The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-04-30
MISCELLANY.
The Worsted Stocking.
A TRUE STORY.


tonight, won't he mother !" SAID little
Tom Howard, as he stood waiting for his
fathers breakfast, which he carried To
him at his work every morning.
'lIc said he hoped all the scaifolding
would be down tonight" answered his
mother, ''and that will be fine sight ;
for never like the ending of those grei t
chimncys-il's so risky,thy father is 10 be
the last up"
"Eh, then I'll 20 and see him, and
help 'em to give shout afore he comes
down." said Tom.
"And then," continued his mother, "if
all goes right we are to have IA frolc to-
morrow, and 90 into the country, and
take our dinners and spend all the day
amongst the woods"
"llurrah," cried Tom, as he ran off to
his place of work, with II can of milk in
one hand and some bread and butter in
the other lis mother stood at the door
watching him as he went whistIing down
the street, and then she thought of the
dear father he was going to, and the dan
gcrous work he was engaged in, AMI then
her heart found its sure refuge, and she
prayed to God to protect and bless her
dear treasures.
Tom with large 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 his
way home, he went around 10 see how
his father was getting on James Howard,
the father, and number of other work
ing men had been building one of those
great chimneys which, in our great man
ufacturing towns, almost supply the
place cf all other architectural beauty
This chimney was one of the highest and
most tapering that has ever been erected !;
and as Tom, shading his eyes from the
rays Of the slaniing sun, looked up to the
top in search of his father his heart
almost sank within him at the appalling
height. The scatfolding was almost
down. the men at the bottom were re-
moving the last beams and poles. Toms
father stood alone on the top. lie look
ed all around to see that every thing was
right, and then, waving his hat in the air
the men below answered lin with long,
loud cheer, little Tom shouting as heartily
as any of them. AS their voices died
away, however, they heard different
sound-a cry of alarm and horror from
above; "I'he men looked round and
coiled upon the ground lay the rope which
before the scaffolding was removed should
have been fastened TO the chimney for
Toms father to ccme down by The
scaffulding had been taken down without
their remembering to take the rope up.
There was n dead silence. They all
knew il was impossible TO throw the rope
high enough to reach the top ofthe Chin
ney, or if they could it would hardly have
been safe. They stood in silence and
dlsmay, unable to give any help or think
Of any means of safety.
And Toms father. lie walked round
the little circle; the dizzy height seemed
every moment more fearful and the solid
earth further and further from him. He
shut his eyes, he felt as if the next mo-
ment he must be dashed to pieces on the
ground below.
The day had passed as industriously
and swiftly as usual with Toms mother
at home. She was always busily en-
ployed for her husband or 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 all her preparations and
her lhots were silently thanking God for
her happy home and for all the blessings
of life, when Tom ran in his face white
as ashes; and he could hardly get bis
words out "Alother! mother! lie can
not get down.
"Who, ladi Thy fatheri" asked bis
mother.
"They've forgotten to leave him the
rope" still scarcely able to speak. His
mother started up horror struck, and stood
for a moment.as if paraIyzed, then press
ing her hands over her face, as if to shut
out the horrible picture, and breathing a
prayer to God for help she rushed out OF
the house.
When she reached the place where her
husband was at work a crowd had Collect