Georgetown weekly news., 1855-03-29
The Worsted Stockinp

ers breakfast which he carried to him at
his work every morning.
HE said he hoped all the scaffolding
would be down tonight" answered his
mother, land thatll be fine sight: for |
never like the ending of those great chin
neys-its so risky-thy fathers to be the
last up
"Fh, then, but I'll 90 and see him, and
help EN- to give a shout before he comes
down" said Tom.
And then" continued his mother, "if all
goes right, we are to have froIic to-mor-
row. and go into the country, and take our
dinners and spend all day amongst the
woods"
"Hurrah !" cried Tom, as he ran off to
his fathers place of work, with a can of
milk in one hand and some bread in the 9th
er. His mother stood at the door watch
ing him as he went merrily whistling down
the street, and then she thought of the dear
father he was going to and the dangerous
work he was engaged in, and then her heart
sought its sure refuge and she prayed to
God to protect and bless her treasures.
Tom, with a light heart pursued his way
to his father, and, leaving his breakfast,
went to his own work, which was at some
distance. In the evening, on his way home,
he went round 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 cbimneys. which in
our great manufacturing towns, almost sup
ply the place Of other architectural beauty.
This chimney was one OF the highest and
most tapering that has ever been erected
and as Tom, shading his eyes from the S ant
ing rays of the setting sun, looked up to the
top in search of his father his heart almost
sunk within him at the appalling height
The scatfolding was almost all down; the
men at the bottom were removing the last
beams and poles. Toms father stood alone
on the top. He looked all around to see
that every thing was right, and then waving
his hat in the air, the men below answered
him, with long, loud cheer, and little Tom
shouted 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 Therope" !"
The men looked round, and, coiled upon the
ground lay the rope, which before the scat
folding was removed, should have been fas-
tened to the chimney, for Toms father to
come down by The scaffolding had been
taken down, without their remembering to
take the rope up. There was dead silence.
They all knew it was impossible to throw
the rope up high enough to reach the top OF
the chimney; or if they could, it would hard
" have been 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
and round the little circle, the dizzy height
seeming every moment to grow 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 moment
he must be dashed to peices on the ground
below
The day had passed as industriously and
swiftly as usual, with Toms mother at home.
She was always busily employed for her
husband and children, in some way OF other;
and to-day, she had been harder at work
than usual, getting ready for the holiday to-
morrow. She had just finished all her pre-
parations, and her thoughts were silently
thanking God for her happy home, and for
all the blessings of life, when Tom ran in:
his face as white as ashes: and he could
hardly get his words out, Mother Mother
he Gamma get down."
"Who lad? Thy father?' asked his moth
er.
"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 if paralyzed; then
pressing her hands over her face, as if to
shut out the terrible picture and breathing
a 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 collected
round the foot Of the chimney, and stood
there quite helpless, gazing up with faces
full of sorrow. He says he'll throw him
self down" ," exclaimed they, as Mrs. Howard
came up. Hes going to throw himself
down."
"Thee munna do that lad, " cried the wife
with a clear hopeful voice; "thee munna dc
; that. Wait.a bit. Take off thy stocking
, lad, and unravel it, and let down the thread
with bit Of mortar. Dost here me Jem?
The man made a sign Of assent, for ii
seemed as if he could not speak; and, taking
Oft his stocking, unraveled the worsted
thread, row after row. The people stood
round in breathless silence and suspense
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 a
bit of stone and keep fast hold of the 9th
er, she cried 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 outstreached hands
that were waiting for it. Tom held the
ball of twine, while his mother tied one end
of it to the worsted thread. "Now pull 1t
In slowly ,, Cried she TO her husband. and