FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   412   413   414   415   416   417   418   419   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436  
437   438   439   440   441   442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   >>   >|  
some. Oh, sir, it will break bones--beware, beware! No fear; I like a good grip; I like to feel something in this slippery world that can hold, man. What's Prometheus about there?--the blacksmith, I mean--what's he about? He must be forging the buckle-screw, sir, now. Right. It's a partnership; he supplies the muscle part. He makes a fierce red flame there! Aye, sir; he must have the white heat for this kind of fine work. Um-m. So he must. I do deem it now a most meaning thing, that that old Greek, Prometheus, who made men, they say, should have been a blacksmith, and animated them with fire; for what's made in fire must properly belong to fire; and so hell's probable. How the soot flies! This must be the remainder the Greek made the Africans of. Carpenter, when he's through with that buckle, tell him to forge a pair of steel shoulder-blades; there's a pedlar aboard with a crushing pack. Sir? Hold; while Prometheus is about it, I'll order a complete man after a desirable pattern. Imprimis, fifty feet high in his socks; then, chest modelled after the Thames Tunnel; then, legs with roots to 'em, to stay in one place; then, arms three feet through the wrist; no heart at all, brass forehead, and about a quarter of an acre of fine brains; and let me see--shall I order eyes to see outwards? No, but put a sky-light on top of his head to illuminate inwards. There, take the order, and away. Now, what's he speaking about, and who's he speaking to, I should like to know? Shall I keep standing here? (ASIDE). 'Tis but indifferent architecture to make a blind dome; here's one. No, no, no; I must have a lantern. Ho, ho! That's it, hey? Here are two, sir; one will serve my turn. What art thou thrusting that thief-catcher into my face for, man? Thrusted light is worse than presented pistols. I thought, sir, that you spoke to carpenter. Carpenter? why that's--but no;--a very tidy, and, I may say, an extremely gentlemanlike sort of business thou art in here, carpenter;--or would'st thou rather work in clay? Sir?--Clay? clay, sir? That's mud; we leave clay to ditchers, sir. The fellow's impious! What art thou sneezing about? Bone is rather dusty, sir. Take the hint, then; and when thou art dead, never bury thyself under living people's noses. Sir?--oh! ah!--I guess so;--yes--dear! Look ye, carpenter, I dare say thou callest thyself a right good workmanlike workman, eh? Well, then, will it spe
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   412   413   414   415   416   417   418   419   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436  
437   438   439   440   441   442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

carpenter

 

Prometheus

 
beware
 

blacksmith

 

speaking

 

buckle

 

thyself

 

Carpenter

 

thrusting

 

workman


workmanlike

 
indifferent
 
inwards
 

illuminate

 
architecture
 

lantern

 

catcher

 

standing

 

impious

 

sneezing


fellow

 

ditchers

 

people

 

living

 
thought
 

pistols

 
presented
 

Thrusted

 

business

 

extremely


gentlemanlike

 
callest
 

modelled

 

meaning

 

belong

 
probable
 

properly

 
animated
 

slippery

 

muscle


fierce

 

supplies

 
partnership
 

forging

 

Thames

 
Tunnel
 

outwards

 
brains
 

forehead

 

quarter