The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-11-27
T.hil!iag Advent

htuef VIII nave QalEystile EfelL cHfiHHCY
tonight. won't he, mother 7" said little Tom
my Howard. as be stood waiting for his father
7, sast, which he carried TO him at his worl
vfo,, morning. r i
"tie said he hoped that all the scaffpldinf
wonld be down Tonight 2 answered the mother
lard that1l be u iae sight for | never Liked
the end ng oil thnse great chimneys; it is $,
risky, for father to be the last up"
"Eh, then. but I'll go and seek him, ant
help 'em TO give a shout afore be cumes down.
said Tom.
And tllen," continaed the mother, Aif al
goes ON right, We are to have a frotic so.inor
row and go into the country, and take oul
dinners, and spend all The day in the woods
= usras!!s' cried Tom, as he ran off to lii
fataer's place of,work, with q can Of milk ii
one hai,d and some bread in the other. Hi:
mother stood at the door, watching him as he
went nnerrily whistling down the street, and
she thought Of lie dear father he was going
q, aud the dangerous wGrk he was engaged
IN, and then her heart sought lis sure refuge,
aud she prayed 10 God to protect aud bless
her treasures.
Tom, with a light heart. pursued his way
to his father. and leaving him his breakfast,
went to his W work which was at some dis
taiice. III the evening, on his way home, he
went aroHnd to see how his father was Get
ting on.
James Howard, the father and a number
of other workmen, had been building one Of
those lofty elliDneys. which III our great maui
factiring towns. almost supply the PLACE Of
other architectural beauty. iTbe chimney was
OF the highest and most ~taperipg thai had ever
been erected, aud as Tom shaded his eyes from
,lie suffering rays of the setting sun sun and
looked W. in search of his father. his heart
almost sank within him at the appalling sight.
The seatfdd was almost down, The men at The
Bottom We're renewing the last beam and
po!es. Toms father stood alone at the ion.
lltfhan looked around to see thai everything
was right, aud hen waving his hat in the air,
the men below, answering him witha hing. loud
CHEER, ilttle Tom shouting us loud as any Of
them, As Their voices died away, however,
they heard a dltleieiAt soHnd, d cry ofalarm and
horror, from above. s''fle rope ! the rene u
the men Looked arpgld. aud coiicd upon the
lay the rope. which, before the scaIfp,d
was removed. sl.dald hate been fastened 10 The
chimney. Tor Tom father 10 come down BIZ Il
The scatfDiditlg had been taken down without
remembering to take The rope lp There was
A dead silence. They. all knew il was impossi-
to throw ihe rope MP high enough. or skill
nj enough to reach the top If tile chimney ar
i it could. it wanld hardly be safe. They sinod
n silent disn4a,v, nnable to give any hello Or
liIfk Of any means Of safety.
And lpnis father: He walked ronnd md
'u''d The little circle, the d zay heiyl, seemed
more mud more fearful, and The solid enrth f1r,l,. I
= q d further from him. In the sudden pan.
: ne iost his presence of mind, aud his senses
ailed nm File shut his eyes; he felt as If the
ext m"n'ent lie must be dashed to pieces on
he ground below.
The 'ay passed as ildustrionsly as usual
.l'h Tonl's mother at HON. She was @a,wavs
nslly employed for her husband md children
! some way er other, and to.day She mad been
afder at work than usual, getting ready far
le holidy tn-morrnw. She had lust finished I
Or arrangements, aud her thoughts were 81.
nlly thanking Col for the happy home. and
I oil these blessings Of life, when Pom ram IL
as race was Us White as ashes, and he could
lrdly get his words ont: "Molber, motber
, can not gel down"
~ no, ial? Thy father r asked the mother.
-" hey have forgotten to leave him the rome"
severed Tom still scarcely able to speak.
ne mother started up, horror struck, and stood
r a nlmhent as if raralyze,l; then, pressing Q
= nntds over her face, as flo shut out tie
Ff.oie pielnte' and, breathing Il PRAYER to t1ud
: heiP, she rushed out Of the house.
Ihel she reached the place where her hus.
no was at work, a crowd gathered arolld Inc
>. OF 1he chimney, and stood quite helpless.
zlug mp with faces full of sorrow.
lie says he throw himself down" =,
ne H'uhna do that. lad, cried the wife with
sear' hopeful voice Y''lhee mama do that
ait Il bit. Take off thy stocking, lad. aid
faSel H., and lot down the thread with n hi, {
mortar, Dost thnu hear me. Jeln ?n. :
!. ne man made a sfga ofassent for it seemed
~ ne eeaid NOT sieak-and taking off his al
eh'ns, MIRA seaa tire Worsted yarn row after r
Y. ne people stood around in brea,,,less j.
nee and sGsponee, wondering what Toms de
'nef could be thinking of and why she sent
= III sAeh haste lor ths carpenters ball Of
ds'SSn one end of the thread, with a Bit \
'tohp, ana Keep fast hold of the other, cried l
70 hef hasuand. The little thread came be
'tng dewli The tall chimney, blown bitlnr IN a
ti'iiet by The wind, but it reached tln M, -
Ven ilalds that were waiting it. Tom heIa alb
baii al twine, while his mother tie1 ono mt
orr TO the worsted thread. VIC
NOW ,pu'l it slowly cried she to her Inns. g,
a. and she gradually nnwonud the string NJ. :
reached her husband. "Now hold r., Il
nS ias'' aud pull it mp" cried she. and tha l.
y grew heavy and hard TO pull, for Ynn t IRE
MS mother had fastened a thick rome In il VIZ {
y watched it gradually and slowly uncnit :
from The ground, as The string was 1rswn =
lei. ''RN" ~
here was but one coil left. 1thad reaebed ! y =
Thank God thank God rnexcla;med r nal
wife. She hid her face in her hnnds in 81, the
prayer and trembling reioiced. The iran j
,h'ch it shon'd be fastened was tbp,e aI dan
wonld her husband be able 10 m.ta U
It2-Wenll not the terror of tbe nast =
SO have llnherved him as to prevent bi,, z;
taxing the necessary measures far HE o'
y! she did not know the magical IN 49,
zee winch her few words had e~yercisea ovar g.
she did not know the strength that The 81
q OF her voice, so calm and gteadEast hal @
pm with-as il the little thread tbat H
ea llLIl The hope Of life once more bad IN
IN lrltt .l,x,- -NNfI 4 tt,