The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-01-10
THE woRsTED STOCKING.
A TRUE STORY.

Father will have done the chimney to
night won't he mother ? said little Ton
Howard, as he stood waiting for his faith
/ er's breakfas', which he carried to hin
mt his work every morning.
/ 'iIe said he hoped all The scaffoldins
would be down to night answered hi
| mother. and that'il he = fine sight; for
! never like the ending of those grea
chimnevs-its SO risky-thy fathers tt
! be the last up.
/ .Eh. then, brt II! 20 al see him. and
| help 'em to give a shout afore he comes
! down. said Tom.
| And them contnne5 his mother, ii
all goes right we have fro.ic to morrow
and go into the country. and take ouI
dinners. and spend all the day amongst
the woods
..'Hurrah, cried Tom, as he run off to
his place Of work. with can Of milk in
one hsnd and some bread and butter
in the other. His mother stood .. the
door watching him as be went whisti ng
down the street. and then she thousa, OF
the dear father he was going to. and the
dangerous work he was engaged in, and
| then her heart found its sure refuge. and
she praved TO God to protect and bless
her dear treasures.
Tom with a light heart, pursued his
way to his father, and leaving his break
fast, went to his own work. which was
some distance. In the evening on hi
wav home, he went around to see how his
father was getting on. James Howard,
the father. and a number of other work
ing men. had been building one of those
lofty chimneys, which in our great man
ufacturing towns, almost supply the place
Of all other ARCHITECTURAL beauty. The
chimney was one Of the highest and mos,
taperine that had ever been erected
and as Tom. shading his eyes from tho
rays of the slanting sun, looked up to
the top in search OF his father, his heart
almost sank within him at the appalling
height. The scaIolding was almost down;
the men at the bottom we're removing the
last beams and poles. Tom father stood
alone on the top He looked all around
to see that everything was right, and then
| waving his hat in the air, the men
below answered him with q long, loud
cheer, little Tom shouting as heartily as
any of them As their voices died away,
| however. they heard q different sound
| q cry of alarm and horror from above
| The rope. The men looked around
and coiled upon the ground lay the rope
which. before the scaffolding was reno
ved. should have been fastened to the
| chimney for Toms father to come down
by, Tue scaffolding had been taken
idown without their remembering to take
[rhe rope mp There vas = dead silence
They all knew it was impossible to throw
the rope high enough to reach the top oi
the chimney: or if they could it would
hardly 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 seemed every moment more fear
| full. and the solid earth further and furth
er from him In the sudden panic ht
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 pieces on the ground below.
| The day had passed as indpstEiously