Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-03-06
The wersssa sseslEins
4 TRUE sroRr.

to night, wont ne motheI: sa'a isete Ao"'
!. How ard, as he stood waiting Tor his fathers
breakfast which he carried to him at his work
every morning.
ale said he hoped all the scaffolding
would be dawn to-night." answered his
mother, ''and that'll be fine sight; for
never like the ending OF those large chin
nes--its SO risky and thy father IL tobe the
last up"
.Ah, then, but FL go and see him, and
help 'em to give a shout afore he comes
down." said Tom.
sand them" continued his mother, I'll
all goes right, we are TO have trol'c To-
morrow, and go into the country and take
our dinners, and spend all the day in the
Aoods.''
"Hurrah," cried Tom as hv ran off to his
| fathers place Of work, with can OF mix IN
I one hand and some bread ia the other. His
mother stood at the door watching him as he
went merrily whistling down the street and
then she thought oil the dear father he was
going to- and the dangerous work he was en-
gaueC in, and her heart found It's sure rel.
upe, and she prayed to God to protect and
bless her treasures.
Tom, with light heart, pursued his way
to his father, and leaving him his breakfast
went to his own work, which was at some
distance In the evening OH his way home
| he went around TO see how his father was
getting on. james Howard, the father, and
a number OF other workmen had been build
ing one of those lofty chinneys, which, IN
our great manufacturing towns, almost sup
ply the place Of other great architectural
beauty. This chimney was the highest and
most tapering that had ever been erected;
and as Tom, shading his eyes from the rays
of the slanting sun, looked up to the top in
search of his father, his heart almost sank
within him at the appalling height. The
scaffold was almost down; the men at the
bottom were removing the last beams and
poles. Toms father stood alone on the top.
He looked around to see that everything
was right, and then waving his hat IN the
air, the men below answered with long,
| loud cheer, little Tom shouting as heartily
as any Of them. AS their voices died away
however, they heard very different sound
IA cry of alarm and horror from aboye.-
The rope. The rope! The men looked
round and coiled upon the ground lay the
| rope. which, before the scatiolding was re-
moved, should have been fastened to the
! chimney, for Toms father to come down by!
! The scaifolding had been removed without
| their rene mbering to take the rope up
| There vas a dead silence. They all knew
! il vas impossible to throw the rope up high
4 enough TO reach the top Of the chimney; or
| if they could it would hardly have bee safe.
They stood in silence and dismay, unable
| to give any help or think of any means OF
| safety.
| And Toms father. He walked round aad
| round the little circle, the dizzy height seem
| inc every moment to grow more fearful, aud
| the solid earth further and further from him.
| In the sud len panic he lost his presence OF
mind, and his senses almost failed HIM lie
shut his eyes: he felt as il the next moment
! he would be dashed TO pieces on The ground
! below.
The day had passed as industriously and
swiftly as usua with Toms mother at home.
/ She was always busily employed for her
| husband and children in some way or other;
and to day she had been at work harder than
usual, getting ready for the holiday to-mor-
row. She had just finished all her prepare
tons, and her thoughts were silently thank
| ing God for her happy home and for all the
| blessings of life, when Tom ran in; his face
was as " hite as ashes; and he could hardly
get out his words, "Mo,her! Mother! He
Gamma get down"
"Who, lad! Thy fa,ller!" said the moth
err.
"They've forgotten TO leave HIM the
rope" answered Tom still scarcely able to
speak. His mother started up horror struck
and stood for moment as il paralyZed, then
pressing her hands over her face, as II TO
shut out the horrible picture. and breathing
prayer to God for help, she rushed out of
the house.
When she reached the place where her
husband was at work, crowd had collected
round the foot OF tile chimney, and stood
there quite helpless, gazing up with faces
full OF sorrow lie says he'll throw him
self down. exclaimed they, as Mrs. Howard
came up. 'He is going to throw himself
down.
.Tnee munna do that lad cried the wife,
with clear, hopeful voice: thee munna do
that. Wait biz. Take OF thy stocking.
lad, and unravel il, and let down the
thread with bit of mortar. Dos heart NE
Jem!'
The man made sign Of assent, for it
seems as if he could not speak; and, taking
off his stocking, unravelled the worsted
thread. row after row. The people stood
round in GREATNESS silence and suspense,
wondering what Toms mother could
be thinking Of and why she sent him
in such haste for the carpenters ball Of
Irvine.
Let down one end of the thread with
bit OF stone, and keep fast hold Of the 9TH
err cried she to her husband. The little
thread came waving down the tall chimney.
blown hither and thither BY the wind, but
at last it reached the outstretched hands
that were waiting for it. Tom held1the ball
Of string. while his mother tied one end OF