The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-04-04
A RADICAL LEGEND.
THE STORY OF THE BLACKSMITH.

Aud it came to pass, when Solomon, the
sou Of David, had finished the Temple at
Jerusalem, that he prepared feast for his
craftsmen, and spread the tables with the
fatness of the land, and with the wioe and
corn and oil thereof
Aud the seat of the king was apart on
raised dais facing the head of the table, and
the two famous pillars of bronze, with their
beautiful capitals of lilies, pomegranates and
delicate network, stood, one on his right
hand and the other on his left, and the lin
tel thereof was as canopy over the head Of
the king.
And Solomon had also prepared seat of
honor, and set it on his right hand, ready
for that craftsman who might be pronounced
most worthy among all who wrought in
building the house Of the Lord.
And when all Wa. ready, he called unto
him his chief architects and master-over-
seers, and the head artilicers who were Gun
ming workers in gold and silver, in bronze
and ivory, and in wood and stone, yea, all
who had labored in building the Temple of
the Most High, and he said unto them.
Come now with me and partake of the
feast which have prepared. Stretch forth
your bands eat, drink and be merry, The
skilled artiticer is worthy of honor. Is not
the laborer worthy of his hire? Muzzle not
the OK that treadeth out the corn upon the
threshing floor
And when Solomon and hi: guests had ar
rived at the place of the feast, they beheld
a man, clad in the garb and covered with
the soil of labor, seated in the chair of hon
or not yet awarded. And the king waxed
wr1th, and said, what manner of man art
'A'u? Why comest thou unseemly and un
hidden to our feast, where none are invited
save the chief workers on the Temple p
And the man answered and said, Please
you, came not unbidden. Was it not pro-
claimed that this day the chief workmen of
the Temple dine with the king Therefore
/ come
And when the man had thus spoken, the
guests talked with each other, and he who
craved the cherubim spake aloud and said,
This fellow is no sculptor. know him
not,
And he who inlaid the roof with pure
gold said, Neither is he of those who work
in refined metals And he who wrought in
raising the walls said 'He belongs not with
those who are cutters of stone
And one who labored in shaping the tim
bers for the roof said, we who are cunning
in cedar wood and know the mystery of join
ing strange timbers together, know him not
| He is not Of us
Then said King Solomon, How sayest
thou now? Wherefore should l not have
thee plucked by the beard, scourged with a
scourge and stoned with stones, even unto
death p
But the man was nowise daunted, and he
rose from the seat, and came to where the
wine was set, and took up a cup of the wine
and raised it high and spake aloud, saying,
'Oh king live forever = he then drank
long until the cup was empted.
| Tie now returned to the seat and spake to
the guests who had rebuked him, and said
unto the chief of the carvers in stone, who
made the instruments with which you carve?'
And he answered, The Blacksmith
And to the chief workers in wood he said
who made the tools with which you felled
the cedars of Lebanon, and shaped them in
to pillars and roof for the Temple p
And he also answered, The Blacksmith
Then he spske to the artifcer in gold and
ivory and precious stones, saying, 'WhC
fashioned the instruments which you wrough
beautiful ornaments for my lord the king 2
And he too made answer the same, 'Th,
Blacksmith
Then said the man to Solomon, Behold
o king Tam he whom, when men deride
they call me Blacksmith, but when the,
would honor me they call me Son of th
Forge. These craftsmen say truly that an
not ofthem. l am their superior. Withou
my labor first, their labor could not be. Tn,
great Tubal Cain, whom all men honor
taught those who in turn taught me my han
dicrafta the mighty Vulcan who wrough
in fire and smoke and sweat, as | do, was
not deemed fitting he shonld have even tn
Queen of Beauty for his wife p
son of the Forge said solomon, i to
honor thee, thou worthy successor of tn
great master. Tubal Cain. Take thou thi
/ seat at my right hand prepared for the mos
worthy. 1t is thy due
Thus it came to pass at the feast of Sole
men, the wise king of Isreal, and from tina
time forth the smiths were held in high e'
n TEEN, and greatly increased and multiple
> in all lands