M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-09-27
Affecting Tale.
-l 'S-o'r--'S 'SN'>s~~>sSs-.ey-1>s..
THE WORSTED STOCKING.
O0lNAT H E R will be done III
A TR UE STORY,

81 b. ''"NJ 'S-HlSilJ mum
err" said little Tom Howard, as he
stood waiting for his fathers break.
fast which he carried to him at hi,
wotk every morning.
He said he hoped all the scaffold.
lnS would be down tonight answered
hlS mother, 'aHd tba!'ll be fire sight
for l never liked the ending of those
Igreat chimneys-it's so risky-th,
llatass is to be the last up
9fh, then, but I'll go and see him,
andEheIp 'em to give shout afore he
comes down, said Tom.
'And then,' continued his mother
1T all goes right we are 10 have a lrol.
lc to,morrow, and go into the country
and take our dinner, and spend all the
day amongst the woois.'
Hurrah, cried Tom, as he ran of
to bis fathers place OF work, with a
can Of milk in one hand and some
bre9i in the other His mother stood
at n door watching him as he went
mertlly whistling down the street, and
theq she thought OF the dear father he
wasgoing to, and the dangerous work
he Was engaged in, aud then her heart
sought It's sure refuge, and she prayed
to God 10 protect and bless her treas
ures aa ~ aa
Tpm, with a light heart, pursued his
wayto his father, and leaving him his
breakfast, went to his own work, which
was some distance. In the evening,
on hl' way home, he went round to
see how his father was getting on
James Howard, the father and a num-
Der OF other workmen had been build.
ing one OF those lofty chimneys which,
IN our great manufacturing towns, al
most supply the place OF our other az.
rlculthral beauty. That chimney was
one OF the highest and most tapering
tha: had ever been erected; and as Tom
shading his eyes from the slanting rays
oil ne setting sun, looked up to the
top IN search Of his father, his heart
aImos; sank within him al the appaI.
ing height. The scaffolding was al.
most Gown, the men at the bottom
were removing the last beams and poles.
lAon&Sather stood alone on the top.-
lie looked all around to see that every
thing was right, and waved his hat in
the air, the men below answered him
with loud long cheer, little Tom
shouting as heartily as any of them. -
AS their voices died away, however,
they heard very different sonnd--a
cry OF alarm and horror from above!
the rope!' The men looked round,
and colled upon the ground lay the
rope, which, before the scaffoIding was
removed, should have been fastened to
the chimney for Toms father to come
down byl The scaifoIding had been
taken down without rememb bering to
take the rope up. There was dead
silence. They all knew it was inpos.
sible tothrow the rope up high enough
10 reach the top Of the chimney, or i'll
they conId, it would hardly have been
sale. They stood in silence and dis
may unable to give any help or think
Of any means OF safety. ..d4
And Toms father. He walked
'onnd and round the little circle, the
ilzzy height seeming every moment to
,row more fearful, and the solid earth
.urther and further IRON him. He shnt
his eyes he felt as ii the next moment
ne should be dashed to pieces on the
ground below. .e sI.5s .a. ~. !
The day passed as induslriously and
swiftly as usual with TOMS mother at
home. She was always husily EN-.
ployed for her husband and children in
some way or another; and to-day she
had been harder at work than usual |
getting ready lor the holiday to MOI
row. She had just finished all her
preparations, and her thoughts were
'llenuy thanking God Tor her happy
nome, and Tor all the blessings of lie, |
when Tom ran III; his lace was asl
white as ashes; he could haldly get his
word, out. Mother, mother, he can
lot get down.
'Nho lad? Thy father2' asked the
nothersi .,e, "a, --....
They've forgotten 10 leave him the
ope,' answered Tom, still scarcely
Ible 10 speak. His mother started up,
Iorror-struck, and stood tor a moment
S ii paralyzed; then pressing her
lands to her face as ii to shut out the
errlble picture, and breathing prayer
0 God tor help, she rushed out Of the
ouse, -'' it- =" -i'7Ua
When she reached the place where
er husband was al work, a crowd had
ollected round the foot oil the chimney,
nd stood there quite helpless, gazing
p with faces tull OF sorrow, He
ays he'll throw himself down. ex>
iaimed they, as Mrs. Howard came
P. lie is going to throw himself
own.' ~ 80 riB" fugGfiH-, ,t,ii.g Il
fThee munna do that, ladi' cried the
'iie, with a aclear, hopeful voice; thee
lunna do that. Wait a bit. Take off
~ stocking, lad, and unravef it, and
t down the thread with bit OF NOR
lr, Dost hear me, Jem?, 80 '''-i 4,