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 CHAPTER XIV.

The Village Mechanic.

village mechanic belongs to a somewhat lower strata socially than that to which the farmer belongs. I do not understand the reasons for this, but the fact remains just the same that one who makes things in this country must take low rank in the social scale. For instance, the shoemaker is considered one of the lowest men in the village. And so with the one who tans hides or in any way works with leather. The butcher is perhaps the lowest man in all the country; he is so low that until within the last few years he was not allowed to wear a hat. This may be accounted for in part from the strong Buddhist influence which has been in the country for centuries past. This sect does not eat meat of any sort, on the ground that it is wrong to take life; so it can easily be seen that a man whose business it is to take life would be considered a very low fellow. But why the maker of willow baskets and the fans which the farmer uses in cleaning his grain should be considered low, I fail to find any reason. The fact remains that the maker of all such articles is considered but little above the butcher, who is the lowest of all. The blacksmith, the carpenter, and workmen of kindred trades are considered a little better.

The average American would lose heart at the first sight of the carpenter and his outfit, if he were think- Rh