Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-02-28
TOPPI.v0 "A SHIFT.
A THRILLING sKETciI.

/ I" puuRe Dack 10 tne DTS OF rooms we
we're Obliged to put up with, since I came
TO London, in order to get better wages, I
was called into the ONCE by the foreman.
what Is your present job, Lindsay?" he
asked, and told him.
.'Humph that can stand over for day
or two, can't itf Stubbs has fallen III n
gain, and you must take his place."
didn't care TO be shifted before I'd fin-
ished what | was about, but journpymau
brick-iayer, with wife and children look
ing to him for bread, cannot afford TO be
particular, and SO held my tongue.
"fou must 20 TO Coo's brewery, to-mor-
row morning, and finish that chin
ney," the foreman told me. He gave me a
few more directions besides, and then
went his way, and went mine, not very
well pleased at the prospect before me-
suppose / never ought to have followed
the trade, for, though had gained myself
good character as a steady workman,
had never been able to overcome a horror
at being perched at any great height In
the country where buildings were low, j
managed well enough, but in this great
city there were roofs on which could not
stand without this dread expressing me,
nor look down without feeling az though
something below was tempting me to ding
myself over, and end at once the miserable
sensation which no effort or mine could
possibly shake OFF.
This huge chimney the foreman had order
ed me to finish was reckoned one of the
highest and best built shafts in London.
oil
been carried on so far without a single mis-
hap; but had earnestly been hoping that
l might not be sent to ii, aud II wasn't till
the workmen had got nj most to the ton that
began to breathe bit more freely, and
trust that il would he finished without any
help of mino.
Once at home, with the Youngsters mer-
ry pratto sounding in my ears, forgot
my uneasy feeling about the morrow's Job.
but the moment that dozed of to sleep. II
came back upon me in hideous dream.
thought was falling down, down, down,
and just as the crash of my body striking
the earth seemed inevitable, 1 woke up
with start to find myself batheG in cold
perspiration, and trembling in every limb.
No more settled sleep visited my pillow
that night, and it was a relief, when tho
booming of the clocks dispelled my fright
ful visions, and warned me that it was now
time to face a reality.
The morning was bitterly cold and hois-
ferrous; scarcely soul was to be seen in
the deserted streets, at that early hour, and
the dull thud of my footsteps sounded
mournfully in the stiffness reigning around.
AT last the great chimney loomed in sight.
and, gazing up at its height, l shivered at
the thought of being on top of it, and fore
ed to look down in the sickenng depth be-
low.
If it had not been for the shame of the
thing, I should have gone back; but the
thought of Bessie and the children spurred
me on so, buttuulug my Jacket tightly a.
round me, began to ascend the staging.
In my journey upward, passed many
costly curtained windows, and remember
thinking rather enviously, how nice il
must be to be rich, and sheltered on such
morning, from the biting cold, in a warmly
furnished bedroom
Some fellows wouldn't mind the least bit
If they were perched on the top of ST. Pauls
on the coldest of mornings, provided Won
supplied them well with beer; but wasn't
over-strong linbed, and more than that. |
couldn't pretent to be strong minded so
what to them was nothing. to me was al
most death itself.
The higher / went the more intense the
cold appeared TO be, and my fingers became
quite numbed by the hoar frost that was
cilnging to the sides and spokes of tho lad
ders. After while ! stood on the few
boards forming the stage on the summit of
the shaft, and giving one glance downward,
my blood turned colder than it was al
ready, as realized the immense depth to
the yard below.
Giving myself shake TO get rid of the
dizzy sensation that came over me. and un-
hooking from the pulley the tub of mortar
which my mate, waiting below, had sent
up, at once began my solitary work.
L had been hard at 1t for more than an
hour, and was getting bit more reconcil-
ed to my position. cheering myself as l
whistled and worked, with the thought that
each brick l laid was bringing me nearer
to finish, when all at once a fiercer and
colder blast than before came shrieking
and tearing round the chimney. I was
nearly overthrown, and In the endeavor TO
recover myself tilted the board of mortar
from off the edge of the shaft on to nv rrail
standng-place.
In second, to my intense horror, felt
the boards and all that were on them glid-
ing away with ME from the chimney, and
In few moments should have been ly- |
I'M lnI
succeeded in fiinging my arm over and in
to the hollow OF the shait, where, as the |
scaholdipg and its loads OF bricks crushed |
downward, l was left hanging, with GER |
tain death awaiting me tho moment loos- |
enod my hold.
My first impulse was TO throw my other
hand over and draw my body up, so
that could lie partially across the the top
of the shaft. In this was successful, and |
to balance myself, half in the
chimney and half out.
There for some time | could only cling
with frenzled despe ration, praying earnest
ly to be saved from the horrible death
me; but at last | summoned
courage to peer cautio usly over the out
side of the shaft.
Not LII of scafiOlding remained within
many yards of me-and that but the poles,
with few boards dangling to them-and
there was nothing to break my fall should
l quit my hold.
Shudderingly drew my head over the
shan, for there the darkness hid my dan
ger, while 10 gaze on the scene without
brought the old feeling of being dragged
down back TO me in full force
Then l began to think of the wife and
little ones whom had left snug in bed,