The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-02-03
THRILLING ADVENTURE.
The following thrilling sketch is frc

The following thrilling sketch is frou
an English Magazine:
"Father will have done the great Chin
ney to night, won be mother 7" said lit
tie Tommy Howard, as be stood waiting
for bic fathers breakfast which be car
ried to bin at his work every morning.
He said that he hoped that all the
scaffolding would be down tonight" an
swered the mother, sand that'll be fine
sight; for ] never liked the ending oi
those great chimneys; it is 80 riskey for
father to be last up
Oh, then, but, III 60 and seek him;
and help him to give a shout afor he
comes down." said Tom.
"And then, continued the mother, ''if
all goes on right, We are to have frolic
tomorrow, and into the country, and
take our dinners and spend all the day
long in the woods"
"Hurrah !" cried Tom, as he ran off to
bis fathers place of work, with can of
milk in one hand and some bread in the
other. His mother stood at the door
watching him as he went merrily whist
ling down the street, and thought of the
dear father he was going to, and the dan
gerous 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 light heart pursued bis way
to his father, and leaving him his break
fast, 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 num-
ber of other workmen, had been building
one of those lofty cbimneys, which in our
manufacturing towns almost supply the
place of other architectural beauty. The
chimney was one of the highest aud most
tapering that had ever been erected, and
as Tom shaded his eyes from the slanting
rays of the setting sun, looked up in
search of his father, his heart almost sunk
within him at the appalling sight. The
scaffold was almost down, the men at the
bottom were removing the beams apd
poles. Toms father stood alone at the
top.
He then looked around to see that ey-
erything was right, and then waving bis
hat in the air, the men below, answering
him with long loud cheer, little Tom
shouting as loud as any Of them. As their
voices died away however, they heard q
different sound, cry of alarm and hor-
ror from above. The men looked around
and coiled upon the ground, lay the rope,
which before the scafoldiDg was removed,
should have been fastened to the chimney,
for Toms father to come down by The
scaffolding had been taken down without
remembering to take the rope up. There
was dead silence. They all knew it
was impossible to throw the rope up high
enough, or skil!ful enough to reach the
top of the chimney, or if it could, it would
hardly be safe. They stood in silent dis
may, 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
seemed more and more fearful, and the
solid earth further and further from him.
In the sudden panic he lost bis presence
of mind, and his senses failed him. He
shut his eyes; be felt as if the next mo-
mcnt he must be dashed to pieces on the
ground below.
The day passed as industriously as u
sual with Toms mother at home. She
was always busily employed for her hus-
band and children in some way or other,
and to-day, she had been harder at work
than usual getting ready for the holiday
tomorrow. She had just finished her
arrangements, and her thoughts were ST.
lently thanking God for the happy bome,
and for all the blessing of life, when Tom
ran in.
His face was as white as ashes, and he
could hardly get his words out: Moth
er ! mother The cannot got down.
'Who lad I thy father = asked the
mother.
'Thoy have forgotten to leave him the
rope answered Tom scarcely able to
speak. The mother started up horror
struck, and stood for moment as if par
allied, then pressing her hands over her
face, as if to shut out the terrible picture,
and breathing o prayer to God for help
she rushed out of the house.
When she reached the place where
her husband was at work, crowd gath
cred around the foot of the chimney,
stood quite helpless, gazing up with faces
full of sorrow.
HE says he'll throw himself down.
thee munna do that, lad, cried the
wife with clear hopeful voice thee
muuna do that-Wait bit. Take off
thy stocking, lad, and unravel it and let
down the thread with bit of mortar
Dost thou hear me jim Z
The man made signs of assent; for it
seemed as if he could not speak-and ta-
king off his stocking, nnravelled the wors-
ted yarn, row after row. The people
stood around in breatbless silence and
suspense, wondering what Toms mother
could be thinking of; and why she sent
him in such haste for the carpenters ball
Of tmino