Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-24
THE BELL, OF ST. JOHN. N
ny RUFUS SARGENT.

!. sssBtl y h,
!. THE BELL, OF ST. JOHN. !
ny RrFus SARGENT. r i il
l@ atf fit -----it1A ,tliil -
II was u large and smoky fonnlt
close by the wharves in tho town d
/, B., a gang Of worknen wer
lgotting ready 10 cast the largest be
IOf ST Johns Cathedral chimes. Onl
an hour more and they wonld let tn
glaring, bnbbling metal How from tn
i hnge furnace into the mold which VIA
buried deep in the. blackschr,i clos
Ii was just at evening, aud in III
gathering twilight the lnrfd blu
flsmes that burst from the top OF tn
tall chimney flashed mccarthy giesm
npon the nelghboring windows ant
honsetops. ii
bI The scepe within the foundry wa
weird and almoat awful. The swarthy
forms OF the workmen, partly Lighted
Dy the yellow glare, moved about like
IartariAn shades, and tho sooty beams
and ponderous chains crossing hal
black, half golden. under tho golden
ROOT, recalled the engines OF Cyciops
under Mount -Etna.
Tho town oiocs struck six. II was
time for supper. All the men threw
down their tools. and ran and pnt on
their outer clothing
| "Be back in half an hour. sharp r
cried tho Iorge-master. 1--WE shall
make the cast at a quarter to seven.
| "All right, sirl' cried the men. in
response. n
! II hear some Of the town folks are
coming down to see the work" said
one.
"Yes," ssid another, ''and itil be
something to open their eyee. There
was never such a bell cast in the whole
Sta,e as this one will be-
In a moment moro only one work
man aud the master were left in the
foundry. The former was to stay and
watch the "blast.n He had brought
double allowance of dinner, and he
would make a supper OF what remain.
ed. isita
Perhaps you can get the inventor
10 stay with you, George" said the
master, langhingly, as he prepared to
go.
"Yes, whore Is he" returned the
man In the same jesting tone
Hes been around the works long
enough TO know when anything goes
wrong. Hello hello ! say, Where's
the inventor Come here. All, there
he is.' And in silent answer TO the
summons, a shock haired fallow, with
large gray eyes and pale, vacant face
appeared from behind a pile OF cast.
ings. lie had on his back gray shirt
much soiied with dust, and he wore
pair Of huge pantaloons, held up by a
single suspender.
well, Mopus," quoth the man
George, slapping him rather roughly
on the shoulder, suppose you've got
!" ~ il (, e denongh TO yell II anuihing's thu.
Tho young fellow looked stupidity
around and nodded his head.
"Theh sit here and look ut tha. fur
mace, and don't take your eyes off,
The poor lad smiled and meekly did
as he was ordered, just as an Obedient
dog would have laid down to watch
his owners coat.
A queer fellow was this "Mopns,"
stupid enough in ordinary things TO
need q world of watching. hut withal,
wonderfully fit 10 watch furnace.
lie knew all the workings of the fonn-
| dry by what seeined hrnte instinct,
though really his strange sagacity in
this was & remnant OF u once bright
mind.
II ANYTHING happened or went in An
unusual way he wonld always notice
1 IL, aud say what ought to he done,
though he conld not tell, perhaps, why
\ IL ought To be done.
Two years before he had been an
Intelligent, promising lad. He was
the son OF n designer connected with
the foundry company, and had always
been allo wed tree access to the shOpa.
and to mingie with the men aud watch
their work. Bat one day Il great lift.
lug chsin broke, with its load, and an
1 iron fragment struck him on tho head,
liuflicting serious injury. From this
he partially recovered, and only part
tally, for his reason was impaired. But
his natural love for machinery and
mechanical experiments remained, and
as he regsined his bodily strength he
spent most of his time making small
wheels and shafts, and putting togeth-
or odd contriysnees, which he wonid
4 exhibit with immense pride and sat.
isfaction.
The peculiar trait in the young fell
How gained for him the numerous title
OF the 'inventor" All the men felt a
Il great kindness tor him, even though
1 their manner toward him WAS occa-
sionally harsh and impatient.
4 Such was the person left to help
watch the great blast, for the casting
4 of the king bell of the chime of st.
Johns. Faithfully he kept bis place
before the furnace, while the man
George sat down at little diatance
and began to eat his supper. Doubtless
the latter intended to keep general
oversight, bnl he certainly made the
iuyentor's eyea do the most of the
looking. Whether he felt kind oi
reckless trust in the instinct OF his
half-witted companion, OF indolently
|. concluded that nothing wrong could
J happen, he was sadly to blame for
!. charging himself so little with the i'm.
1 portant duty before him.
4 Nota word was spoken by either
watcher, and only the deep roar OF
the furnace was heard through the
vast foundry.
4 George finished his supper, and
sauntered into one of the tool shops
to find his pipe. "Inventor" sat alone
before the great blast. The one ra.
tional faculty OF his feeble mind en-
abled him TO comprehend what 1t
, meant, and even something OF the
|, magnitude Of the enterprise that was
ripening insido those burning walls
He knew that the furnace was full OF
valuable metal, and that close beside
him, buried out Of sight In the deep
+ sand, was the huge mold, go Roon &c
I be filled with the precious cast. Ht
knew and could see that sll the chan.
81 nels for the flow of tho fiery liquid
! were ready, and that near tho mouth
! OF the furnace stood the long iron rod
!. that was to be nsed when tho moment
came TO let on the molten stream. e
All his limited thoughts took n
T by habit Dimly conscious tha
something was soon to be done, he ga
with his eyes on tho furnace absorbed
] and intent. af5t
"a norcnXI..,,. nAn~,DnI hsrN