Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-05-02
A Story for the Little Folks.
Translated from the German.
THE woeLEN STOCKINGS.

'Why do you cry so much?" This
was question which Elias Friend,
Louisa, asked her when she called
one afternoon, and found her cryiRg g
as if her heart would break.
-"Mother gives me so much knit
ting to do that l never have much
time to run about and play" was the
answer which Ella made to Louisa.
"Now don't get impatient and
angry, for your mother is very kind
to you. She has made you knit just
as my mother makes me knit, but
our fathers are poor, and we ought
to work te help pay expenses"
These consoling words had very
good effect on Ella. She brushed
away her tears, took up the stocking,
and said she would finish it in good
humor.
| Now, Elias father was q good,
honest man. He was mason in a
large manufacturing town in Ger
many. He had to build very high
walls, and chimneys as high as shot
towers. At the time of which / am
speaking, he was building great
chimney for sugar refinery. Ev-
erybody who saw him working on il
thought it a very dangerous place.
Ella went to her mother and said:
"Father will finish the big chin
ney to- day: won't he mother"
.'Yes; he said he was going to
throw the whole scaffolding down
this very afternoon. And l am very
glad of it, for l am always anxious
about him just before he finishes a
high chimney. There is great dan
sssa, and your father is generally the
last one to come down.
'.Then," said Ella, ''Willie and /
will go to see him if you will con-
sent, and we will have a good time
calling to him before he comes
down"
"Hurrah!' shouted Willie, who
was an interested listener. Consent
was given by their mother, and soon
they were both running through the
streets just as fast as they could go.
By-and- by, they reached the great
chimney. The scaffolding was near
ly all down, for the workmen had
been taking it down very carefully
all day. The last piece was taken
off. Willie and Ella saw a very
grea. crowd of people gathered
around. By aud-by the last stroke
of the trowel was made by Mr..
Singer, the father of Ella and her
brother He stood up there alone.
He took off. his hat and cheered.-
All the people below answered him
with loud shouts Of congratulation.
But little time after the cheering
had ceased, they heard Mr.. Singer
call aloud, as if in great distress:
"The rope. the rope!'
The workmen who had taken down
the scaffolding looked around, and
behold! there was the great rope ly-
ing fiat on the ground! 1t was the
one which was to have been fastened
at the top of the chimney for Mr..
Singer to have come down on
Strange to say, it had not been
thought of during the whole day.
A deep silence prevailed. Every
body was panic stricken. 1twas i'm
possible to throw rope to the top OF
that high chimney; and it was equal
ly impossible for Mr.. Singer to come
down without a rope. All the peo
pie were at loss to know what to
do. And the father of little Ella
and Willie! He was in perfect terror.
He walked around and around the
narrow top of the chimney, trying
to see something which could help
him down. But all in vain. The
ground seemed to be farther and
farther from him. He shut his eyes,
for the people began to cry and
scream, and that scared him more
than ever. He heard his two little
children crying as if their hearts
would break. He thought he must
fall; he did not see how he could
hold on for another moment.
Ella and Willie ran home as fast
as they could. They could not tell
what was the matter at first; but by
and-by they were just able to gasp;
Mother, mother, father can't come
down? The rope is on the ground,
and nobody can't get up to him! Oh
mother, the people are crying, and
he certainly will fall down.
Mrs. Singer was calm and silent
Had stranger seen her conduct he
wonld have said that she had but little
feeling. But that would be great
mistake. She had as much as any
body else. But she was in the con.
slant habit of trusting in the Savior
under all circumstances. She went
/ calmly back to her private room, Of
fered up a prayer to God, put on hel
shawl and bonnet, and went with hel
. little heart broken children to the
scene of the great danger.
When they came to the place they
heard the people saying to one an
other.
"Now he is about to fall Now
now! Oh, what can save poor Mr.
] Singer2',
Mrs. Singer called out to him witt
great calmness, "My dear husband