The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-03-24

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| Has Just all turned to rain!" rs.
Mrs. s. u. Walsh. in Youths Companion.
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SIN TO STAY"
"Hurrab for Uncle Josephr' shouted
Edward; and Edward brother and sis
ter, Arthur and Annie, echoed the SEN
timent. fsver ta@}
| According to promise, Uncle Joseph
had called to take bis ,nephews and
| niece to see the pottery works.. not far
from the place in which they had all
taken up summer quarters, Uncle Jo-
| seph at the hotel and his relatives at q
comfortable cottage near by. liz
1t was fine bright day and not un-
comfortably warm, so the walk of a
mile and half to the pottery was en-
| joyed by the whole party. So was the
visit itself and the walk home. the latter
made lively by a discussion of the many
interesting sights which had been wit
messed.
The young folks had each brought
away with them souvenir of their visit
in the shape of very ordinary-looking
drinking cup, decorated in blue and
brown colors. These tokens they es-
teemed not for their value in money,
but because they had witnessed the
manufacture of hundreds like them.
They had seen betw cen thirty and forty
girls sitting before as many fiat plates,
which, by the aid of machinery, were
kept spinning round at a very rapid
rate. Again and again, as occasion re-
CURED, aworkman placed small lump
OF clay upon each of these plates. when
the operators, with deft fingers, would
work them into shape and fashion out a
cup The form secured, the operator
would dip camePs-ha brush into the
blue or brown coloring matter as de-
sired, and, with a light touch on the
whirling vessel, make the rings upon its
surface. Each ring was but the work
of second or so. The coloring fin
ished, an attendant workman removed
the cups from the fast spinning wheels
or plates, further supply of clay was
placed upon them. and the process was
repeated. eu s- 'tH
The young visitors were exceedingly
anxious to learn how the ware was
hardened and glazed. and the proprie-
tor 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 a 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 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 L.
can by any means get it out. 1t is in
to stay. You NAV break the vessel to
pieces, but the color remains firm and
fast.' ---,1'T
The young folks examined many of
the broken pieces of pottery and found
that indeed the color was permanently
burned in. They were assured that
neither acid nor alkali would effect a
a change. There was no agency, how
ever powerful. that could do it. 800
Much interested and not a 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. I
They were almost home when Uncle
Joseph said: There is one thing, l
think. l shall never forget in connection
with our visit. refer to the words of
the proprietor, who made us so well
come. 1t is in to stay. he said, and
Annie, Edward, Arthur, think cur
pleasant mornings trip may be of last
ing use to US, if we remember these
words and the lesson they suggest. It
is almost as easy, think, to Color our
character with bad habit as it was to
the operators to color those Guns.
While you are young you will find that
your Impressions for good or bad are
more easily made than is the case with
those who are older. You are now like
the soft clay. Your after-life in the
world. with its varied scenes, will prove
like the three furnaces, making perma-
nent the coloring of youth. MANY
young person who in youth has given
way to some foolish and, indeed. sim
full habit, with the idea that it could
be as quickly thrown aside, has in after
years discovered that it was lin to
stay IN. r Observer.
p The Grow md fhn Noo4 e. riE4 /