12 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



ter. ' ' From this you will understand how, in many- 

 cases, the blacksmith looks. A great preacher was 

 announced to preach in a neighboring town, and I 

 went to hear him. Just as I sat down in the pew one 

 of the local smiths walked up to me and sat down by 

 my side. He was a blacksmith and he "looked it." 

 Under his eyes was a half moon in black; on both 

 sides of his nose was a black stripe that had been 

 there since his first day in the shop. His ears, well, 

 you have seen a clogged-up tuyer iron. His clothes 

 were shabby and his breath a strong mixture of 

 tobacco and whisky, which made wrinkles on the nose 

 of the lady in front of us. I was somewhat embar- 

 rassed, but the sermon began. As the congregation 

 arose, I opened the hymnbook and my brother smith 

 joined, and with a hand that looked like the paw of a 

 black bear, he took hold of the book. 



After service I was invited by the smith to dinner. 

 Between a number of empty beer kegs we managed to 

 reach the door of the house and everything inside 

 looked the color of his trade. I looked around for 

 books and other articles of culture and found a hand 

 organ and a pack of cards. The only book or reading 

 matter to be found was a weekly of the kind that tells 

 of prize fights, train robberies and murder. I had a 

 fair dinner and told my host that I had to start for 

 home. By this time I was sick of his language — pro- 

 fanity, mixed with a few other words — and I started to 

 leave. On my way to the livery stable I passed my 

 friend's shop, and he said it would not be fair to leave 

 before I had seen his shop. "I have," said he, **a 



