Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-12-15
VOL. 71.-36O0. NO. 8.

stood near, and tapped the vent. One des-
perate thrust with sharp point up the ter
rible funnel-a few quick pryinr strokes
Stand back, now The oonfning clav fell
away, and the yellow-whito food spurted
out with resistless force. II leaped into the
clay-lincd troughs, and hissed its way. fam.
ing down to the mouth Of the bell mold.
The fool had done deed worthy Of
general on a field of battle.
Was 1t too late Every moment new fis-
sures opened in the doomed furnace. Some
OF the metal poured out into the mold. But
the waste was great from those gaping flaws.
The pressure was relieved by the open vent,
but the leaks multiplied continually. Itwas
art running race with ruin.
Poor " Mopus stood powerless before the
coming catastrophe. His knees knocked To-
gether and his head swan. \ great heap of
red-hot bricks and rubbish fen at his feet.
lie had barely thought enough to get out of
the way and save his life. lie heard wild
shout Of human voices in the distance, then
an awful roar behind him, and he saw and
felt himself pursued by surgcs Of seething
fire. sharp, blistering pains pierced his
hesh at hundred points. The rest was all q
horrible, unintelligible dream. It was as ii
he had suddenly sunk into the earth. aud had
been swallowed up forever
BY seven o'clock comparative quiet reigncd
again ON the scene Of the disaster. Ruins
lay everywhere The engines had qucnched
the flames that had caught the building, and
the men, blackened with smoke, stood in 81
lent groups about the remains Of the fur
mace. fl had fallen TO pieces, and nothing
was left but heaps Of steaming rubbish.
Poor Inventor" who had been found
with the tappng-rod in his hands, lying on
his face in the sand, frightfully burned, had
been carried to his home.
Little was said, but the few words spoken
uttered, with no mild emphasis, the natural
wrath of the master and hands against the
man George, whose excuses for himself only
aggravated his offense.
" See what he's done" said they, few
days later as they stood in the half-burncd
foundry. Five thousand dollars gone to
waste in minute The best job in twenty
years spoiled The rascal, to go hunting for
his pipe. and leave that suffering idiot TO
watch Is that all he can say for himself ?
Out upon such carelessness Why the boy
didn't even know enough to bawl out when
he must have seen the furnace tumbling to
pieces :"
The master, who had more at stake than
the men, Of course felt the loss more keenly
than they. lie almost wept with mingled
grief aud rage. Suddenly, something pecu-
liar caught his eye among the debris, aud he
cried in a startled voice
" llalloo What's this What's this 2"
lie snatched up fragment Of one Of the
troughs which had led from the furnace to
the mold. There were traces Of the stream
of bronze still running in it. Then the pos
sible meaning of the iron found in the injured
boys hand flashed upon him.
Bring me a shovel qnick !" he shouted.
spade was put into his hands, and he
began nervously TO heave away the hot mass
that lay piled over the bell mold. Il was
herculean task, but he worked like giant,
and three or four of his men took hold and
helped him.
Brickbats, ore, Stag and ashes flew in every
direction. Presently the masters spade pen
etrated the sand and touched something
hard. lie stopped down. Then he leaped
up like one half frantic, and plying his spade
with redoubled energy, tore away the re-
naming sand, disclosing what looked like
great metallic ring.
" Men," he cried out, lifting his flushed
face " the bell is cast"
"Who did this 2" asked every excited
voice, as soon as the cheering died away.
"Come with Iue two or three of you !"
it, It's miracle"
They hurried away TO the house Of the
half-witted boy. The attendant met them
with her finger on her lips.
"The poor boy is in brain fever" she said.
Does he say anything in his delirium 2"
whispered the master.
"Oh, yes, he raves all the time about the
big bell mold. hope it will fill hope
it will, he says
The men exchanged glances. 1t was iu-
deed true. The idiot had cast the great bell
of St Johns. Just then the physician
came out. perhaps he will recover his
reason by his shock and sickness he said.
" Such things have happened"
q" DO you think SO Pray heaven he may z"
solemnly calculated the master and his men
and they turned away, deeply moved.
Two months later the great bell hung
from huge derrick in the lathe room of the
factory, and beneath it stood heavy truck
upon which it was about to be lowered. a
silence fell upon the group Of workmen as
the pale face aud feeble form of Inventor
appeared, borne in on small reclining
chair. lie had recovered his reason, aud
was fast getting back his strength. His
large gray eyes instantly fastened themselves
on the bell, that splendid masterpiece,
whose making meant so much TO him
They had told him the whole story of the
casting, and the disaster in the foundry, but
it all sounded like a wild romance to him.
81 remember nothing that happened y
said he, shaking his head with a smile
" It's all new to me, all new and strange
so strange
Yes" said the master, deyoutly, " it was
Gods hand"
should like to strike the bell once .
two men lifted him up and put small ham
mer in his hand
lie struck one gentle blow. \ deep,
I sweet, moumful tone, solemn as the sound
of distant waterfalls, rolled from the great
bell aud echoed through the foundry. Tears
/ filed the eyes of the rough men as they
1 heard it.
ALI" said the master, There's halle
/ lujah in that, aud it may well begin here,
/ Long may this bell praise God lie saved
/ it in the ruins of the furnace, by one wise
thought in the ruins of human brain.
Our furnace Is rebuilt, and behold, this dear
/ boy has his reason again The bell and the
boy shall glorify God together.
Amen :" murmured the listeners.
Then the great bell was lowered, and as
the truck was rolled away with its melodious
burden, the boy was lifted and carried after
| II, and both went out into the sunny day to-
gether, the rough men standing ia the door
way, waving their hands.
" Little Inventor afterwards well proved
his claim TO the title so lightly given him in
his unfortunate boyEood. His name is now
read on many bell whose matchless rich
ness of tone his genius and skin in metals
alone created.
A Night In the Moon.