Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-03
The Bell of ST. Johns.
BY RUFUS SARGENT.

In a huge and smoky foundry close
by the wharves in the town of B, a
gang of workmen were getting ready
TO cast the largest bell of the st. Johns
cathedral chime. Only an hour more,
and they would let the glaring, bubbiing
metal, flowing from the huge furnace
into the mould, which was buried deep
in the black earth close by.
Ii was Just at evening, and in the
gathering twilight the lurid blue flames
that burst from the top of the tall Chin
new. flashed unearthly CLEANS upon the
neighboring windows and house-tops.
The scene within the foundry was
weird and almost awful. The swarthy
forms of the workmen, partly lighted
by the yellow glare, moved about like
Tartarean shadows, and the sooty beams
and ponderous chains crossing. half
black, half golden. under the glowing
roof. recalled the engines of the Cyclops
under Mt. -Etna.
The town clock struck six. IT was
time for supper. All the men threw
down their tools, and ran and put on
their outer clothing
BE back i'm half an hour sharp!' cried
the forge-master. we shall make the
east at a quarter to seven"
All right, sir- cried the men in re-
sponse.
Il hear some of tie town folks are
coming down to see the work, said one.
Yes said another, and it'll be some
thing to open their eyes. There was
never such a bell east in the whole
State as this one will be-
In A moment more only one workman
and the master were left in the foundry
The former was to stay and watch the
ssblast." He had brought a double
allowance of dinner, and he would
make a supper on what remained.
perhaps we can get the Inventor to
stav with you, George, said the master,
laughingly, as he prepared to go.
YES, where is he p returned the man,
in the same jesting tone.
Hes been round the works long
enough to know when anything goes
wrong. Halo, halo. | say, Where's
the Tnventor?' Come here. All, there
he isr And in silent answer to the
summons. a shock-haired fellow, with
large grav eyes, and pale, vacant face,
appeared from behind a pile of castings.
He had on his back gray shirt much
soiled with dust, and he wore pair OF
huge pantaloons, held up by single
suspender.
sWell. Mopus,' quoth the man George,
slapping him rather roughly on the
shoulder. suppose you've got wit enough
to help yell if anything's the matter!'
The young fellow looked stupidity
around and nodded his head.
eThen sit here and look at that fur
mace, and don't take your eyes of.
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 "MOpus:
stupid enough in ordinsry things to
need a world of watching, but wiihal
wonderfully fit to watch furnace. lie
knew all the workings of the foundry,
by what seemed a sort of brute instinct.
though really his sagacity in this was
remnant of a once bright mind.
If ANYTHING happened, or went on in
an uuuSual way. he would always no
tice it, and say what ought TO be done,
though he could not tell, perhaps, why
it ought to be done.
Two wears before, he had been an in
telligent, promising lad. He was the
son of a designer connected with the
foundry company, and had always been
allowed free access to the shops, and to
mingle with the men and watch their
work. But one day great lifting-chaln
broke, with its load, and an iron frag-
ment struck him on the head, infiicting
a dangerous injury. From this he par
tally recovered, and only partially, for
his reason was impaired. But his ma
tural love for machinery and mechanical
experiments remained, and as he re-
gained his bodily strength, he spent
most of his time making small wheels
and shafts, and putting together odd
contriyances. which he would exhibit
with immense pride and satisfaction.
This peeuliar trait in the young fel-
low gained for him the humorous title
of the Inventor" All the men felt .
great Kindness for him, even though
their manner toward him was OCCASION
ally 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. John 8
Faithfully he kept his place before the
furnace. while the man George sat down
at a little distance and began TO eat hls
sumner. Doubtless the latter intended
TO keen a general oversight, but he GER
tainly made the inventors eyes do the
most of the looking. Whether he feit
kind of reckless trust in the instinct OF
his half-witted companion, or indolentiy
concluded that nothing wrong coulo
happen. he was sadly to blame foI
charging himself so little with the I'M
portant duty that was before him.
Not a word was said by either watcher
and only the deep roar of the furnace
was heard through the vast foundry.
George finished his supper, and saun,
tered into one of the tool shops to nno
his pipe. "Inventor" sat alone before
his great blast. The one rational faculty
of his feeble mind enabled him to COM
prehend what it meant, and even some
thing of The magnitude of the enterprlss
that was ripening inside those burning
walls. He knew that the furnace wa'
full of valuable metal, and that ciost
beside him. buried out of sight In the
deep sand. was the huge mould, so soor
TO be filled with the precious cast. h'
knew and could see that all the chah'
nels for the flow of the fiery liquid Were
ready, and that near the mouth OF ths
furnace stood the long iron rod that wa;
TO be used when the moment came 10 ie
on the molten stream.
All this his limited thoughts took Ii
by habit. Dimly conscious that some
thing great was soon to be done, ne sa'