The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-22 00:00:00

THE MASON AND HIS SON.

The following fact occt=7T'lagenfurt, in Carinthit,
when the French army occupied that town. The thunder
had much injured the point of the very high steeple of the
principal church ; and a mason and his son were employed
to repair it. A crowd of inhabitants assembled at the
place to witness this perilous operation. The father, s
man of fifty years of age, still vigorous and active, ascended
first ; his son followed him : they almost reached the sure.
mit ; the spectators tremblingly counted their steps, ides
they saw the son suddenly loose bold of the ladder and
fall to the ground. A cry of terror arose. All crowded
towards the unfortunate man who lay shattered upon th
pavement, without a sign of life. In the mean time the
father continued to ascend, performed his task, deenlal
with long, front, and appeared with a melancholy bat com-
posed air before the spectators, who immediately surrounded
him. All endeavoured to eonstle him ; but they won
learned with horror, that the fall of his son was not Wa
dental, for that he himself had precipitated hint from the
top of the steeple. " Heavens! (exclaimed they) is it pot
sible ? Il'hat fury 1 what madness !" "Listen to me,
replied the father, without emotion—ln our trade there
are certain rules and customs. The oldest and most ex-
perienced ventures into danger the first; the other follows.
According as one ladder is secured by cords another is raised,
which is at first fastened at the bottom to the top part ti
the other. Then the eldest ascends this ladd' er which is
only steadied at the bottom ; and, assisted by his compa-
nion, who supplies hint with cord, he proceeds to fasten it
at the top. 'Phis is the work of greats: danisr. As I was
occupied at the highest extremity of the ladder, I suddenly
heard my son exclaim below me, " Father, father, there s
a cloud before my eyes ' • I know not where I on. 1
instantly raised my right foot, and gave him a kick, which
struck him in the forehead, and he fell without utteriss
a word.
Infamous wretch-I monster! what demon could have
urged you to such a crime? Softly, G‘ntlemen; lam as.
suredly to be pitied, much to be pitied; but 1 stn far from
believing myself guilty. In our trade it is well known
that if the head turns giddy in a dangerous position, where
there is no means of assisting one's self, and of taking tits
to recover, that man is irretrievably lost. Now such win
the case of my son. From the moment that his sight was
gone there was no hope for him. In two or three so-
comb more he must necessarily have fallen; but berg,
that, and in his last agonies, he would undoubt-
edly have grasped at the tottering ladder where
was placed ; he would have dragged it away, and w`
hould have both (align. In an instant I foresaw this 104
vitable result, and I prevented it by dealing him the blow(
which precipitated hun, and which saved me, as you see
Now tell me, you who call Inc a monster, if 1 bad kille4
myself at the same time with him, who would have sur
ported his unfortunate wife and children, who bens:for-
wait' liar_ nothing to look for but my labours? To die
for hint would perhaps have been the duty of a father: but
to die along with hint without any utility, is, I belie"'
what neither religion nor justice requi,e.
During some moments a pmfound silence reignol
throughout the assembled crowd ; but the clamours ro•
commenced ; the mason was arrested, and delivaedovel
the tribunate. Ile there displayed the same firmness he NJ
shown before the people. The judges, like the tuultituds.
could not resist a first impulse of horror ; but, urn rvile,t,
in g on the situation in which lie was placed,
motive he had assigned for his conduct, they acknoukelt'^l
that his reasoning, however horrific, wasjtut, and ezbibtte.
a presence of mind to which, though with shuddering, ux`
could not refuse their admiratiotevatsra.

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