A WONDERFUL MACHINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 35

A WONDERFUL MACHINE.

This is one of Sydney Dayre's stories.

George saw that his mother was troubled about her sewing machine, which had got oat of order, and thijs led him to say to her that when he grew up he meant to be an inventor and produce machine's that would' go smoothly all the time.- Hii elder brother Hugh laughed at him, but George went, on: <• » < ■ ',;'».- ; < ••Wouldn't it be splendid, mother, he said, "if somebody could Jnvent a machine that could do just about everything? One machine to write and sow and knit, and— yes, and sweep and wash and plenty of other tilings." -,; "Yes, such a machine is a very good thing" ' ■ • • " Is, mother ? Why, you don't mean to say there is such a machine ?" "Yes, l do!"' V "And have'y'ou ever seen one V

"Yes." "Oh! I'd like to see one? Was it when you were abroad that you saw it !" , "Yes, but I have seen them in'tbis country, too." , ' "Do they go by steam -"or electricity ?" jusked Hugh. '

"Neither, :I, think:" •• "Tell us some of things they dan do, Mamma." . « Well, I have seen them sew and knit and write, as- you Way." .

" The same-nrachine ?" " Yes, i and sweep and cook and wash dishes. And some of them can cut down trees, and use a saw and hammer ;, indeed, they're so delicately formed and yet so strong that they can pick up a pin or a grain of sand, or build a locomotive or a ship or a great building. Only, for any great) work It takes a good many of the machines working together; 1'- " And dons they wear out and get out of order very soon."

" No, I have known machines which with the most ordinary care had worked on for 70 years or morel." ... " What ( are- they made of?- Who makes them?" cried George, eagerly.

But Hugh.laughed.as Tie took his mother's hand and kissed it. ..

11 It's all- true," he said. • " Here is a little machinp' that makes? shirts, , and sews on buttons, and,, puts on patches, and mends stockings— yes, and makes pies and cakes, and sweeps and dusts, and plays on the piano, and paints and embroiders/

11 And here- is one," said mamma, taking his han,d in- her turn, " that can handle a pencil and a pen, and marbles, and, bat and ball, and a rake, and .a hoe, and a hammer. Can pile up- wood, too, and chop kindling (when its master has a mind to let it, eh, Hugh ?). You could .tell of plenty of oth er, things it can' do."

"And plenty more it may do after a while," said Hugh, thoughtfully.

"Yes, there is no telling what such a machine, well and' carefully trained, may do." • "

"And it 'doesn't get Out of order," said George, critically examining the machine; " and yet how many little hinges and joints there are."

His mother's machine was not plump like his own, and he came to look at the tendons which did their, duty so perfectly as her nimble fingers moved. Hugh turned' his own fingers and hands this way and that, then looked at his grandmother, who sat knitting in the porch outside.'

"Yes, indeed," he said, "grandma's hands have kept on for 70 years, and see how lively fchey are yet. And how many good things and kind things they must have done in all these' years. " And these machines never have to be oiled. I never thought before how much there is to a hand. Why, if only one of all these' little joints should strike work, what a fuss there'd be ! " "Yes," laughed 1 Geprge, trying with his band the effect of stiffened joints ; " think of picking up a pin, or buttoning your coat, or holding a pen, without any joints in your forefinger 1" "Yes, dear," said mother, "these hands are but a small part, of the wonderful machine in which your soul, is placed. We forget to appreciate its perfections until we are reminded of them by their getting out qf order by rough treatment or ,by sad accident."

" Dear me," said George, who was trying various motions with his machine. " Just think if we couldn't turn our heads or bend our backs. And what if our elbows had been made without joints? Why," holding it stiff, " I couldn't wash my face, I couldn't comb my hair. I couldn't eat my dinner." "Dreadful !" exclaimed Hugh. " I'm going to be careful of my machine, I tell you," said George, more soberly. " You can't take it all to pieces and fix it up again 3s you can a sewing machine, if anything goes wrong," '

"No," said mother. " The great Maker of these machines has made them so perfect that all they need is a reasonable amount of care. All other machines are senseless and dead. They are made of wood or iron or other lifeless things. Some of them are very clever, but all are lacking in the one thing which makes the perfection of ours. They are not moved. by a soul within. And this soul has everything to work with, eyes and ears and limbs, all ready to do its bidding."

"What good -work they "ought to do," said Hugh.

"Good work? Yes indeed,- the highest *nd best work. Work for the 1 Master who formed us— work which shall endure when everything of man's device shall have crumbled into dust."

"But we've got away from the hands," wwd George. "I'm going to try to think up how many things I'm .going to "teach my Hands.' 1 • *' You will do well to try to make the most w your wonderful little machines," said toother. « But in all your strivings do not Wt to keep them from all evil-doing. Never lend them to a mean or cowardly ««wn, Let them always be' raised w d,e-

fence of what is weak and helpless, never to give a cruel blow. See that they are active in .the forwarding of everything good and ndble and honourable. In short, let them be clean hands, willing hands, gentle hands, generous hands— ready always to be bearers of blessings to others."