The old lady happened to see it; she ran over, and clenching him by the collar, made him pick it up and carry it over to the house again. His excuse for throwing it away, was, " An sure it was 'nt bread and cheese hungry that I was." The good landlady was a powerful English woman; she gave him a pelt in the back of the neck, and with her foot helped him out of the door. I walked over to Burslem and found Mr. E, and if there is a place in the world where you find true and disinterested hospitality, it is with the English. As soon as Mr. R had ascertained from my letter who I was, he conducted me to his mansion.
Mrs. R, and in fact the whole family, were determined to make me happy. I was conducted through the potteries, and each process for making the beautiful china and other wares, was explained to me, commencing with the calcination of the flint and bones, all through to the ornamental painting on the beautiful tea sets, which is done principally by young ladies, and I am sure that a visit to the Potteries is worth a journey to England. Here you see a bright-eyed little fellow at the bench, and in an apparently careless manner, with a grin on his dirty face, catches up a ball of clay, puts it on the horizontal wheel which he turns with his toes, and in the most dexterous manner, with a little flat stick and his nimble fingers, turns out a pretty cream pitcher or a sugar bowl, as the saying is, " in no time." I thought of that passage in the Scripture, "behold we are the clay and thou art the potter." God moulds us into any shape he pleases; then we must pass through the furnace, and if we come out from that ordeal unbroken, he then in infinite goodness, puts on the enamel, and we are fit for the master's use.
Mr. R took me over to see Mr. Foudrenier's papermills, the largest in the world. No persons are admitted, however, without special permission. We went up to the large gate, in which there is a hole about six inches in diameter, and through this aperture all conversation is held with those inside. Mr. R enquired for Mr. F., and after a few minutes he came to the hole. Mr. R observed that he had with him a friend from America, and to whom he wished to show the paper-mill. Mr. F. at first very politely objected, saying that he had suffered much by the introduction of strangers, but after a little parleying, the door was opened, and I was admitted.
As soon as I was inside the gate, and before entering the mill, Mr. F. asked me in a very serious manner, if I had any knowledge of paper making. I assured him that I had no further knowledge than that which I had gained from the encyclopedia, and my object for wishing to see this establishment was, that I had heard much of his powerful steam-engine, and the surprising rapidity with which paper was made. He then told me why he was so cautious. That not many months ago, two gentlemen travellers from the United States, had obtained an introduction into the mills, pretending great ignorance about paper making, when it subsequently turned out that these gentlemen were paper makers, located near Philadelphia, and that they while looking round, had stolen some of his plans, and introduced them into their own establishment.
In passing tli rough the spacious ware rooms of the potteries, I noticed a beautiful pattern of plates very much resembling china. I remarked to Mr. R that I had never seen anything of the earthernware kind, that so nearly resembled china. On the morning of my departure from B., I found a box with my name upon it, placed near my carpetbag, and ascertained that I had been presented with four dozen of these plates, with the compliments of the donor. From Staffordshire, I returned to Liverpool. Next morning at the breakfast table, I was told that there was a Boston brig lying at the Salt house dock, and on hearing the captain's name, recognized him as an old friend.
After breakfast I went up to the dock, and there he was, standing up against the dock house, so drunk that ho could not move. As soon as he recognized me lie gave a dreadful exclamation of surprise, and began to weep like a child; saying that he was ruined, had made a bad voyage, and that his owners would kick him out of their employment, He begged me not to mention what I saw. I took him by the hand and assured him that I would not, and urged him to cheer up, and by no means to resort to drinking as a palliative against trouble. "If you have done your duty, and the voyage is adverse, the fault is not yours." I also urged him to shift his dress, to come down to our house and make himself cheerful.