The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-04
Chr 8utlamd 1aily 6lobe
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4. 1876.
The Bell of St. Johns.

| the wharves in the town OF B., gang OF
workmen were getting ready 10 cast the
largest bell of the st. Johns cathedral
chime. Only an hour more, and they
would let the glazing, bubbling metal flow
from the huge furnace into the mold which
was buried deep in the black earth close
by.
1t was just at evening, and in the gath
ering twilight the lurid blue flames that
burst from the top of the tall chimney
| flashed unearthly CLEANS upon the neigh
boring windows and house tops.
The scene within the foundry was weird
aud almost awful The swarthy forms of
the workmen, partly lighted by the yellow
| glare, moved about like Tartarian shades,
and the sooty beams and ponderous chains
crossing half black, half golden, under the
| glowing roof, recalled the engines of the
| Cyclops under Mt. Htna.
The town clock struck six. 1t was time
for supper. All the men threw down their
tools, and ran and put on their outer cloth
ing.
'Be back in half an hour, sharp !" cried
the foremaster- eve shall make the cast
at quarter to seven"
"All right, sir !" cried the men IN re-
Spouse.
IL hear some of the town folks are com
ing down to see the work, said one.
Eyes" said another, land tn be some
thing to open their eyes. There was never
such bell cast in the whole state as this
one will be-"
In moment more only one workman
and the master were left in the foundry
The former was to stay and watch the
'blast." He had brought double allow
ance of dinner, and he would make a sup
per on what remained.
"Perhaps we can get the Inventor" to
stay with you, George" said the master,
laughingly, as he prepared TO go.
Eyes, where is he 2" returned the man in
the same jesting tone.
"He's been round the works long enough
to know when anything goes wrong.
Hollo ! hollo | say Where's the Inven-
tor Come here. All, there he is !" And
in silent answer to the summons, a shock
haired fellow, with large gray eyes, and a
pale, vacant face, appeared from behind a
pile of castings. He had on his back gray
shirt, much soiled with dust. and he wore a
pair of huge pantaloons, held by single
suspender.
"Well, Mopus," quoth the man George,
slappng him rather roughly on the shout
der suppose you've got wit enough to
help yell il anythiHg's the matter2"
The young fellow looked stupidity around
and nodded his head.
"Then sit here and look at that furnace,
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 owner 8
coat
A queer fellow was this "Mopus !" stu
pid enough IN ordinary things to need a
world of watching, but withal wonderfully
fit to watch furnace. He knew all the
working of the foundry, by what seemed
n sort of brute instinct, though really his
strange sagacity in this was remnant of {
once bright mind. ~.
II auytiiinl; hapIvuod, wont in nm
usual way, he would always notice 1t, ant
say what ought to be done, though he coulc
not tell, perhaps why it ought to be done
| Two years before, he had been an intel
hgent, 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 minglt
with the men and watch their work. But
one day great lifting chain broke with IT.
| load, and an iron fragment struck him or
the head. inflicting serious injury. From
this he partially recovered, and only par
TALLY, for his reason was impaired. Bu'
his natural love for machinery and mechan-
ical experiments remained, and as he re-
gained his bodily strength, he spent most
of his time making small wheels and shafts
and put in thousand contrivances
which he would exhibit with Immense
pride and satisfaction.
This peculiar trait in the young fellow
gained for him the humorous title of thu
'Inventor." All the men felt great kind
ness for him, even though their manner to
ward him was occasionally harsh and i'm
patient.
Such was the person left to help watcl
the great blast for the casting of the kins
bell of the chime of st. Johns. Faithfully
he kept his place before the furnace, Will
the man George sat down at little dis
lance and began to eat his supper. Doubt
less the latter intended to keep genera
| oversight, but he certainly made the inven
tors eyes do most OF thelooking. Whethe
he felt kind of reckless trust in the in
, stinot of hio half witted companion, or in
5 dolently concluded that nothing wron
could happen, he was sadly too blame fO
chargi himself so little with the import
ant duty before him.
Not word was said by either watcher
and only The deep roar of the furnace wa
heard through the vast foundry.
George finished his supper, and sauntere
9 out into one of the tool shops TO find h
pipe. "Invehtor" sat alone before the gres
blast. The one rational faculty of his fe,
BILE mind enabled him to comprehend whs
@ it meant, and even something OF the mas
! nitude of the enterprise that was ripenin
i inside those burning walls. He knew th'
9 the furnace was full of valuable metal, an
: that close besi0e him, buried out of sigl
: in the deep sand, was the image mold,
q soon to be filed with the precious cas-
y He knew and could see that all the chal
y nels for the flow of the fiery liquid wei
d ready, and that near the mouth of the fur
e ace stood the long iron rod that was to |
a used when the moment came to let on II
Q molten stream.
!. All this his limited thoughts took in
e habit. Dimly conscious that somethiI
y great was soon to be done, he sat with h
h eyes on the furnace absorbed and intent.
y Suddenly something startled him. The
! was slight noise and burning crack a
" peared near the top of the furnace. The
another crack, and a scorching brick II
out and rolled to the ground at his feet.
The lad opened his mouth to shrek, b
so terrified was he that the sounds stuck
4 his throat, as if he had been in fit
. nightmare.
=. n tnln red stream lONoWcu Tue IAN
NJ brick, and trickled down the furnace 81
- like running lava. Then came anoth
alarming noise, and a thin gap bali W
down the masonry let out more of the b
: sing metal.
Where was George? Was the unfaitht
fellow still hunting for his pipe? The fur
ace was bursting, with only poor, hi
idiot lad to guard it .gs.L.N....0.
do What could he do? He did. perhaI
10 what lad in his right mind would not ha
dared to do. Rushing to the mouth of I
furnace, he seized the hing iron rod u
stood near, and tapped the vent. One d.
perate thrust with sharp point up the &
rible funnel-a few quick, prying stroke
Stand back, now The combining clay I
away, and the yellow white Hood squirt
out with resistless force. y leaped II
the clay-lned troughs and Kissed its fla