Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-12-10

would have laid down to watch his owners
coat
qaecr fellow was this "Mopus;" stupid
enough In ordinary things TO need world Of
watching, but withal wonderfully At to watch
furnace He knew all the workings Of
the foundry, by what seemed sort Of brute
instinct, though really his strange sagacity
in this was remnant Of once bright
mind fAf
Ifanything happened or went in nm I'M
usual way, he would always notice It, and
say what ought TO be done, though he could
not tell, perhaps, why it ought to be done.
| Two years before, he had been an intelli-
gent, promising lad. lie was the son ola
designer connected with tho foundry COM
pany, and had always been allowed free
access to the shops, and to minglo with the
men and watch their work. But one day
great lifting chain broke with its load and
an iron fragment struck him on the head,
inficting n serious injury. From this he
partially recovered, and only partially, for
his reason was impaired. But his natural
love for machinery and mechanical expert
ments remained, and as he regained his
bodily strength, he spent most of his time
making small wheels and shafts, and put
ting together odd contrivances, which he
would exhibit with immense pride and sat
isiaction.
This peculiar trait in the young fellow
gained for him the humorous title Of the
Inventor" All the men felt great kind
ness for him, even though their manner
toward him was occasionally harsh and
impatient.
Such was the person left TO help watch
the great blast for the casting of the king
bell of the chime of st Johns. Faithfully
he kept his place before the furnace. while
the man George sat down Mt little distance
and began to eat his supper. Doubtless the
latter intended to keep general oversight
but he certainly made the Inventors eyes dc
most OF the looking. Whether he felt n
kind of reckless trust in the instinct of his
half-wltted companion, or indolontly con.
cluded that nothing could happen, he wa:
sadly too blame for charging himself sc
little with the important duty before him.
Not word was said by either watcher
and only the roar OF the furnace was heard
through the vast foundry.
George finished his supper, and sauntereC
out into one OF the tool shops to find his pipe
"Inventor" sat alone before the great blast
The one rational faculty of his feeble mint
enabled him to comprehend what it meant
and even something of the magnitude of the
enterprise that was ripening inside those
burning walls. He knew that the furnace wa'
full of valuable metal. and that close beside
him, buried out Of sight IN tho deep sand
was the image mold. so soon to be filleC
with the precious cast. He knew and cou Ii
see all the channels for the flow of tho fer,
| liquid were ready, and that near the moutl
of the furnace stood the long, iron rod tina
was to be used when the moment came t
let on the molten stream.
All this his limited thoughts took in b
habit. Dimly conscious that something
great was soon to be done, he sat with hi
eyes on the furnace absorbed and intent.
Suddenly something startled him. Their,
was slight uoise and burning crack ap
pcared near the top Of the furnace. Their
another crack, and scorching brick fell ouI
and rolled to the ground at his feet
The lad opened his mouth to shrek, bu
so terrified was he that the sounds stuck /
his throat. as If he had been in u 6t of night
g. mare,
A thin red stream followed the fallen brick
and trickled down the furnace side lik
running lava. The n came another alarmin
noise, and n thin gap halfway down tn
masonry let out more OF the kissing meta
Where was GeorgeP Was the unfaithfr
fellow still hunting for his pipea The ful
mace was bursting with only y poor hal
idiot lad to guard it!
What could he do? lie did. perhaps, VIII;
a lad in his right mind would not have dare
to do. Rushing to the mouth of the lurnac
he seized the long iron rod that stood nea
and tapped the vent. One desperate thru
with sharp point up the terrible funnel
few quick, prying strokes! Stand back. nov
The combining clay fell away, and the yelo
white flood spurted out with resistless fore
1t leaped into the clay-lined trOughs an
Kissed its way down to the mouth of the be
mold.
The fool" had done deed worthy OF
general on field OF battle
Was It too late2 Every moment ne W fl
of the upper stones toppled over, Still II
metal poured out into the mould. But I'll
II. waste was great from these Gaping flaw
The pressure was relieved by the open ven
but the leaks multiplied continually. 1t WI
art running race with ruin.
le Poor "Mopus" stood powerless before Il
Of coming catastrophe. His knees knockt
ne together and his head swan. A great he's
a, of red hot bricks and rubbish fell ut his fec
he He had barely thought to get out of the wi
70 and save his life. He heard a wild shout
I'd human voices in tho distance. then an awlI
roar behind him, and be saw and felt hims'
r. pursued by surges of seething fire. Shar
at blisteriEg pains pierced his flesh Mt hundr,
cd points. The rest was all horrible uni
10 telligible dream 1t was rs If he had su
denly sank into the earth and had been swa
rd lowed up forever.
of BY seven o'clock comparative quiet w
w regning again on the scene Of disaste
a. Ruins lay everywhere. The engines HI
ms quenched the flames that had caught Il
he building, and the men. blackened wi
he smoke, stood in silent groups around 4
remains OF the furnace. 1t had fallen
ne pieces and nothing was left but heaps
ir steaming rubbish.
h. Poor Inventor" who had been found wi
the tapping-rod in his hands, lying on b
cd face in the sand, frightfully burned, had bee
.st carried to his home.
Little was said. but the few words sPok
e. uttered with no mild emphasis the natur
E wrath Of the master and hands against Il
NJ man George. whose excuses for hlmsi
only exaggerated his offence.
,e- "See what he's DONE" said they, f
,er days later ms they stood in the half burn
his foundry. "FIve thousand dollars gone
...naLn IN, ain.aLnL IIhn knaL ioL. IL ...a..