Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-11-21

didn't turn his head.
Once again | had almost given the
thing up aud gone home; but Just then
the light disappeared from the window
aud all was darkness. Was the old man
of TO bed, wondered, or had he gone
10 group among the crypts below
Should see his light presently twink
ling in those high windows2 Did he
couch in some stony gallery or find a
resting place in the golden ball4 Whilst
| was thus specializing | heard door
softly closed, u doorstep on the stone
staircase; the iron gate at the bottom
creaked on its hinges. ! sprang for
ward and met n gray-headed old man
with a paid face, who was just opening
the iron grille.
With all the eloquence Of which am
master | besought him to do me the
good Office Of letting me into the sacred
fame. He hesitated, shook his head; at
last he relented, VERY we'll, :" he said,
tits against rules; but as you say, it's a
long way to the antipodes. I'll let you
in il you don't mind stopping inside
for an hour; and / must lock the door
behind me. Do you still wish TO go
inside2"
thanked him warmly and said, Ger
tainly, yes" was delighted at the
idea Of an hour in perfect silence and
seclusion among the mighty columns
and arches of st. Paurs. / got under
the great dome, which hangs like a lu.
mnous cloud above, full Of uncertain
shadows, faint circle of light trimming
it around, arches and huge piers encom.
passing it. From the west a subdued
crimson glow; eastward the choir, dark
and sombre; the windows Of the apse
showing as stray luminous patches, the
altar glooming in the distance like some
funeral catafalque. White figures
cleaning here and there in shadowy re-
cesses, marble warriors, heroes, states
men.
Under the dome, in the great open
space, was vast crowd of chairs
wooden rush.bottomed chairs-lashed to-
gether in rows, looking toward the east
Choosing one of the most central OF
these / sat down and began to dream,
peopling this wide area with a vast, in.
visible congregation.
In soft, long drawn cadence the bell of
Paups struck out the hour of ten. had
been in the place nearly an hour. l felt
chilled and dumb. Enough of dreams,
Let me walk briskly up and down and
think of the busy scenes awaiting me;
the warm, glad welcome; wife and chill
dren holding .out eager arms-right at
the other side of this huge world.
paced rapidly up and down an ave-
nue. between the chairs had seen
enough; was anxious to be released, To
get away from the world of shadows
into the living world outside For
moment ! stood in what seemed TO b.
the very oen,sr Of the dom aud Looked
upward 4 iaiut CIRCLE 0t iighr mark-i
The apex VI the .D4ring vait. aud ia.
an ~ .e | saw-my eyes neing
&C .omed to nus half i light-I saw,
: rope ha. NJ down from the vast
b 1t above.
hen renie.Aasrei tts der webs
hau seen outside about th~ ball and
cross. And as | stood ara ,oked aud
listened heard faint sounds of ham
mering and knocking. Men were at
work hundreds of feet above; light
shone here and there, twinkling like
star.
In years gone by used to be fa-
nous gymnast, and the sight Of the rope
hanging just above my head put me in
mind Of my ancient prowess. ! was
heayieF nov, my muscles less elastic;
still, there vas some salt Of youth in
me. How many times, | wondered,
could !, hanging to that rope, draw my
chin up to my knucklesp
The rope was just out Of reach, but
l. |
thrice. | felt Q kind of emulation with
ny old self; I wapted to persuade nv
SELL that I bad not lost much Of NY
former prowsss; and so | went on draw
ing myself up and down, not touching
the ground till grew tired, and stretched
myself out, expecting just to reach the
pavement with my toes But couldn't
reach it. Casting glance below me,
saw with horror that the flooring had
vanished under me. / was swinging
sqgpePded RE ny hands high up IN the
Perhaps, if had dropped at that mo
ment, | might have escaped with only a
serious shaking; but hesitated, and was
lost. Slowly Rp9 steadily the rope was
being wound up. / sbGt Wy syes.
Surely this was hideeus delusion that
another moment would dispel But no;
as | looked down the floor below was
almost lost to my sight. There swung,
2 tiny human speck, halfway between
beayeB and earth. couldn't hope to
bang 0p'Rhch lonSeE. Nv muscles we're
wearied With the task Had giEen them.
| made desperate effort TO raise myself
hand over hand, so that might grasp
the rope with my feet also; but it was
could not 90 it. Even the
desperate energy Of selfpreservation
could eSjrsii iq more force from my
I could only hold 90.
was new level with the plinth that
the'great arches of the dome.
fhs gilaed groundwork of a new fresco '
In the spandrei Oest sort Of glow upon b
me; the colossal figures seemed TO mock
my agony. | must be half way up now, 4
and for the moment a ray of hope shone N
IN upon me that l could hold on to the
end But, 10 my despair, now saw that (
he seeming dome vas false one, q
above which rose the veritabIe conieal
roof, another hundred feet or more; ard q
hat through vast round orifiee in the
sham dome the rope was to ascend to
The uppermost peal Of the roof. In that Q
moment Of torture ! recognized my fate n
IS lneyitsbls. might prolong my
lgony for a few secondsi nay nuscles
we're inyoluntagily relaxing; my grasp :
would fail; in another minute, at far
hest, must fall, to be dashed 10 pieces =.
,n the adamantine floor below.
A thousand confused thoughts vhirled
hTosgh ~ bfain, like the smoke sld
parks Of an approaching conhagration;
'ut especially clear in my minds eye,
aw-I did not think but saw this vision =