Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-16
The ROTTEN CROSS,

It has been many a long day sine
!! then, yet [ remember it all, lust rs
though it had occurred but yesterday
L was a carpenter, the foreman of :
large establishment, and as such pos
sessed the entire confidence of m,
employer, who, by the way, had beei
a schoolmate of mine.
: One day he called me into his offic,
to look at some rare coins he had Jus
purchased.
"Here," said he, placing in my hant
a heavy gold piece, sis one which i.
worth more than all tie rest put to
gether. 1t IS a great curiosity. 1 pait
e2OO for it, and considered it cheap a
that. I could easily double my none,
IN selling; and SO you see. Harvey, i
is really good Investment.
'No doubt it is" said [, Though il
seems large sum to have lie idle"
] hreathed an involuntary sigh as ]
laid the coin down on the desk, fol
goo would have seemed fortune to
me just then.
| The severe illness of my wife, and
one OF my children, and the death OF
another, made serious inroads on my
purse, and it had required the exer-
cise OF the utmost economy to keep
myself free from debt: nav, I had
been obliged to withdraw from the
bank the small sum, which, besides
my salary, was ali ] possessed of
worldly treasures Thinking OF this.
L laid the coin down with Il sigh, and
turned away to attend to my duties.
The next morning was again sum-
moned into the Office, but this time
frin
Harvey" said my employer, alb
ruptIy, that coin We were looking at
has disappeared. I have made a thor
ough search, but it is not to be found.
1t has been Carried away by some one.
You alone saw or knew of it. and
He paused and looked significantly
into my face. L finished the sentence
for him, the hot blood dying cheeks
and brow as | spoke.
Il' '''' 'N''> -
" What else can I think The coin
Was here You alone saw it. cannot
recall having seen il since it was in
your hands You are in need of money:
you have told me that Yourself. IT
was great temptation. and [ forgive
You because of our old friendship. b1lt
| cannot retain you i'll my employ.
Here is the salary due you''
every well, . said with forced calm
ness. $50 he it. Since you have Sc
poor an opinion of me after wears Of
faithful service, [ shall not s.non to lie
fend myself"
Then I took the money he hal laid
upon the desk. and went ont from his
presence II well nigh broken hearted
man.
But ior the tender love Of my wife.
doubt not but that [ would have buried
my sorrows III the grave Of % suicide.
supported by that love, however,
and the consciousness ct 2Gy own inno-
! cence, took freSi. courage. and set
| resoiute!Y II. wori to find az employer.
j But powerful is n breath OF slander :
! ts1rn which way might, L ever fornd
! that the story Of my dismissal for theft
! lad preceded me. and my application
for employment uniformly met Wit, 4
| refusal.
| Time went OF =; piece bv piece or
furniture and every spare article of
clothing found its way to the }.awnbro-
kers, Until, al length. even this poor
resource failed Eis, and NV children
cried III v..;s, for food.
-, Yet / did not sit down in idle ,les-
| pair | c,>ni1 not afford to 90 SO the
life or death OF all / loved on earth de-
pended on my e1ertiOn-and SO turn
ing away from them with a heavy vheart,
once more set oE.t ol1 the ~eary search
for work.
Ali In vain refusal after refusal met
+ my entreaties for employment. and [
vas attracted by group Of men at its
! base.
ImpelIc,l by some strange impulse,
[ approached and mingled with them.
A workman was standing near by.
locking ZIP at the great stecpIe which
lowered alcft some $50 feet above
them, while gentleman, evidently an
architect, was addressing iinl il. earn
est language, and, at the same time.
pointing toward the golden cross ut the
summit OF the spire.
Il tell yop," he exclaimed, as I drew
near, 1T must and can be done. The
cross must he taken down, or the first
heavy gale Will send it down INTO the
street, and lives will be lost. Coward
Is this the way you back out of Il Job.
after engaging to do it "a
Il didn't know the spfre was Sc high
up there. De Il yourself, ii you want
it done
= Mca!d II l were able said the
architect, But go il you viii; let it
be- My h...lor is pledged to have it
do1lo at any price-and / can lind
braycr man than you to 10 il -
The carpenter walked away with a
logged, sioii"!iins step. and the gcntle-
man about to move away, also. when l
stopped forward
What IS ii YOU wait dom, sir2' [
asked. Il ouI Il carpenter; peril ops /
can do it..
He turned eagerly tow,>I,t ne
Il Will make 1t worth your while
Take down that cross and [ will pay
you Il hundred dollars. Iou viii have
t" ascend these ornamental blocks, and
| tel yoH can,i;dly they are not to be
depended or; they must be weak and
rottei2-::nI' they have heeGa there f0r
years.
Looked s.r ;.b the sp;re: it was
square AZ the base and tapere,I to a
sharp point. while along each angle
Were iHiIed s,E5ll gilded blocks of
wood
''It's a ,',a,scrcus place to work, I
said, and there will be even more
peril III descending than i'll ascending.
Supposa I ST ,ceesl in moving the stone,
and then
''If any accident happe..;, L, 5o,i, my
brave fellow the money shall be paid
to your family, Z promise you that
Gave rae .r:h>s: address"
":Iefe ii ~" | said. ';,nd as you
value your sonl, keep your word with
me. My wife and children are s.s.rv-
ing, or L would not attempt this work.
If die they can live an the hundred
dollars for awii:t.', until my sick wife
recovers hes strength.
'i'ii make II a hundred and ff.v -
exclaimed tte architect, ''and z.ay God
protect you. If [ had the skill neces-
sary to ascend that sueeple, I would
ask no maa. to risk his life there. But
come, and keep a steady hand and
eve."
/ followed him into the church, then
up INTO the spire, until we paused be-
fore narrow window This was the
point from which I must start on my
tiGriinDS feat which T had 11DGarf la,l