Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-08
Facing Death.

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X man will 20 blind, and mad too,
from fear; | have seen il happen, and if
you dol't mind listening, will tell YOU
the story. | was apprcnticcd to 4 build
er when left school, and soon got to
like the trade very much, especially
when the work was pcrilous, and gave
me chance to Guido ID other lads in
daring. Spider was my nickname
in those days, given partly on account
of my long legs, for had out-grown my
proportions, and partly because they
said could crawl along The roof like my
namcsalIc. When [ was about three
and-twonty was working with the IA
nous Mr.. Ali and went down with
his picked 4 2nds, to carry out q contract
he had taken in Canada. While there
| fell in love with the prcttiest girl had
seen in Canada, and that is saying Il
good deal. For Il time | fancied she
liked me, and that | was getting along
very we'll with my love-making, but I
soon found my mistake, for an old lover
OF hers joined our men, and Mary gave
me the cold shoulder directly. You may
believe this swcetheart of her (who was
called Ben Lloyd and | were not tne
best friends in the world; but / am
not the sort of fellow to harbor malice,
and when the biddings to the wedding
went round, and knew that my chance
was gone, 1 made the best of it: | kept
my sore heart to myself, and determine
ed to beat down jealousy, by being great
chums with Ben.
l went to the wedding; and there
were not many days when / did not
steal half an hour to sit by his fireside,
which was as bright and homelille as
you would wish to see-Mary being the
soul Of order and industry 1t is not
perhaps the usual way of driving out en-
Wy, to go and look at the happiness an
other man has done you out Of but syou
know what the proverb says, What is
one mans meat is another mans poi
son." and so it was, l got to look upon
cause for jealousy, although there were
plenty of evil tongues to put him up to
The contract was nearly up, when
lightning conductor upon one of the
highest chlmneys sprang, and the own
or of the works offered our master the
job.
'It'sjust the thing for you, Harry"
said Mir, when he told US of it.
| accepted it off-hand, and then Ben
slept up and said he'd vOlunteert to be the
second two being required.
ai"All right said the master, "you are
the steadiest-headed fellows have. The
price is good one, and every penny of it
Shall be divided between you. Wen
not fix day for the work but take tho
first calm morning and get it done quiet
ly."
SO it WAS that some four or five morn
ings after, we found ourselves ready for
the start. The kite by which the line
attached to the block was to be sent over
the chimney, was flown, and did its
work well; the rope which was to haul
up the cable was ready, and stepping in,
Ben and | began the ascent.
There had been very few people about
when we went into the yard, but as we
got higher, l saw that the news had
spread, and the streets were filling with
sight-seers.
:" There's plenty of star-gazcrs, Benz"
l said, waving my hat to them; II dare
say they'd like to see IFS come down
with rum
"Cannot you keep quiet ?' answered
Ben, speaking in strange tone; and
turning TO look, | saw that he was dead
ly pale, and sat in the bottom Ofth era
die, huddie up together, with his eyes
fast shut.
YOU'RE not frightened, old chap?' [
asked.
" What's that to you?'
"Oh, nothing, only we are getting up
pretty quickly, and you'd have II better
head for work il you got gradually used
to the height"
He said nothing, and never moved.
Then, looking up, saw We were close
to the top-a few yards more, and we
would be there; yet those who were
turning the windlass were winding with
undated speed. A sudden chill run
through my blood and set my flesh
creeping. They had miscslculated the
distance, and with the force they were
winding at, the rope must inevitably
break when the cradle came in contact
with the block. There was no time to
attempt a signal only an instant to
point out the danger to Ben, and then
to get hold of the rope, and by going
hand over hand, reach the coping be-
fore the cradle came up. This was done
quicker than can tell you, Ben follow
ing.
The cradle came on then, as antici-
pated, the rope gave n shrill, pinging
sound, like Il rifie-ball passing through
the air, and snapped. Down went the
cradle, and there we were left, -nearly
three hundred feet in the air, with
nothing to rest upon but coping, bare
ly eighteen inches wide.
Ben shrieked out that he was dea 4
man, and cried
"Tell me where i can kneel, Harry
show me where / can pray to Almighty
God for / cannot die this wayW
"Hush! lad.n | said don't lose heart
God can hear you just as well sitting as
kneeling; and if you try to get up you'll
tumble to mortal certainty Think of
Mary, man, and keep up.