National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-11-07

"its against rules but I'll let you in
you don't mind stopping inside alon,
for an hour. II will be that time be
fore ! return; and must lock the dool
behind me. Do you still wish to &c
inside? ?"
] thanked him warmly, and said
Certainly, yes." Indeed, was de
lighted at the idea Of an hour in perlec,
stiffness and seclusion among the nigh,
ty columns and arches of ST. Paul.
got under the great dome, which hangs
ike luminous cloud above, full OF
hazy, uncertain shadows, a faint circle
Of light trimming it round, arches and
huge piers encompassing it. From the
west, u subdued crimson glow east
wards, the choir, dark and sombre the
windows OF the apse showing as gray
luminous patches, the altar glooming
in the distance like some funeral cata-
talque. White figures cleaning here
and there in shadowy recesses, marble
warriors, heroes, statesmen.
Under the dome, in the great open
space, was vast crowd Of chairs
wooden rush-bottomed chairs, lashed
together in rows, looking towards the
east. Choosing one OF the most central
of these, / sat down, and began TO
dream, peopling this wide area with II
vast invisible congregation.
In soft, long. drawn cadence, the bell
Of Paul's struck out the hour Of ten.
. had been in the place nearly an hour.
| felt chilled and numb. Enough of
dreams. Let ME walk briskly mp and
down, and think of the busy scenes
awaiting me; the rapid flight over con-
tinents and seas the wanderer's return:
the warm, glad welcome wife and chill.
iren holding out eager arms.
paced rapidly up and down nm
avenue 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 be
the very centre of the dome, and looked
upward. A faint circle of light marked
the apex of the soaring vault, and just
above my head | saw-my eyes being
now accustomed to this half- f-light-I
saw, I say. a rope hanging down from
the vast height above.
Then l remember the spider-webs !
had seen outside about the ball and
cross. And as Istood, and looked, and
listened, | heard faint sounds of ham,
mering and knocking. Men were at
work, hundreds of feet above ; light
,hone here and there, twinkling like
Il star.
In years gone by, l used to be a IA
nous gymnast, and the sight of the |
rope hanging just above my head, put
me in mind of my ancient prowess. /
was heavier now, my muscles elastic
still, there was some salt of youth Ill
me. How many times, | wondered,
conld ], hanging to that rope, draw my
chin up to my knackles?
The rope was just out of reach, but
leapt up and caught i-once, twice,
thrice. felt a kind of emulation with
my old self wanted to persuade my
self that l had not lost much of my
former prowess and so went on draw
ing myself up and letting myself down,
not touching the ground, till l grew
tired. Then l stretched myself out,
expecting Just to reach the pavement
with my toes. But couldn't reach il.
Casting glance below me, saw with
horror that the flooring had vanished
from under me. l was swinging sus-
pended by my hands high up in the
dome.
Perhaps, if I had dropped at that mo-
ment, might have escaped with onlya s
serious shaking; but I besitated, and
vas lost. Slowly and steadily, the rope I
was being wound up. shat my eyes. {
Surely this was hideous delnsion, G
that another moment would dispel. But I
no; IA looked down, the floor below I
was almost lost to my sight. There l
'wnng, tiny human speck, halfway t
between heaven and earth. couldn't {
hope to hang on mnch longer NY T
muscles wee wearied with the task | !
lad given them. ! made desperate
,ffort to raise myself hand over hand, so $
hat l might grasp the rope with my /
eet also; bnt it was impossible: l could |
lot do it. Even the desperate energy I
If self-preservation could extract no {
,nly hold on.
Twas now on level with the plinth 7
hat surmonnts the great arches of the
lone; the gilded ground work of new
resco in the spandrel east sort of glow
,pon me, the colossal tigures seemed to {
mock my agony. | must be halfway {
Up now, and for the moment q ray of
lope shone in upon me that | could 7
lOld on to the end. But, to my des- J
,air, l now saw that the seeming dome t
vas false one, above which rose the G
conical roof, another hundred {
eet or more; and that through vast /
onnd oritice in the sham dome, the v
ope was to ascend to the uppermost
,eak of the roof. In that moment of a
orture, recognized my fate as inevi. f
able. might prolong my agony for t
few seconds; my muscles are involun- Ii
arily relaxing; my grasp Yonld fail; in p
mother minute at furthesA l must fall. c
o be dashed to pieces on the adamah- s
inc floor below. n
A thousand confused thoughts whirl- {
d through my brain. like the smoke b
nd sparks of an approaching confagra- Q
ion; but especially clear in my minds il
We saw did not think, but saw this q
picture of my far-off home, a
he rolling plains of grass, the herds %
nd fiocks, galloping horseman-there Il
ras nay home. My wife stood in the fl
ortico, shading her eyes with her d
ands; the children were clustering p
bout her: there was news of father p.
father himself. 1t n
ras bitter TO die thus.
My limbs relaxed; my senses almost
eserted ME; a merciful oblivion, the Il
ntoxication of despair, stole over me; %
oices, thought, were calling perhaps @,
delusion of my failing senses-I was fr
Tipping, slipping, and fell. to
"How do you feel now?' l heard a n,
oice say, close TO my ear. Was it pos to
ihle-was I still alive Yes; nv w