Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-06-11
TIE NAN In TIE BELL.


TN nv Younger DAYS. bellringing was |
m lch mere In fashion amopg the young
mon of --- than n is now. Nobody, I |
believe nractices Il there at present ex
cent the servants of the church, and the
melody has been much injured in conse.
uueuce Some ffty years ago, about TWEEN
tv of us who dwelt in the vicinity of the
cathedral. formed club, which used 10
ring every neal that. was called for and
nom continual practice and n rivalry
which arose between us and club al.
tached TO another stecple, and which
tended considerably to sharpen our zeal,
we became very Mozarts ON our avorite
instruments. But my bell ringing practice
was shortened by a singular accident,
which not only st6pped my peffortnance,
but made even the sound OF ABEL terrible
TO nv ears.
One Sunday, l went With another into
the belfry 10 ring for noon prayers, but
the second Rtfoke we had pulle,i showed
us that the clapper of the bell we were al
was mufied. Some one had been buried
that morning, and Il had been prepared, of
course, 10 ring a mournful note We did
not knoaS lbf this. hut ltheo remedy was
easy. ,,ilh1t r0Mf Sh LUNt
@Jack.r' said nv connpAfion,s "stop up
to the loft, aud cut off the hat !" for the
WAY We NDnI OF NnufHtnR WAS ny hyiuK
piece Of an old hat. or Of cloth (the former
was preferred), 10 one side Of the clapper,
which deadeued every second toll.
compiled, and mounting into the belfry,
crcpt as usual into the bell, where began
TO cut away. The hat had been tied on
in some more complicated manner than
usual, and / was perhaps three or four
minutes in getting il off; during which
time my companion below was hastily
called away--by message from his sweet
heart, | believe --butsthat u not material
20 my story. The person who called him
was brother of the club, who, knowing
that the time had como for ringing for
service, and not thinking that any one
was above, began to pull, AT this moment
l was Just getting out, when felt the bell
moving; guessed che reason at once---it
was moment of terror; but by hasty
and almost convulsive efforNsI succeeded
in jumping down, and throwing myself on
the fiat of my back under the bell. -
The room in which it was, was little
moro ,,than sufficient 10 contain it, the
bottom of the bell coming within couple
of feet of the floor OF lath At that time
certainly WAS not 30 bulky as l atn now,
but as. i lay It, was within an inch of my
face had not laid myself down a
second, when the ringing began II was a
immense mass of metsl, ono touch of
which would have crushed me TO pieces
the floor under mo was principally com.
posed of crazy laths, and il they gave way,
| was precipitated TO the distance of about
fifty feet upon loft, which would, In all
probability, have sunk under the impulse
of my fall, and sent to be dashed to atoms
upon the marble floor of the chancel, a
hundred feet below. | remembered-for
fear is quick in recolleotion-how com
mon clocSweight about month before,
had talen, ana pursuing through the noors
oil the steeple, drove In the ceilings OF inc
porch, and even broke into the marble
tombstone OF a bishop who slept beneath.
rms Was my hrst terror, put inc ringing
had not continued minute, before more
awful ana immediate dread came ON me,
The deatenlng. sound OF tho bell smote
into my ears with thunder which made
me fear their drums would crack there
was not nore OF my body II did not thrill
through, ~ entered my very soul Thought
and rejection were almost utterly Danish
ed; l only retained the sensation OF Ngoni
zing terror Every moment saw the bell
sweep within an inch ot my lace and my
eyes--l could not close them, though to
look at the Object was MS bitter as death
followed IL instlnctlvely in Its oscillating
progress until 1t came back again. II was
In vain l said TO myself that 1t could come
no nearer at any tuture swing than II did
at first; every time II descended, endcav.
ored to shrink into the very npor to avoid
being buried under Inc uown,sweeping
mass and then, rehecting ON the danger
oil pressing TOO Weightliy on my irs'l sup.
port, would COVER up again as lN rs
dared.
At fret my fears were mere matters Of
fact Twas afraid the pulloys above would
give way, aud let the bell plunge on me
At another time, the possibility of the
clapper being shot out in some sweep, and
dashing through my body, as had seen
ramrod glide through door, fitted
across my mind. The dread Also as have
already mentioned, of the crazy floor, tor.
men.ed me; but these soon gave way to
fears not more unfounded, but more Wis
ionary, and OF course more tremendous,
The roaring of the bell confused my in.
tellect and my fancy soon began to TEEN
with all sorts of strange and terrifying
ideas. The bell pealipg above, and open,
ing its jaws with hideous clRmor, seemed
to me at one time ravening monster
raging to devour me at another, u whirl
pool ready to suck me into its believing
abyss. AS | gazed on It, II assumed all
shapes 1t was flying eagle, or rather a
roc OF the ARABIAN sCory-tellers, clappihg
It's wings and screaming over me As |
looked upwards into II, II would appear
sometimes 10 lengtheh nto lnuehnlte eN'
tent or TO bs twisted at the end into the
spiral folds of the tail of flying dragon.
Nor was the flaming breath or fiery glance
OF that tabled animal wanting TO complete
the picture. My eyes, inflamed, blood.
shot, and glaring, invested the supposed
monster with full proportion of unholy
light .e.
II would be endless were I to merely
hint st all the fancies that possessed my
mind Every object that was hideous and
roaring presented itself to my Imagination
often thought that was in hurricane
at sea, aud that the vessel in which was
embarked tossed under me with the most
furious yehemence The air set in motion