Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-29
In The Tower.

some years ago L nau OccdslOH u
make short visit TO my old college
friend, Maitland, who had settled down
as clergyman in connection with the
cathedral of Westchester.
After dinner my friend and walked
out in the dusk of the evening. In the
course of our ramble the moon rose.
With the moonlight streaming through
the colored windows, we sauntered
through the ancient cathedral, enjoying
the solemnity of the edifice.
As we approached the gates of the
choir, Maitland, though accustomed to
the place, became singularly silent.
All at once he called on me to notice
that We were standing under the main
central tower, and that in the vaulted
dome overhead was a round black spot.
.sYou see that dark spot" said he,
sit is covered hole opening up into
the tower. Ii is sometimes used for
the hauling up of lead and timber for
repairs on the roof. call your atten-
ton to it now, because L am going to
tell you something about it by-and-by.' -
Seated once more at the fireside of
my batchelor friend. listend to what
he had TO say about the hole in the
tower. l will try to repeat his story
as he told it TO me.
81 suppose it must be about five years
ago, soon after | came to the cathedral,
that was engaged one evening in this
room, writing, when had occasion to
refer to book not in my possession,
but which | knew to be accessible TO
me in the cathedral library.
"To procure the work | sailed out
with 4 lantern; and L had not gone
very far when | was assailed by a
CHEEKY shout from Symes-Geoffrey
Symes-an Oxford man, who had there
been my Junior.
Symes was little eccentric. He had
taken fairish degree, and might have
done well, but being passionately fond
of music, he took to studying the organ
and this had brought him to Westches-
ter as professed pupil of the organist.
"Symes would not, perhaps, have
been called a scientific musician; but
he had a wonderful gift of expressing
thought and feeling on the organ.
"On this occasion, he seemed to re-
solve on display..of his powers. Rush
ing away for few minutes he brought
little Jim Oxley, son Of the verger, TO
blow the bellows; and, with this nec-
essary aid, he set TO work and produced
voluntary, that was altogether mar
velous. and the effect of which was en-
HANGED by the darkness. In fact it was
so beautiful | was unconcious of any
thing but the music, and could have
stayed there without further thought
till the morning.
81 was aroused from my ecstacy by
little Jim, who had been blowing the
bellows all this time, asking me if he
might go home, as his father did not
know where he was.
81 let him out; and as the door fell
behind him, heard the low dying
wall of the organ, as Symes struck one
or two Intellectual notes, and exhausted
its last breath.
He came down and joined me, and as
was taking up my book and lantern,
previous to our departure, he suddenly
cried:
"'Hallo, that tower-hole is open.
Just fancy looking down through there
into the nave
Eyes said |; Il dare say it would
be very pretty; in the meanwhile L am
going home however,
"'AIl rignt,' said Symes, Lend me
your lantern, atd Ill lid you goodnight.
"'Why what are you going to dO?' l
said.
"'Going up into the tower he re-
piled.
"In vain L tried to dissuade him,
using every argument to represent to
him the folly, the uselessness, the dam
of such proceeding. Good-humoredly
but obstinately he threw aside my re-
monstrances: and when at last | found
him resolved, made up my mind re-
luctantly. and not in the best of hu-
mors, to accompany him on the fools
errand.
.'I was little disposed however to re-
spond to his lively sallies, as followed
him into the staircase which led to the
tower. After some few minutes as
cent We came to a doorway that led
over the top of transcept arch under
the leads of root.
"Begging Symes to look about him
and to tread carefully, passed after
him through the darkness into the
main tower. To carry out this purpose
Symes now proceeded to crawl up the
dome, in order to look down through
the orifiee. knew it was of no avail
to say anything, SO l stood and watch
ed him with anxiety, as he leaned over
the verge Of the chasm.
Gas 1 gazed, became aware that
imediately above the opening a stout
rope was swinging, to which was at
tached a hook. i remembered tha
some repairs had been going on for a
few days on the roof of the cathedral,
and that l had seen one or two rolls
of lead wound up through tine hole on
the previous day. These thoughts were
passing through my mind, when
Symes, catching hold of the rope, jerk
ed it, to ascertain that it was fastened
above, and leand forward with his
weight upon it, as he looked down.
wards with exclamations OF delight.
"'Come up, sir, and see; do" he