The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-01-25
SIMPLE AMBITION.

About tWentV-three years ago, the Vane
of Strasbourg Cathedral was struck 10y
lightning, SO that it hung on one side,
threatening by its fall to endanger the lives
of the people below. The alarm was SO
great, that the authorities, after a special
consultation, posted bills about the streets,
Offering any reward that should be requir-
ed, to any one that would venture TO ascend
and strike eff the vane. While the good
ritizens were reading this announcement, a
peasant from the department CT the Landes'
passed by, and being unable to read, be in
! CURED the purport of the advertisement
When informed, he Immediately ffered bis
services for that purpose, and was conduct
ed to the mayor I'D the bishop, who hap
pened to be both at the Hotel de Vile at
the time. They questioned him, and fully
acquainted him with the difficulties of the
enterprise-such as the real height, and
that the upper part of the spire could only
he ascended by ladders on the outside
However, nothing daunted, he persisted in
his resolution. to perform the feat on the
morrow.
All Strasbourg was assembling in the
spen places of the city on the next day
anRaltheEgh admiring his courage as Il ey
saw him ascend, thew most prudently re-
Trained from cheering him as he deserved.
Few who were then shading their eyes
from the sun, in order to gaze on the spire,
but must have envied him the scene of sur
passing loneliness that was spread below
him, although it is probable that neither
the green landscape fading into blue dis
lance, the relics of ;ncient castles, nor the
the beautiful Rhine glittering in sunshine,
detained his regards He whe at home, in
his own barren and level sands, had been
used to no greater elevations than his stills,
was now mounting Ike an eagle towards
! heaven, and admired sythousands. When
he reached the summit he deliberately seat
ed himself on the highest stone, with one
leg on each side of thevan and while his
clothes were visihly filttering in strong
ofeeZe at such an cninence, he, with a
manner and chlsel, displaced the cross that
! mad caused so much alarm. 1t flew spin
nlng TO the earth, borne away by the wind,
Tell INTO neighboring field, where it sank
twenty Inches into the soil. The air was
now rent with acclamations towards him,
Cui robur ct as triplex
Circa pectus erat-
flor, be it remarked, he was the only person
who had ever proposed to effect its remov-
al.) On his descent, he WIS carried in tri-
umph to the Hotel de Vile. Being thank
ed by the authorities then and there assem-
bled, and assured of their intense anxiety
for his, life ever since he had Quilted the
earth, he was asked what was the recon-
pense he demanded? He modestly repl-
ed, "that if they were pleased with what
he had performed, he hoped they would not
think him presumRuous, but he should so
much like to walk through the Arsenal, and
see all its wonderful stores and docks !"-
and they could not prevail upon him to ask
more.
A week afterwards he left Strasbourg
with twenty five Napoleons in his pocket !;
and declared that he had never before spent
his time SO agreeably as be did in that city,
for he had seen the Imperial Arsenal, the
Notifications, and many other fine, as well
as useful sights, and had been continually
Toasted gratis by the rich and the grept
foIks.-Foreign Magazine.
SPUNK AND PERIL. There is a story
which believe is fact, of two boys going
to jackdaw's nest from hole under the
belfry window in the tower of All Saints
Church, Derby. AS 1t was impossible to
reach it standing within the building, and
equally impossible to ascend to that height
frem without, they resolved to put plank
through the window and while the heavi-
er boy secured his balance by sitting on
the end within, the lighter boy was to fix
himself on the opposite end, and from that
perilous situation to reach the object of
their desire. The little fellow took the
nest, and found in it FIVE fedged young
birds, announced the news to his companion.
Five are there? replied he: then I'll have
three Nay exclaimed the other indig-
nantly, 4 run all the danger, and I'll have
the three You shall not, still maintained
the boy in the inside you shall not
Promise me three or I'll drop you!' drop
me, if you please replied the little hero !;
but I'll promise you no more than two;'
upon which his companion slipped eff the
plank. Up tilted the end, and down went
the boy, upwards Of hundred feet, to the
ground. The little fellow, at the moment
of his fall, was holding his prize by their
legs three in one hand, and two in the 9TH
err; and they, finding themselves descent
ing, ,fluttered out their pinions instructive
ly. The boy, too, had on a stout cart
er's frock secured round the neck, which,
filling with air from beneath, buoyed him
UP like balloon, and he descended smooth
ly to the ground when, looking up, he ex-
claimed to his companion, Now you shall
have nonen and ran away, sound in every
limb, to the establishment of the inhabitants
who with inconceivabfe horror, had Witness
ed his descent.-Juueaiie Souvenir
WIVES. The Angelica Republican, on
receiving an "elopement advertisement -
without the cash, declares that it "will adj
vertise no mans wife, short of cash on the
nail ," and adds, "we snever knew any
woman run away from good husband
A very pretty speech, this last--what we
have heard boarding school misses call
"sweet pretty"-and just what we ought to
expect from the angelica Republican,
Wives are certainly the most obedient
creatures in the world, and every body ac-
knowledges it-but taeir husbands; they
have no faults and this is "every word
true as the Arabian Tales" What better
proof can be wanted, than the prevailing
custom of wives in "my darling" tbeiI
partners. We remember hearing good
woman who was habituated to this meaning
tenderness, that, on seeing her husband en-
ter the house dripping from a mud puddle
into which he Ind fallen, she exclaimed
"Why, my dear-you nasty beast you"
An English gentleman travelling through
the county Of Kilkenny. came to ford, arc
hired boat to take him across. The wa.
ter being rather more agitaeed than va,
IL l. L. hi