Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-01-24

home. She was always bnsily employe,
for her husband and children, in some wa,
or other; and to-day she had been harde
at work than usual, getting ready for tn,
holiday to;morrow. She had just fl finish
ed all her preparations. and her thought
were silently thanking God for her happy
home, and for all the. blessings of life
when Tom ran in, his face as white rs
ashes. and he could hardly get his words
out. "Motheri Motheri he cannot get
down ~
i"Who. lad? Thy father-9' asked the
mother.
"They'ye forgotten TO leave him the
rope" answered Tom, still scarcely able
to speak. His mother started up, horror
struck. and stood for a moment as if par
alyzed; then pressing her hands over her
face, as if to shut out the terrible 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, a crowd had col
lected round the foot of the chimney, and
stood there quite helpless. gazing up with
faces full of sorrow. "He says he will
throw himself down." exclaimed they as
Mrs. Howard came up. "He is going to
throw himself down."
"Thee munna do that, lad '' cried the
wife, with a clear, hopeful voice; "thee
munna do that. Wait a bit. TAX off
thy stocking, lad, and unrayel it, and let
down the thread with q bit Of mortar
Does hear me, Jem %
TLa pooo oJo c;rT Nf for ~
seemed as if he could not speak; and ta-
king off his stocking, unravelled the worst
ed thread. row after row. The people
stood around in breathIess silence and sus-
pense, wondering what Toms mother
could be thinking Of, and why she sent
him in such haste for the carpenters ball
Of twine.
"Let down one end of the thread with
as bit of stone, and keep fast hold of the
other" cried she to her. husband. The
little thread came waving down the Chin
ney, blown hilher and thilher by the wind,
but at last it reached the outstretched
hands that were waiting for it. Tom held
the ball of string, while his mother tied
one end of tito the worsted thread
"Now pull it up slowly" cried she to her
husband, and she gradually unwound the
string, as the worsted drew it gently up.
1t stopped-the string had reached her
husband. "Now hold the string fast, and
pull it up" and the string grew heavy and
hard to pull, for Tom and his mother had
fastened the thick rope to it. They watch
ed it gradually and slowly uncoiling from
the ground, as the string was drawn high
err.
There was but one coil left. 1t had
reached the top. "Thank God thank
God - exclaimed the wife. She hid her
face in her hands in silent prayer. and
tremblngy rejOced. The rope was up.
The iron 10 which it should be fastened
was there all right; but would her hus-
band be able to make use of them p
Would not the terror of the past hour have
so unnerved him as to prevent him from
taking the necessary measures for his safe
ty? She did not know the magic inhu-
ence which her few words exercised over
him. She did not know the strength that
the sound of her voice, SO calm and stead
fast, had filled him with-aS if the little
thread that carried him the hope Of, life
once more, had conveyed TO him some
portion of that faith in God, which nothing
ever destroyed or shook in her true heart
She did not know, that as he waited there
these words came over him: :-"Whv ar:
thou cast down, 0 my soul. and why art
thou disquieted within me? Hope thou
in God y She lifted up her heart to God
for hope and strength She could do no
thing more for her husband, and her heart
turned tU God aud rested on him as on q
rock
There was great shout. "I'e's safe,
mother, he's safe," cried little Tom
"Thou'st saved me, Mary" said her hus-
band, folding her in his arms. "But what
aiis thee? Thou seem'st more sorry than
glad aboutit." But Mary could not speak,
and il the strong arm Of her husband had
not held her up, she would have fallen to
the ground The sudden joy, after such
fear, had overcome her.
"Tom," said his father, "let thy mother
lean on thy shoulder, and we will take
her home.' In their happy home they
poured forth their thanks to God for his
goodness; and their happy life together
felt dearer and holier for the peril it had
been in. and for the nearness that the dan
ger had brought them to God. And the
holiday next day-was it not indeed a
thanksgiving day.
A W1Fss1S TROUBLE. We do not know
when we have read anything so mournfully
| tOuchinr-so thrilIinuIy nathetic as the