Litchfield enquirer., 1860-05-17
A FERROUS HOUR.

waiting for that confOnnded woman" A FERROUS HOUR.
 ) I was apprenticed to decorative painter but beingsof bold, .danger-loving turn, ] ; ran awsy to sea bcf5fe my time was out. After some years of knocking about, I got tired of maritime life, and having married and determined to stick to the shore, I got work with builder whose peculiar line lay in erect ing long chimneys. lhad always a very good head, and could stand on an elevation that made most men dizzy, and so 1 was soon a favorite hand with my master.
 We had on one occasion to fasten light ming conductor which had sprung very near to the top of very high chimney, and MT Stanning chose myself and one James Cooley to do it, as the most daring of his men. About halfa-dozen of us went that morning, with hand-cart containing the necessary ropes, blocks, the kite, and box or cradle. Having flown the kite, and dropped it's line across the top of the chimney, we soon drew up rope, at the end of which was block, through which ran the line whereby we were to be drawn up
 Cooley had only been married fortnight; and as we stepped into the cradle the men asked him if,he hadn't a last dying speech to leave to his wife; and then MT. Stanning having shaken hands with us, and bid us to be cool and steady, we were drawn slowly up. It was known all over the town that the conductor was to be fixed, though as the day was not named, I did not expect we should have many spectators, but as we got higher ana the view opened under our feet, I saw that the street was already thronged with starers Cooley was very quiet, and when I waved my cap to the people, said snappishly, that he thought might think of better things than how to amuse those gap ing fools, who, he dared say, desired no bet ter fun than to see us meet with an accident.
 1 had come up in the best heart, thinking,
 indeed, nothing about the danger we incur red, but as we drew nearer and nearer the top, and had nothing, as it seemed, belong ing to this world near us, but this strained rod, l began to see the peril of the under taking What Cooley thought of it, don't know-he sat at the bottom of the cradle never locking out, though l told him he would do better to keep his eyes about him. so that he might get used to the height. 1 Good Heavens! What was this2 Here we were within yard of the top, and still they were winding away without abating speed in the least! l guessed iu moment that they mistook our height, and that with the great purchase of that windlass the rope would be broken when the cradle came to the block. sprang up, and catching the rope climbed hand over hand to the coping. Cooley, too, sprang up and followed me. He, too, got up safe; and still they went on wind ing up till the rope sung again with the strain there was upon it. Then it snapped and the cradle, hauling-line, and the main rope with it's block, fell down. Thus were two men left in Q nest desperate situation.
 Poor Cooley was completely crazed with the alright, and the moment he got upon the coping, which was only foot and half broad, he called ont: Where can pray? where can kneel and pray" And so said, very solemply, "Sit down, Jem,-God will hear us if we pray to Him sitting down"
 The color of his face was transparent blue, and it was distorted and twitching as if he were in a fit. His eyes were very wild, and drawn into squint, and he couldn't sit steady, swoying his body backward and for ward so that 1 felt certain that he must toppe over.
 "Come, Jem, lad," I said, thinking to take the fright out of him; " its bad enough; but it can be mended Hitch up bit, and put your arm around the rod maybe it will steady you"
 "Where are you, and where is the rod?" he asked in hollow voice, though he was looking right at me, and the rod was only a foot or two from him. By this time knew that he was gone blind with the fright, and self.preservation said" Don't go near him;' but then l remembered his newly-wedded wife, and that, taking him all through, he was always very decent fellow, and l thought how should have liked him to have done had I been in his place; so 1 determin- ed to run a bit of risk in his favor. Of course, dare not stand on my feet, but working myself on my hands, got to him, and putting my arm around his waist, and , telling him as cheerfully as I could to keep cool, I got him with his arm around the rod It had, however, sprung the stapling fol ,, some yards down, and was so loose that il swayed with him, and expected every min ute to see him falling head and heels down and the rod tearing away with him.
 ? mere was SIeaG oustie uo"h oSAo" people were rushing round the yard and push ing to get in; but as yet there was some
 score of men at the foot of the chimney, ane by close looking saw them put somebody on board and carry him gently away to wards the eugine-house. One of the mel f followed after with hat in his hand; thel n knew that somebody had been hurt witl the fallen cradle, and that it must have beel e poor MT. Stanuing, as none of our men wor n hats. Not face was turned up to us. O learned afterwards that our men were & r. taken up with sorrow that so good ma t and kind master should be killed, that fo D while they had never thought about us.- a and the people outside imagined that we ha e come down with the cradle, so thus we wer f left in total isolation for full twenty minutes is While was watching them below, feelin
 very sorry for my poor master, was startle II by wild laugh from Cooley, who bega making cat calls, and yelling as if he we, d. possessed. Then knew, of course, ths s, he had gone mad.