Demoine courier., 1856-05-08
THE WoRSTED STOCKING.
A TRUE STORY.

Father will have the gre at chin
ney done tonight. won't he mo.her!' said
little Tom Howard, as he hood waiting
for his fathers breakfast, which he car
ried 10 him al his work every morning.
'He said he hoped all the sca1oldine
would be down to night answered his
mother, 'and thai'll be a fine sight; for !
never like the ending Of those grea.
chinneys-ii's So risky-ihy faher's 10
be the last up.
. .Eh, then, bul I'll 60 and see him, and
help 'em TO give aAshout afore ne comes
down, said Tom.
And .hen.' continued his mother. If
all goes right, we. are TO nave a flolic to-
morrow, and go into the country. and
take our dinners. and spend all day a.
mongs, tie woods.
.Hurah!' cried Tom, as he ran of to
his fathers place of work, with n can Of
milk in one hand and some bread in the
other. His mother stood. a, the door
watching bin az he went merrily whist
ling 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 hear, sought its sure refuge
and she prayed TO God to pro,ec, and
bless her treasures.
Tom with a light heart. pursued his
way TO his father, and, leaving him his
breakfast, went to his own work, which
was al 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 building one
OF those lofty ~chimneys, which, in our
grea, manufacturing towns almost sup
ply the place of Other architectural beau.
iy. ThiA. chimney was Of The high
est and mos, ,apering ,hathas eve been
erec,ed; aud as Tom, shading his eyes
from the slaniiDg rays Of ,he setting sun
looked up TO die. top in search Of his
father, his heart almost sank within him
at The appalling height. The scaffolding
was almost all d~own;lhe men at the bot
tenn were removing the last beams and
poles. Toms father stood alone on the
top. He looked all round 10 see that
everything was right. and then waving
his hal in the air, the men below an.
swered him with . long, loud cheer, lit
tie Tom shouting as heartily as any Of
them. As their voices died away. how.
ever, they heard a very different sound
"a cry of alarm and horror from above!
The rope! The rope!' The men looked
around, and, coiled upon the ground lay
The rope. which, before the scaffoldinR
was removed. should have been fastened
% the chimney, for Toms father 10 CONT
down by! The scafolding had been Ia
ken down. without their remembering TO
take The rope up. There was a dead 81.
lence. They all knew it was impossl-
BILE TO throw The rope up high enough TO
reach the top Of the %chimney; or if he
could. it would hardly have been safa.-
They stood in silence and dismay. una
Bile TO give any help or think of any
means of safety.
And Toms father. He walked round
and round the circle, the dizzy height
seeming every momen, to grow more
.s%earful, and the solid earth further and
further from him. In the sudden panic
he los, his presence OF mind, and hrs
senses almost failed him. He shut his
eyes; he feltas il. the aext momsnt, he
mus, be dashed to pieces on the ground
below.
The day had passed as indushiously
AND swiftly as usual, with Toms mother
at home. She was always busiiy en-
ployed for her husband and children, in
some way or 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 preparations,
and her thoughts were silently thanking
God for her happy hone, and for all The
blessings Of life. when Tom ran in; his
face was white as ashes; zhd he could
hardly ge: his words our. Mother!
Mother! He Gamma get down. :.
WHO. ladl Thy fa,her!' asked his
mother.
They've forgotten to leave him the
ro2e,' answered Tom, still scarcely able
TO speak. His mother started up, hor
O s.r.ck, and stood for a m as if
paralized; then pressing her hands over
her face, az if to shut on, a terrible pig
ture. and Breathing a prayer TO God for
help, she rushed gu. Of The house.
When she reached the place where
her husband was st work. a crowd had
collected round she foo, of the chimney,
and stood there quite helpless. gazing Up
with faces full Of sorrow. .Hc says
he'll throw himself down exclaimed
they, as Ma Howard came up. He 10
going 10 " himself down.
Thee munna do that, lad!' cried the
wife, with Gear hopeful voi.e; the nun.
ma do that. Wait a Bit. TAX off thy
stocking, lad, nd unravel il, and lei down
the thread with a biz OF mortar. Doesi
hear me, Jem.
The man made a sign of assent, for il
as il he could mol speak; and.
taking off his stocking. unraveled the
worsled thread. row after row. The peo-
Die stood round in b~rea,hless silence and
wondering what Tom's moth
could oe thinking Of and why she
semi him in such haste for the carpenters
ball of tvine.
Let down u end of the thread with
, hit Of stone. and keeO fast hold Of the