Year: 1859

KISG SoLoMoNs BLAcKsMIrH.-Andi it came
to pass when Solomon, the son of David, had
finished the temple of Jerusalem, that he called
unto him the chief architects, the head artifi-
GERS and cunning workers in silver and gold
and in wood and ivory and stone-yea, all who
aided in working on the Temple Of the Lord,
and he said unto them


Sit you down at my table have prepar.
ed feast for all my chef-workers and artif-
GERS Stretch forth your hands, therefore, and
eat and drink and be merry. Is not the labo-
rer worthy of his hire Is not the most skill
full artifcer worthy of his honor MuzzIe not
the OK that treadeth out the corn"


And when Solomon and the chief workmen
were seated, and the fatneSs of the land and
the oil thereof were set upon the table, there
came one who knocked loudly at the door, and
forced himself even into the festal chamber
Then Solomon, the King, was T9roth aud said:
" What manner of man art thou ?"


And the man answered and said "When men
wish to honor me they call me Son of Forge
but when they desire to mock me, they call me
blacksmith and seeing that the toll of work
ing in fire covers me with sweat and smut, the
latter name, o King is not inapt, and in truth
thy servant desires no better"


But" said Solomon, why came you thus
rudely and unbidden to the feast, where none
save the chief workmen of the Temple arc
invited p


Please, We, my Lord, came rndely," re-
piled the man " because thy servant obliged
me to force my way but came not unbidden
Was it not proclaimed that the chief workmen
of the Temple were to dine with the King of
Israel ("


Then, he who carved the cherubim said :
" This fellow is no sculptor"


And he, who inlaid the roof with pure
gold, said Neither is he workman in fine
metals"


And he, who raised walls, said " He is not
a cutter of stone"


And he, who made the roof cried out Gle
is not cunning in cedar wood neither knoweth
he the mystery of uniting pieces of strange
timber together"


Then, said Solomon "What hast thou to
say, Son of the Forge, why should not order
thee to be pIucked by the beard with scourge,
and stoned to death with stones ?"


When the Son of the Forge heard this he
was in no sort diSmayed but, advancing to
the table, snatched up and swallowed cup of
wice, and said


40 King, live forever The chief men of
the workers in wood and gold and stone, have
said that | am not of them, and they have said
truly, | am their superior, before they lived l
was created | am their master, and they are
all my servants" And he turned him around,
and said to the chief of the carverS in stone


"Who made the tools with which you carver


And he said " The blacksmith"


And he said to the chief workers in wood:
"Who made the tools with which you hewed
the trees of Lebanon. and formed them into
pillars and roof for the Temple ?"


And he said /: The blacksmith"


Then he said to the artifcer in gold and ivory:
Who makes yonr instruments by which You
work beautiful things for my Lord the King


And he said The blacksmith"


Enough. enough, my good fellow" said
Solomon, thou hast proved that | invited
thee, and thou art all mems father in art Go
wash the smut of the forge from thy face, and
come and sit at my right hand. The chiefs of
my wOrkmen are but men-thou art more


So it happened at the feast of Solomon, and
blackSmiths have been honored ever since
LOndOR Mogdctne