The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-06-12

Slowly l crept up, nearing the point little
where the rope was cutting. Just then l
got my head over the top of the round. l
had pretty strong knife in my pocket, so
jabbed it in between the edges of the
slate, until it took hold of the wood
work, and braced my heel against it. If
l had had two knives, could have man
aged tirst-rate, using one for one foot and
the other for the other; so as to take the
strain off the rope. I tried all l could to
throw the rope off the tin, but seeing it
was still under q strain, with my heft
to it, | couldn't bulge it.
| Well, never should have known to this
day how would have pulled through if
IL hadn't been for woman who just then
stuck her blessed old head out OF a little
window in the church below me. "Mister,"
says she, "don't you know your trade bet
| ter than to be a throwing down slate and
things that way2 And my child came as
near as could be having his head split open
with slate, and I'm the sections wife, and
just see if don't report all about it to the
vestry cs meets tonight"
Says ], "For Gods sake don't scod, for
l am here in scrape. My rope is cut,
and getting cut all the time I'm talking to
you, and you are just as likely as not to be
| the last person as will hear my final will
and testament"
Lord mercy" says she, "I'll scream"
"Don't, says l." us there any men about
here
"Not a soul but me. What shall do ?"
"Got any rope-no rope in the church 2"
1--WE don't run this church with bells,
and there amt no bell-ropes, and there
amt no shop US keeps any around here"
"Well, see here" says I. "It's matter
OF five minutes, or ten at the most, with
me-"
"I've got clothes line. dries til
clothes sometimes in the loft up there, but
it amt very long"
THAT will do" says l. Snow come up,
and be quick about it, with the clothes
line" She was gone minute, and pres
emily could hear something a moving
inside the little dome, and soon she was at
the window
Now" says |, "stretch out your cord,
and just where the middle is, pass it three
times round the upright at the head of the
staircase, make good double knot at the
loose ends, just as you would on double
thread when you are sewing, and throw
the ends to me-" How the poor old woman
flustered, and wiped her face with her
apron, and how that old clothes line, for |
could see it plain, was all tangled and
twisted! Presently all was ready, and
taking good aim at me, she flung the knot
ted end toward me. 1t wouldn't reach me
by nearly three feet. 1 managed to get
my knife blade some two inches higher up,
but even this exertion and the strain | had
given on the rope stretched out the tibres.
1t was jump had to make, and it wanted
nerve, and thank God l had il, and got a
good hold, with one hand, of the clothes
line. In second was up ten feet and
above the cut in the rope, and now l was
all right That old lady-she was worse
off than was when was by her side-she
kissed ME first, and then went off into a
cOnniption. After it was all over hauled
in my old rope. You have heard tell of
the man who was in the mine, as was low
cred down by q rope, and then left hanging
until his strength gave out, and at last he
let go, thinking he was to be smashed to
atoms. When they did pick him up he
had fallen six inches, but was in dead
faint. Well, sir, my case wasn't like his. l
hauled up the old rope, and the old lady,
she took hold of one part and l ofthe other,
and when she jerked it, she snapped the
last bits of the strand like darning- cotton;
that was all l was hanging to. I'm quite
careful ever since that time. Business is
now over for the season. Wages is by the
job, and when do work it's $40 make
day. Wife don't like il, and is always
wanting me to quit it; and she never fixes
up my kettle now with my dinner in it
that she don't look like as ifshe was putting
me up something to eat for the last time.
But l like the work, sir, and just as likely
as not there is many steeple shall swing
from in New York, doing a bit ofrepair on
it, before my time comes.-7imes.