64 THE MECHANICAL TURN. 



work in the Lord's vineyard will thrive the better 

 that you work in your own. 



Suppose, then, that on stepping into your garden 

 you observe a fine fruit branch loosened from the 

 wall. It is covered with blossom or heavy with 

 fruit ; and the wind bends it over, and bears it 

 against the remaining point of its attachment. It 

 endures many a harsh gust, and seems in pain to 

 be delivered from its peril. You look on, and 

 would fain relieve it, as you would a child that is 

 drowning. But you have no mechanical turn, and, 

 in furnishing your house, never thought of buying 

 a hammer. Snap goes the branch, making a very 

 unseemly fracture, peeling a good bit of the yet 

 fastened wood, and hanging forth to the withering 

 sun the shrivelled fruit and seared leaf, to the 

 reproach of useless hands, if not a relentless heart. 

 As it is no doubt painful to behold the labour of 

 the long year perish, it were as certainly a pleasure, 

 by timeous interference, to prevent the catastrophe. 



The mechanical turn is not like the gift of the 

 poet ; though not born it may be bought, and that 

 for a few shillings the price of a hammer and a 

 parcel of nails. Love to the work is all that is 

 wanted : get the liking and the thing will come of 

 course. The work too will certainly prosper and 

 please every eye : the lines that you write upon 

 the wall will be full of flowers and sweetness, vastly 

 popular, and condemned by no critic. Thrice 

 happy state to do according to your liking, and 

 what you like to do so well that none may grumble 



