Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1867-01-08
| STORY FOR THE CHILDREN.
THB wooLIS STOCKING.
Tfaniidtei from The Crmnn.l

THB wooLES STOCKING.
"Why do you cry 80 much." This was ques
ton which Elias friend, Loutsa, asked her whe,
she called one afternoon and found her crying As
her heart would break.
"Mother gives ME so much knitting to do that
never haYe much time to run about and play wa
the answer which Ella made to Louisa
snow, don't get impatient and angry, for you
mother is very kind to you. She has made yo1
knit, just as my mother makes me knit; but ou
fathers are poor, and we ought to work to help pa,
expenses
These consoling words had very good effect or
Fila. She brushed away her tears, took up the
stocking and said that che would finish it in good
humor.
Now, Elias father was good, honest man. Tie
was mason in large manufacturing town in Ger
many. He had 10 build very high walls, and Chin
neys NJ high as shOt-towers. At the time OF which
l ON speaking he was building a grelt chimney
for sugar refinery. Everybody who saw him
working on It thought it n very dangerous place.
Ella went to her mother, and said:
"Father will finish the big chimney to-day !;
won't he, motherr"
ayes, he sail that hr va, going TO throw the
whole scatfolding down this very afternoon. And
! am very glad of it. for am always anxious about
him just before he finishes high chimney. There
is great danger, and your father is generally tho
| asst one to come down."
"Then," said Ella, "Willic and will 20 to see
him, if you will consent, and We will have guUi
time calling TO him before he comes down"
"Hurrah - shouted Willie, who was an interes-
ted listener. Consent was given by their mother,
and soon they wero both running through the
streets just as fast as they could gu. By-and-by
they reached the great chimney. Tho scatfolding
was nearly all down, for the workmen had been
tuking it down very carefully all day. The las,
piece was taken of. Willie and Ella saw great
crowd Of people gathered all around. By-and-by
the last stroke of the trowel made by Mr.. Sim
ger, the father Of Ella and her brother. He stood
uy there alone. He took off his hat and chccrrd.
All the people below answered him with loud shouts
! Of congratulation.
But in little time after the cheering had rc7scL
they heard Mr.. Singer call aloud as il in great dis
| treas, ''the rope! the roper'
The workDen who had taken down the scaiipld-
ing looked around and, behold there the great
rope lying fiat On the ground! It was the ono
which wilS TO have Ieen fastened at the top OF the
chimney for Mr.. Singer to come down on. Strange
to say, it had not been thought OF during the whole
day.
4 deep silence pre- vailed. Everybody was PAN
ic-strickcn. It was impossible to throw a rope ta
the top of that high chimney; and it was equally
impossible for Mr.. Singer TO come down without
rope. AL the people were at a loss to know what
to do. And the father Of little Ella and Willie
lie was in perfect terror. He walked around and
around the narrow top OF the chimney, trying 10
see something which could help him down. But
all in vain. He became very dizzy. The ground
seemed to be farther and farther from him. He shut
his eyes, for the people began 10 cry and scream
and that scared him more than ever. Ho heard
his two little children crying as il their hearts
would break. lie thought he must fall; he did
not see how he could hold on another nlomeat.
Ella and Willie ran home as fast an they coald.
They could not tell what was the matter at first
but by-and-by they were just able to gasp, "Moth-
CT, mother, father can't come down The rope IL
on the ground, and nobody cant get It mp to him
On, mother the people ore crying, and ho certain
ly will fall down -
Mrs. Singer was calm and silent Had q s,rar-
ger seen her conduct he would have said that she
had but little feolins. But that would be great
mistake. She had as much ne anybody else. But
she was in the constant habit Of trusting in the Sa-
viour under ell circumstances. She went calmly
back to her private room, offered up prayer 10
God, pnt on her shawl and bonnet and went with
her little heart-brOEen children to the scene of The
great danger
When they caniS TO the place they heard the peo-
pie saying to one anothor,
"Now he s abou, to fall Now now a! Oh, wha.
.can save pofr NJ. Si1cer:"
+ Mrs Singer call out 10 lin wiz great caimG.ss,
MY uclT you muSL not laIl, lpT our SAKE
Here are-our litto children and myself. Hold
on Take of your stocking and begin to unravel
it. Tic the end OF the yarn to bit of mortar or
piece OF brick, which you can break off Then keep
on unrareling, and let the bit Of mortar or brick
slowly down. Do You hear me -
The people were as silent rs the grave. He made
n motion with his hand, indicating that ho under
stood what she said. The people did not know how
a stocking and piece Of mortar could save hor hus-
band. ...
Mr.. Singer slowly losk Off ono Of his boots pull
cd out the end Of one Of his stockings, which h..
slipped of his foot, fastened it to piece Of brick
and gradually unravelled the stocking. Tho thin
thread CAME down shaking in the wind. But at last
it reached the two hands WHICH were stretched out
ready to receive it.
What was to be dono now? Let US wait and seo
what Mrs Singer is still thinking about. She
said
"Give rac a largo Lall of strong twino.' In
few minutes she had it, and fastened the end OF it
to the end of the ynrn Snow, draw up the yarn
again." she called out to her husband. He heard
and slowly drew it up. By and by he held the
twino in his hand the other end of the twinc
being still on the ground Then Mrs. Singer fas-
tened the twine to the rope and called out:
CHOW, if you can draw the rope, up and fss:en it
to tho top of tho chimney, you will be safe" He
heard hor People who wero looking up at him
through opcra-slnsses saw him smiIo. They breathcd
freer, for now they could sec how he might be
able to get down again.
Finally tho rope was at the top. "God be
praised" shouted everybody. "God bo praised
ihatnobe man is almost safe r. His wife said,
"Ycs, God be praised. He will answer prayer. Ho
has answered mino. He it was who showed me
who to rescue my husband" Then she buried her
face in hor hands.
Tho question now is, sis Mr.. Singer so weak
that no hns not strength enough to let himself
down Z" His wife bows in prayer, saying "Now,
I can do no moro, Heavenly Father; but pray
Thcc to save him. do save my husband, for
Jesus sake" The people were moved 10 tears
She arose calmly, took seat, and did not even
look up to see how her husband was getting along.
She looked as II perfectly sure that her prayer was
answered.
All ut onco tha people shouted at the top of their
voices, sIIe is safo He is safe % Ella and Will
lie ran up to their father and he kissed them many
times. lie was woeping, and his heart feeling
too doeply for him to speak. He could only weep
and smile. God had saved him. All hearts wero
happy.
The next day was Thanksgiving Day. The peo-
pie sent many little presents to Mr.. Singer and his
family. In the evening Elias mother called her up
md said: "My child, do you know that the stock
ing you knit was tho means Of saving your fathers
life? You cried because ] wanted you to work
little. Neither you nor ! knew then what your
work would eventually do. How glad l Am that
you obeyed me! know you are very thankful for
what you have done. l hopo that you and nll the
girls and boys in this great world will always do
willingly what their parents tell them. Such work
may save the life OF somebody whom they love-
.-
A gentleman who recently put up at log tav.
ern in Wisconsin, was awakened by young man