Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1915 — A Conversion [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Conversion

A Story For Labor Day

By SARAH BAXTER

"Talk übout the dignity of labor,” said Helen Forsythe to her friend, Lois Gregory. “I don’t See any dignity in it No one can do manual labor without getting dirty hands, chapped hands, misshapen hands.” “There are worse things than dirty hands,” replied Miss Gregory. "What, for instance?” “A dirty soul. How many rich men’s sons who have not the incentive to labor have become worthless and eou temptible?" "1 dare say, my dear, there Tstrutf in what you say, but for me 1 would rather marry a poet than a mechanic." "Even a poet has his uses, but for me he is altogether too ethereal. 1 would prefer an engineer whose pro session deals directly with labor. What is there more splendid than the spanning of a river by an enormous bridge, the building of a cathedral, the tun neling of a mountain?” "These are planned by one brain." "Granted, but of what use would that brain be without the workmen to car ry out its plan?” "Well, Lois, marry in the held of labor if you like. I prefer the fine arts. Give me an artist." "I shall marry the man 1 love, what ever be his occupation.” These young ladies were both of the well to do class, but they were very

different llelen Forsythe was disposed to begin where her father left off. When he had been experimenting in overalls she was too young to know much about what he was doing; now that he was living on the royalties he received from a machine he had contrived, with all the refinements a fine income brought, she had little sympathy with what had produced his good fortune. -, liois Gregory, on the contrary, had never Jpown either wealth or poverty A laborer herself, she sympathized with the cause of labor. She made her living by teaching, and being ac eustomed to using her brain constantly it became stronger with exercise, and she w’as enabled to distinguish between what was of intrinsic and what was o t fictitious value. She had come to the conclusion that the attaining was intrinsic, the attainment fictitious. In other words, there is no stimulus in an accomplished work except to produce something better. The country seat of the Forsythes was situated in a beautiful valley, through which ran a stream that afforded a fine water power. A mile below the place was a large factory. One day Helen Forsythe’s automobile broke down, and a request was sent to the factory to send a man to fix it He appeared in overalls with a bag of tools, and Helen took him to the car to show him the break. There was something about this man that arrested Miss Forsythe’s attention. He was some twenty two or three years old and strongly built, and character was plainly written in his face. Helen pointed out the break, though this was unnecessary, for the young man was a skilled mechanic and took it in himself at once. H£len watched him while he worked, asking him questions about the trouble, how serious it was and how long a time would be required to make the repairs. She noticed a British intonation to his speech, but not the misuse of the letter “b" common with the English lower classes. “Do you like taechanical work?” she asked. “I certainly do. I was born with a taste for it,” was the reply. “But don’t yon think It very dirty?” “Not as dirty as some other kinds of work.”

•lou mean shoveling earth*f"7*ss pose?” "Oh, no, I love to dig in the dirt" "Tou mean handling ashes? — "There’s dirtier work than that Mj brother does it every day.” "Your brother!" "Yes. He’s in politics.” This quite took Miss Forsythe’s breath away. Surely this young man was very odd. She presumed the brother be referred to was a political heeler in a district where the people were of the lowest class. , "Tell me." she said presently, “what it is that interests you in mechanics.” "1 Hfce to fashion things. The mechanic, if he is a good one, may always find a field In Ills labor for more or less use of the inventive faculty, and tlie mechanic is free to exercise it. Besides, there is an opportunity in mechanics for a man to climb the lad dor that leads up to fortune with out using dishonorable means. No man need be happier than the laborer who has ail the Work he can do. His mind is on what he is doing, and lie lias no time to worry about imaginary griefs. When he has finished his day’s work he enjoys bl» -leisure,- - How much better off he is than the man whose time is all leisure, who never experiences the comfort there is in rest because he is always at rest.” Miss Forsythe was surprised to hear tlris from one whom she considered doomed to a life of toil. She was about to inquire of him where be, a laborer, had picked up such ideas when be finished Ills job, gathered up bis tools and. putting them In his bag, bade her adieu and went away. And yet for Miss Forsythe lie did not go away, lie was with her the rest of the day ns if he were still work lug on her auto and she listening to his words. “1 can understand,” site said to herself, “Lois marrying a man like that. There is a healthfulness of bqdy and mind about him that post lively rests me. lie doesn’t seem to be striving for anything. I do believe that lie wouldn’t give up Ills present work in exchange for a fine social p<> sltion. while I—why, if I’m not invited to every swell function I’m miserable.” it was not long before some of tinwater pipes in ttie Forsythe house got out of order, and Miss Helen, being, on account of her father’s absence and her mother’s had health, the director of the establishment, telephoned to the factory asking for a man to repuii them and requesting it to send, if possi hie, the workman who had repaired her car. lie came with his bag of tools, ml Miss Forsythe, as before, showed ■n tlie break. She left him, hut now 1 again returned to see how lie was getting on. When noon came be had not finished, and she invited him to partake of a luncheon she ordered to he prepared for him. While he was eating it sire asked him: “llow is it that you, who have never known what is called high .life and have no experience ns to the cares and disappointments it brings, are so well satisfied with your humble lot?” He had finished eating when tills question was propounded and, rising, stood facing Miss Forsythe, looking at her Intently. “You seem to be Interested in tills matter,” he said, “and I am going to give you a confidence I have given no one else in America. lam the sou ot an English gentleman. My father drsigned me for the army or tinchurch. My brother is in parliament I have watched that silent revolution which is bringing labor to tlie front We see it everywhere. People of refinement are sensible of It. Whereas a hundred years ago to make money in manufacture or trade was not con sidered respectable, now titled persons are going into both. "My preference is for a life in man ufacture. 1 have no confidence In attaining success in manufacture with out ever having been a manufacturer myself. 1 have preferred to begin as any other laborer begins. If any of them beat me In the race it will not trouble me. If I become a leader J prefer to know the feelings, the neces aitles, of the men 1 manage. As to wealth bringing me happiness If I at tain It, I have no confidence that it will. My happiness is in my daily labor. i believe that I get the same pleasure in repairing the pipes in thts house that the manager of a large factory derives from his more extended duties.” Miss Forsythe was astonished. She had been surprised to meet a laborer who realized that he was happier in his work than if he were a globe trotter, but this man, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and bad voluntarily stepped on the lowest rung of the labor ladder to climb or remain a fixture, as the case might be, was something more than she could at onc« understand. Nevertheless she was deeply Impressed. It occurred to her to Invite him to dinner to see how he would appear He accepted the invitation and with clean hands. He was invited again and again, and a year after Miss Forsythe had first met him she wrote Miss Gregory that she had been converted to her friend’s ideas as to tlie dignity of labor and had been induced to mar ry a laborer. 1 The bride endeavored to persuade her husband to accept capital from her father with which to start a factory of his own, but be declined. He said that the happiness he derived from labor was In labor and not in management Nevertheless he was rapidly promoted In the factory where he worked and made a manager in spite of himself. Each of the girls who conversed upon the subject of marriage failed to do in the matter what they said they would do. Miss Forsythe, who said she would marry an artist, married a laborer. Miss Gregory, who declared that she would prefer one who builds material structures, married a literary v man.

HELEN WATCHED HIM WHILE HE WORKED.