The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-24
" It Is In To STAY"

sister, Arthur aud Annie, echoed the
sentiment
According to promise, Uncle Joseph
had called to take his nephews and niece
to see the pottery works, not far from the
place in which they had all taken up
summer quarters. Uncle Joseph at the
hotel, and his relatives at a comfortable
cottage near by.
1t was a fine, bright day, and not un-
comfortably warm, so the walk of mile
and half to the pottery was enjoyed by
the whole party. So was the visit itself
and the walk home, the latter made live
lly by discussion of the many interest
ing sights which had been witnessed.
The young folks had each brought
away with them a souvenir of their visit
In the shape OF a very ordinary looking
drinking cup, decorated in blue and
brown colors. These tokens they esteem
ed not for their value in money, but be-
cause they had witnessed the manufacture
OF hundreds like them. They had seen
between thirty and forty girls sitting be-
fore as many fiat plates which, by the
aid of machinery, were kept spinning
round at very rapid rate. Again and
again, as occasion required, workman
placed small lump of clay upon each
OF these plates, when the operators, with
deft fingers would work them into shape
and fashion out q cup. The form secured,
the operator would dip a camel's hair
brush into the blue or brown coloring mat
ter as desired, and with light touch on
the whirling vessel make the rings upon
Its surface. Each ring was but the work
of second or so. The coloring finished
an attendant workman removed the cups
from the fast spinning wheels or plates, a
further supply of clay was placed upon
them and the process was repeated.
The young visitors were exceedingly
anxious to learn how the ware was hard
ened and glazed, and the proprietor Of
the place very cheerfully showed them
the whole process. These soft cups were
carried to an oven, which had been raised
to high temperature. Here they were
baked with as much caution as good cook
pays to Thanksgiving turkey or batch
OF homemade bread, lest they should
harden too speedily. From this oven
the cups were removed to a second and
hotter one, and from the second oven they
were transferred to third, which was
still hotter. In the burning heat of this
last oven they acquired the bright gloss
or glaze SO familiar to all Of US on the
surface of brown stoneware and pottery
generally.
There, sir" said the proprietor to
Arthur, as he showed him one of the
cups that had not yet had time to cool
Oft after its fiery ordeal, "easily as that
color was applied, neither you nor I can
by any means get it out. 1t is in to
stay. You may break the vessel to
pieces, but the color remains firm and
fast"
The young folks examined many of
the broken pieces Of pottery, and found
indeed the color was permanently burned
IN. They were assured that neither acid
nor alkali would effect change. There
was no agency, however powerful, that
could do it.
Much interested, and not little edi-
fed, Uncle Joseph and his small party
left the factory and started for home.
The journey seemed far too short, so
pleasant was the conversation as each
spoke Of the object that had been to them
the chief attraction.
They were almost home when Uncle
Joseph said, "There is one thing, think,
I shall never forget in connection with
our visit. refer to the words of the
proprietor, who made us so welcome.
It is in to stay, he said, and Annie,
Edward, Arthur, think our pleasant
mornings trip may be of testing use to
us if we remember those words and the
lesson they suggest. It's almost as easy,
| think, to color our character with a
bad habit as it was to the operators to
color those cups. While you are young
you will find that your impressions for
good or bad are more easily made than is
the case with those whe are older. You
are now the soft clay. Your afterlife in
the world with it varied scenes. will
prove like the three furnaces, making
permanent the coloring Of youth. Many
young person who in youth has given
way to some foolish, and indeed sinful
habit, with the idea that it could be as
quickly thrown aside, has in after years