The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-12-01

er he was going to, and the dangerous worl
{ he was engaged in, and then her heart sougA
ito sure refuge, and she prayed to God t
% protect and bless her treasures.
~ Tom, with a light heart pursued his wa,
to his father, and leaving him his break
fast, went to his own work, which was a
. some distance. In the evening. on his wa,
q home, he went round to see how his fathe
was getting on. James Howard, the father
and number Of other workmcn, had beer
building one of those lofty chimneys, which
E in our great manufac turing towns, almost
supply the place of other architectural beauty
The chimney was one ofdhe highest ant
most tapering that has ever been erec ted
and as Tom. shading his eyes from the slant.
ing rays oil the setting sun, looking up to the
top in search of his lather his heart almost
sank within him at the appalling height
The scafloldng was almost all down; the
men were removing the last beams and
poles. Toms father stood alone on the top.
He looked all round to see that everything
was right, and then waving his hat in the air,
the men below answered him with long,
loud cheer, little Tom shouting as heartily
as any Of them. AS their voices died away,
however, they heard a very different sound
"a cry Of alarm and horror from above!--
The rope The ropo' The men looked
round, and colcd upon the ground lay the
rope, which before the scaRoldng was re-
moved, should have been fastened to the
J chimney, for Toms father to come down by!
| The scafolding had been taken down with
Z nut thpr ro hprip,r %, t,I Ia
| There was dead silence. They all knew
il was impossible to thi ow the rope up high
enough to reach the top Of the chimney; OF
If he could it would ,rdly have been safe.
They stood in silence and disnray, unable to
| give any help or think Of any means Of safety.
| And TENS father. He walked round and
round the little circle, the dizzy hight SEEM
! ing every moment to grow more fearful, and
the solid earth further and further from him
In the sudden panic he lost his presence Of
mind. and his senses almost failed him. He
shut his eyes; he felt as if, the next mo.
ment, he must be dashed to pieces on the
ground below
The day had pas sed as industrously and
swiftly as usual with Toms mother at home
she was always busiIy employed for her hus-
band and children. in some waysnr other; and
| to-day she had been harder at work an
usual, getting ready for tie holiday to-rhor-
row. She had just finished all her prepara-
| tions, and her thoughts were silently thank
ing God for her happy home, and for all the
| blessings Of lie, when Tom ran in; his face
| white as ashes, aud he could hardly Get his
| words out. Mother! Mother! he Gamma get
| down.
WHO; lad? Thy father! asked the mother
They've forgot to leave him Me rope, an
| swered Tom SIN scarcely able to speak.
| His mother started up, horror-struck, and
| stood fer amument us II paraIyzed; then pres
! sing her hands over her face, as if to shut
ou! the terrible picture, and breat hing IL
prayer 10 God for help, she rushed out Of
| the house.
! When she reached the place where her
husband was at work,a crowd had collected
round tie foot cf the chimney, and sto I'd
there quite helpless gazing up with faces full
OF sorrow "Ile says he will throw himself
I down. exclaimed they, as Mrs. Howard came
up. "He is going to throw himself down.
Thee munnC do that, iud' cried the wife,
! with clear hopeful voice;'thee munna do
that. Wait bit. Take off thy stocking, lad,
and unruvel 1t, and let down the thread with
a bit Of mortar. Dost hear me Jem'
| The man made sign OF assent, for it seem
ed as ii he could not speak; and taking of
his stocking, unraveed the worsted thread,
row after row. The people stood round in
breathlcss silence and suspense, wondering
what TOMS mother could be thiukir of, and
why she sent him in such huste fer the car
pen Q. ,, ball of twine.
Let down one end of the thread with bit
of stone, and hold fast of the other cried
she to her hus baud. The little thread came
waving down the chimney, blown hither and
thither by the wind, but at last it reached the
outstretched hands that were waiting for it.
Tom held the ball Of string, while his moth
er tied one end of it to the Worsted thread.
Now pull it up slowly cried she to her hus-
band, and she gradually unwoun the string
as the wcrsted drew it gently up. II stop
pei-lhe string had reached her husband
Now hold the string fast, and pull it up
cried she, and the staring grew heavy; and
hard to pull, Cor Tom and his mother had
fastened the thick rope to it. They watched
it gradually and slowly uncoiling from the
ground, as the string was dawn higher
There was but one coil eft. 1t had
reached the top. ''rhank God! thank God!
exclaimed the wife. She hid her face in
her hands in silent prayer, aud tremblingIy
rejoiced The rope was up. The iron to
which it shoald be fastened was there all
right; out would her husband be able TO
nuke use of them!-weuld not the terror OF
the past hour have 50 unnerved him, as to
prevent..hi from taking the necessary meas
:, ures for his safety! She did not know the
magic influence which her few words eXer-
cised over him. She did not know the
strength that the sound OF her voice, 50 calm
; and steadfast, had filled him with--as il the
! little thread that carried him the hope Of lille
once more, had conveyed to him some por-
ton of that faith in God, which nothing ever
destroyed or shock in her true heart, She
did not know that, as he waited there. the
words came over him: Why art thou cast
down, o my soul; and why art thou disquiet
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