Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-30

FoG SraSe Is vas sfraA of the supernsau-
raj agency which had pushed back the
stops, for | never guessed that he could
have forgotten; /, who nearly always had
some organ or other upon my mind.
closed it first carefully, then | began TO
think about myself partly because various
bruises forced themselves on my attention,
partly benuse tAem SCENES to be nothing
lie to think about ~
y ii was almost mile along the gallery
Then the steps; might have been gong
down the Monument staircase for the time
II took me! But at last / felt out the door,
with large blue elevation in the middle
Of nv forehead, and the dust Of ages in
each palm. Locked! bolted! ruthiessly
barred between me and my genial fellow
creatures between my dark prison and
the warmth and light of the homes with
out.
kicked and shouted; but there was no
answer except the wind sweeping by,
anSkfng the glass in the old easements
above me. looked round helplessly-I
mean turned my head round naost help
lcssly. feeling the darkness like dreadful
tangible thing Then despairingly gave
a louder shrek than ever. How welrdly
IL echoed up the aisles and vibrated in the
orQan.pipes Ikea crowd Of ghOstly, mock
ING answers But it brought no other
answer, and knew then that it was use
less To hope for help from without. What
should dor ! felt 30 sick and giddy that
sat down upon a bench against which |
had stumbled near the door, and tried to
steady my mind to the inevitable night in
this dreadful cold and darkness. l knew
r arI II
little of the superstitious in my nature; !
could face darkness and lonliness perhaps
better than many ? bigger man but what
cheerIess, eOmf0ftleas night this '~ouid
bel What beginning of a new year
What would they think at my lodgings!
would they send out and seek me! Ihey
.mightsSsn~ guess, and scnd here. what a
laugh would have over this The little
organ playing rascal would try, perhaps,
to laugh at me for this unexpected sequel
to my plot; but that would not matter
much, 1 could soon quench, hun. hat
was THAR Only the wind again; how 1t
had risen, and how those blessed windows
creaked, and shook, and chartered! Why
could not they repair the windowss 1t
would bea good deal none sensible than
spending so much on the organ. Especi-
ally since the last organist lett land he
qoas an organist), and left no respectable
player in the parish to take his place.
Where was the pulpit' Oh, it must be
over there, straight opposite me, Could |
not make believe very much, like the little
Marchioness, and see it lighed up, an.
hear gentle gray haired old man preach
ing TO me' Not bit Of it. I'll defy q
man, sitting alone in an empty, vault-like
place at midnight-the wind swayiDg and
grooming and shieking all round Ito
fancy . pleasant Lighted church full of
cheerful listeners, and genial old man
telling them, in a kindly, friendly way,
how TO make themselves happy forever
Yes, Just as I will defy you, at your warm,
bright fircsides, or in your sunny gardens,
TO fancy me cropping in this heavy dark
ness-kfOwing was shut out from all my
natural world, until that world should
choose, for its own purpose, TO summon
me. They would open the church in the
morning for me to 60 on with, the organ
All il would be indeed for me-
Was It one O'Clock yet? wondered.
Why, all the town would be in bed by this
time; those who had been Mt church could
almost be snug In bed now. Even that
mean little sneak, who had ruined tie
Carita," and wanted to ruin the organ,
even he was probably asleep by this time,
and / had never frightened nor fought
him. IL WINS almost more than human pa
thence could stand. Did that ridiculous
wind want to come in too, that it ratified
the windows in that fiendish manner
Well, Ii could not go on long, 1 should
think, at that pace. What was thats The
whole building was shaking. No wind
that No, only the reverberation Of the
great clock bell One! What n gloomy
note II was how different to the sound
twelve hours ago, when I had left my
work in pleasant anticipation OF the dainty
little hot dinner had ordered! II had a
CHEEKY sound then; now 1t rolled sullenly
and despondingly through the tower
How many people, or rather how few,
would hc awake to learit Ali! q sudden
thought struck me; fool, never to have
imagined it before. II / rang the bells, OF
even ,tolled one bell, ii would surely sum.
mon somebodys who could open the door
to me. / could try, at any rate i; II should
not be my fault if spent the wretched
night that doomed before me. How long
would 1t take me to reach the belfrya
knew how to find it in daylight, but now
Well, l mssht find itnow;I would gropt
until Ibid, at any rate. IN heb
Feeling along the sides of the high Ole
pews, went on until l reached the wall
along which somewhere should find the
little irOn.naile door Then, as felt wal
nearing it, a sudden fear overlook me- II
would be locked they would naturally
lock the door of the tower. Iwcnt or
still, my hand outstretched upon the wall
but with no spirit In my search now.
AT last my hand slipped, and | felt thu
icon nails of the, little door of the beffy
stairs. / turned the handle. Yes, il
opened to my touch, and was free Il
mount the narrowsway, and make my i'm
prisonment known tn the sleeping world
without The steps were awkward and
unpleasant in daylight, hut what they
were TO me then cannot say. But now
coui feel a new air--a wider, colder kind
Of air; and I knew was in the belfry al
last. Yes, there were no more steps te
climb Now must feel my way onct
more by the'walt land for the last time.
To the right or left should ! got Some
childish idea turned me to the right. How
Gar would the ropes be awayf Ny righ
hand went up to the, wall; my lett l helt
out before me "a AN advanced guard. to Civ,
| notice Of any obstacle the intense dark
ness might hide And 60 went along
my palm scratched and grazed by tn,
| ~rs,~I sE>cx Ahnat sruti1 cv,x1