Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-28


her. but stopped for an instant on II
threshold to offer short prayer for ht
welfare and his own preservation. Il
then went on, with firm step. The bi
tercst trial was over, and he felt his hop
and his courage revive. He soon reache
the square, now filled with dense crowt
which opened silently to afford him a pas
sage. Every eye was turned on him wit
awe and pity: and many a whisper me
his ear expressive of hope, of sympathy
of coincidence; but stealing himself, as ia
as possible, against every emotion, h
passed with steady step through tn
throng, and entered the Cathedral.
was deserted, for the entire population
seemed to have congregated without it
walls. Approaching the high altar, h
saw that 1t was decorated as if for
festival; he knelt for moment on tn
step, and poured forth his soul in shor
prayer, somewhat to this effect: :-"Lor,
of Heaven! risk my life. not for m,
own gain, but for the sake of nv mother
Preserve me, then, for her, O Lord o.
if must die, let it not be without &C.
complishing the work have undertaken
Into thy hands, Almighty Father, | com.
mend my spirit ~
He rose, and walked with firm ster
towards the winding stair which led
through the tower. At its foot, he was
met by one of the civic officers, who had
brought him basket containing the
tools which would be necessary for his
work. He took it, and began the ascent.
AS he climbed the apparently intermina-
bic winding stair, he saw, through the
narrow window, the crowd, now denser
than ever, which thronged not only the
square, but the surrounding walls, the
windows, and roofs of houses, and every
loophole which commanded view of the
high tower. Soon, as he mounted higher,
it assumed the appearance of a dark NOV.
ing mass. And now he reached the ton
of the tower, and stood in the narrow
balcony which encircled the base of the
arrowy steeple. From this spot, lis ewes
travelled over the entire city and the
country for leagues round. He saw the
swollen river, as it rolled its turpid wa
tiers over valley and plain. He saw hills
and forests glowing in the red light of an
autumn sun and on, to the north, he
discerned the white sails of vessels steer
ing their course towards the ocean. But,
after one glance around him, his eyes
turned again ON the city, and rested on
the kamer Street, where he could dis.
tinguish the gable end of the Red Lion.
IN which his mother lay on her bed OF
pain and misery. For moment he look
ed on it with fearful eyes he then
glanced towards that part of the town in
which stood the house of Eliza beth's
father and nerving himself on the thought
that his present success derended his
only chance of her hand, he prepared for
the most perilous part of his underta-
king.
Where he now stood the stairs ended:
and he saw before him high pointed
steeple, thickly covered with sculpture,
on the pinacle of which stood the bent
cross. He fastened the basket of tools to
a strong cord, the other end of which he
tied round his waist, and, crossing him.
self, he began the perilous ascent.
And now, the assembled multitude
watched him in breathless awe, as he
climbed by the help of the sculpture,
which thickly covered the almost perpen.
dicular steeple. Not word, not a groan
was heard, but every heart beat with
awe and suspense and one great sigh Of
relief escaped from the assembled thous.
ands, as the young man reached the pin
acle, and, grasping the foot of the bended
cross, stood for a moment motionless, aud
to the crowd beneath like
beautiful statue, placed there by the
sculptor's hand.
And now he set himself to work. Fast.
enlng round the base of the cross one
end Of the rope, the other extremity OF
which still encircled his body, he took
from the basket a small brasier, filled
with charcoal, which soon kindled into a
flame beneath his practised hands. And
now the eager multitude beneath per-
ceived that the cross began slowly to
right itself, as blow after blow fell on its
base from the heavy hammer of the young
blacksmith. His arm seemed to gain
strength as he proceeded, and at length
the object Of so much toll and anxiety
stood once more erect. At this instant
shout of joy and thanksgiving, too ve-
hement for restraint, reached the ears OF
Yvon but strong in his success he heed
ed it not. His first thought was one of
gratitude to Heaven his second was of
his mother, placed once more above want
by his unaided exertions; and then he
thought, with indescribable and joyful
emotion, of Elizabeth, now his own for.
with the large sum he had Just earned,
and the naitrise, which his daring feat
had doubtless secured to him, he was at
length in position to demand her hand.
He felt very sure that, so far as her affec.
tions were concerned, he need not dread
rival in the goldsmith of Zaerich Street.
But fearing, in his present precarious
situation, to give way to emotion, how
ever pleasurable, he recalled his wander
ing thoughts, and resuming, with an
effort, his self command, he prepared to
descend. But once again he looked on
the crowd below; and now he thought
he perceived a movement at the end Of
the great square. The people were sepa-
rating, in order to leave a passage for
procession which advanced towards the
Cathedral. Yvon gazed in wonder, and
soon distinguished the glittering dresses
and bright velvet mantles of company
of citizens in holiday attire and soon
he discerned female form, arrayed in
the snowy attire and floating veil of a
bride, and hanging on the arm of an old