-
verage, and power Of shortening and elonga-
ting SO as to move the eye in every direction,
and the mechanical arrangement OF the hbres
composing each muscle, | am sure you would
be ready to exclai,n, what wonderful piece
of mechanism II And then examine the ball
itself; its different coats the iris, which con-
tains the wonderful power OF contracting and
dilating the pupil, thus making you comfort
able in both light and darkness. aud the retina
on the posterior part OF the ball to receive the
impression and enable you to behold all OF these
beautiful this rs you see around you could
you, then, have a contempt tor him who made
them? And SO we might continue with every
part of our bodies La every part we would
| find mechanical principles prevailing and ena-
| bling each organ to perform those functions,
| that give US all our pleasures, and our lite it
| self. And after this wonderful piece Of me-
chanism. (our bodies) has been constructed,
what would become Of the immortal part of
| them, had it not been for the son OF the car
penter Joseph, Jesus CHRIST! And we are
| taught by that great and good man Mr.. CLARK,
who has thrown so much hight upon the bible,
that Christ actually worked at the carpenter s
trade: that he planed plaDks, and drove nails.
Do YOU think if you could be thrown in his
presence this moment you could condescend to
receive him in your society? How do you sup
pose Christ views you at this moment bearing
in your mind such contempt Tor the meohan-
ic when he himself was one. and his father
also Now let US descend in the scale and come
to our own fallen race. Suppose you had met
with MIR. Madison. the ablest and Wlsest OF our
presidents, whose father was blacksmith and
earned an honest living at his trade, would you
think him unworthy Of you? Velpean, who
has done so nuch for the medical science
''Please tell me who Velpean was. | never
heard of him before
s'Re was the son of blacksmith IN the city
of Tours-was bred to his fathers trade, and
was only diverted from it by accident. When
he was only sixteen years old, the fore6nger Of