The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-03-04

uno ohili oil my pOuI huceS dnd elbows,
while the place felt that hot and stuffy /
could hardly breathe, cramped up as ]
was.
Now, you wouldn't think as any one
could see in the dark, with their eyes
close shut, and thick cap over their
face, pulled right down to keep the suit
from getting up their nose--you wouldn'
think any one could see anything there
but could, quite plain; and what dc
you think it was 2 Why, my mother
face, looking at me so sad, and sweet, and
smiling, through her tears, that it made
me give quite choking sob every now
and then, for was new at climbing, and
this was long chimbley, from the
housekeeper's room of great house,
right from underground, to the top.
Sometimes I'd stop and have a cry,
for I'd feel beat out, and the face as had
cheered me on was gone; but then I'd
hear Barkby's choky voice come mutter-
ing up the foo, same as I've shouted to
lots o boys in my time, "Go ahead,
boy !" and I'd go ahead again, though
at last 1 was sobbing and choking as
hard as could, for KEEP on thinking as
l should never get to the top, and be
stuck there always in the chimbley,
never to come out no more.
81 won't be sweep, / won't be q
sweep" I says, sobbing and crying; and
all the time making up my mind as I'd
run away first chance, and go home
again; and then, after n good long
struggle, was ia the pot, with my head
out, then my arms out, and the cap of
for the cool wind to blow i'll my face.
And, ah how cool and pleasant that
first puff of wind was, and how the fear
and horror seemed to GO away as 1
climbed ont, and stood looking about
me; till all at once L started, for there
came up out of the pot, buzzing like,
Barkbys voice, as he calls out" CO
ahead, boy -
So then / set to rattling away with my
brush-handle, to show as was out, and
then climbs down on to the roof, and
begins looking about me. 1t was Just
getting daylight, so that I could see my
way about; and all seemed so fresh and
strange that, with my brush in my hand,
L begins to wander ov0r the roofs, climb
ing up the states and sliding down
t'other side, which was good fun, and
bore doing two or three times over.
Then l got to aparapet, and leaned look
ing over into the street, and thinking of
what a way it would be to tumble; but
SO far off being afraid, got on to the
stone coping, and walked along ever SO
far, till l came to an attic window, where
| could peep i'll and see q man lying
asleep, with his mouth half open; then l
climbed up another slope and had an
other slide down, and then another, and
another, till forgot all about my sore
knees; and at last sat astriae of the high
est part, looking about me at the view
L had of the tops of houses as far as I
could see, for it was getting quite light
now.
All at once 1 turned all of q horrible
fright, for 1 reckelected about Barkby,
and felt almost as if he'd got hold of me,
and was thrashing me for being so long.
1 ran to the first chimbley-stack, but that
wasn't right; for l knew as the one l
came up was atop of slate sloping roof.
Then ran to another, thinking should
know the one ] came out of by the suit
upon it. But they'd all got suit upon
'em-every chimbley-pot [ looked at;
and so I hunted about from one to an
other till l got all in a muddle, and
didn't know where / was, nor which pot
I'd got out of. Last of all, shaking and
makes sure as I'd got the
right one, and climbing up, [ managed,
after nearly tumbling off, to get my legs
in, when putting down my cap, I let my
self down bit at time, when leaving
go, slipped with regular rush good
ness knows how far, till came to bend
IN the chimbley, where l stopped short
-scraped, and bruised, and trembling,
while L felt that confused I couldn't
move.
After bit 1 came round little, and,
whimpering and crying to myself, I be-
gan to feel my way about bit with my
.oes, and then got along. a little way
straight like, when the chimbley took
mother bend down, and stiffly and slow
y 1 let myself down little and little
i'll my feet touched cold iron, and 1
could get no further. Butafter thinking
| bit, l made out where was, and that
vas, standing ON the register of fire
place; so 1 begins to lift it up with my
oes as well as could, when crash it
vent down again, AIT. there came such
squealing and screeching as made me
begin climbing up again as fast as l
,ould till L reached the bend, where l
stopped and had another cry, felt so
and then L shrunk up and
hivered, for there came a roar and
'attle that echoed up the chimbley,
While the suit came falling down in
way that nearly smotnered me.
Now. 1 knew enough to tell myself
hat the people, being frightened, had
ired gun up the chimbley, while the
urn round as it took had saved me from
,eing hurt. So 1 sat squutted up quite
till, and then heard some one shout out,
Halo !" two or three times, and then,
'Puss, puss, puss" "Ah, that's it, is
t" 1 thinks; and being bit of n
mimic, l sings out softly, Miau, mi
-ow," when / could hear voices whis-
,ering bit, and then the register was
BANGED down. as l supposed by the
loise.
Only fancy sitting in bend of the
shivering with fear and half
'mothered withheat and suit. while your
breath comes heavy and thick from the
zap over your face Not nice, it amt
md more than once I've felt bit sorry
or the poor boys as I've sent up chin
1leys in my time. But there was, and
soon began scrambling up again, and
worked hard, for the chimbley was wider
han the other one. Last of all, 1 got to
5he pot, and on the stack, and then again
[ had good cry.
Now, when I'd rubbed my eyes again,
had another look round, and felt as if
was at the wrong pot; so / scrambled
lown, slipped over the states, and got to